Fig. 3

Nodulation properties of V. radiata KPS1 inoculated with B. elkanii strains. The roots were imaged at 11 (A) and 15 (B) dpi. Cytological analysis of the nodules induced by strains BEinnB and BEinnBnopP2 observed by confocal microscopy after staining with SYTO9 (green: live bacteria), calcofluor (blue: plant cell wall), and propidium iodide (red; infected plant nuclei and dead bacteria or bacteria with compromised membranes). The white arrowhead in Figure-A shows the primordia. (C) Nodule organogenesis of root tissue (11 dpi) and (D) numbers of young nodules per plant observed at 15 dpi. The data shown are box and whisker plots of 10 plants. Scale bars: 1 cm, nodule primordia and young nodules; “**” P < 0.01 according to Student’s t test.