PMC

Modeling usage parameters. Example curve fitting to Behrends model (cyan). Blue square indicates the modeled T₅₀ parameter of the Behrends model, or inflection point of the curve, and the width parameter of the model is depicted by the green bar centered at T₅₀. The orange square represents the calculated T_h value, or when half of the total amount of compound has been depleted, and the red bar depicts the calculated usage window, or time when the compound is depleted from 90 to 10% of the total amount used by the species

T_h and width values for the strains. a–c T_h and width for each compound mapped onto the growth curve of each strain. Colored circles represent average T_h and colored horizontal lines represent the average usage window (time of depletion from 90 to 10% of total resource used by the strain). Solid black line is the average OD₆₀₀ of each strain measured over time (n = 3), with shading representing standard deviation. d Comparison of T_h values between strains, of all compounds, with error bars representing standard error. Dashed boxes in a and d indicate the grouping of compounds utilized by Bc, and dashed brackets in c and d indicate the different growth phases observed for Pb

Co-culture observations compared to predictions, normalized to t₀ concentration of each metabolite. Blue, green and red dashed lines represent the observed depletion of each compound by Bc, Pl and Pb, respectively, when grown in isolation. The solid black line is the predicted depletion of a co-culture of all three strains. The golden circles represent the measured compound concentration in the co-culture medium. Error bars and/or shading represent standard error (n = 3). Glycine at time point 4 could not be calculated because the measurement was outside the dynamic range of the calibration curve, and the r ² was not determined (n.d.) for glycine. Non-normalized figure is shown as Additional file : Figure S5

Physiological Correlations. Correlations between specific growth rate on a compound as a sole carbon source, and T_h (a, c, e) or maximum compound depletion rate relative to biomass (grams cell dry weight (gCDW)) (b, d, f) in complete defined medium for species Bc (a, b), Pl (c, d) and Pb (e, f). Compounds that did not support growth as a sole carbon source (specific growth rate of zero) are shaded lighter at the bottom of each plot. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) and p-values (p) for the set of compounds for which the specific growth rate was nonzero are depicted in the upper-right of each plot. Correlations that had a p-value less than 0.05 were colored red. Error bars depict standard error