Infection process and sloughing off of rhizobial outer membrane in effective nodules of lima bean

In addition to infection via root hairs, infection threads originating in epidermal cells after colonization of epidermis have been clearly demonstrated in lima beans infected with Rhizobium sp. 127E15, and this double mode of infection possibly accounts for profuse nodulation of the roots. Sloughing off of the outer membrane (cell wall) was detected after release of rhizobia during bacteroid differentiation in effective nodules.