Can different strains of Rhizobium share an infection thread or symbiosome?
Rhizobium infection can be triggered at root hairs of legumes, creating infection threads.
Can these infections threads be colonized by more than one type of Rhizobium (e.g. Fixing and non-fixing)?
What about when the infection is inside the plant cells? Can symbiosomes be co-inhabited by different bacteria?
Great question! There is some interesting literature out about the root nodule microbiome (and probably much more coming). See this publication as an example or simply look up the title "The Nodule Microbiome: N2-Fixing Rhizobia Do Not Live Alone". Simple answer is the microbial community is much more diverse than previously thought, especially within these specialized structures.
