Microbiome of rice seeds at ripening stage

Seed endophytes have received particular attention as they may be important founders of the plant microbial community, which is essential for plant growth and health. However, a comprehensive understanding of the assembly of the seed microbiome during seed development and maturation, fate of the microbes during storage, and migration of the microbes during seedling growth is still inadequate. In this study, we employed culture-dependent and metagenomic analyses to understand the assembly and fate of endogenous bacteria in rice seeds from the ripening stage to the storage and seedling stages. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to reveal the dynamics of bacterial populations during the storage of rice seeds at different temperatures. The temporal dynamics of the bacterial community during seed storage provides clues for the manipulation of endogenous bacteria in rice plants. The selected bacterial isolates, containing beneficial functions, can be engineered to promote the growth of rice plants in unique paddy environments.