Fungal network architecture
Network architecture qualitatively differed with varying levels of
fungal relatedness. We quantified complexity, measured as fractal
dimension, Dm of the three relatedness
treatments. Measuring from the focal root compartment toward the central
fungus-only compartment, we found that a network composed of only A5
(i.e. selfing) increased in complexity fromDm ~1.1 toDm ~1.2 moving toward the center
of the central fungus-only compartment. This was accompanied by an
increase in surface area covered from 4 to 8% (Fig. 4a-c). However,
when the partner root was inoculated with the non-selfing partner strain
B12 (Fig. 4d-f) or Agg (Fig. 4g-i), the complexity and density of
the network showed the opposite pattern, with both decreasing towards
the center of the central compartment. The fractal dimensions decreased
from Dm ~ 1.3 toDm ~1.2 in B12 and fromDm ~1.5 toDm ~1.1 in Agg, and the surface
area from 10 to 5% in B12 and from 19 to 4% in Agg.