High-throughput sequencing-based analysis of the composition and diversity of endophytic bacterial community in seeds of 'Beijing' hybrid maize planted in China

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the largest food crops in China with the plangting area and total yield of 37.076 million hectares and 215.67 million tons respectively in 2014. The technology of cross breeding was the primary method to cultivate new maize varieties and promote the yield level. In recent years, more and more agriculturalists discovered the existence of endophyte in maize and their close relationship with soil environmental adaption which affect the production of maize. In this study, the seeds of six different maize varieties which were self-developed and cultivated from capital city of China “Beijing” and extensively planted in China were collected, this is the first time to acquire all of the “Beijing” hybrid maize to investigate their endopytes. We clarified eight species exists in all the varieties and the relative abundance of top three species including Pantoea agglomerans, Enterobacter cloacae and Aeribacillus pallidus taken about 60 % of the whole endophyte. Besides these, we also discovered the correlations between the endophytic bacteria which might affect the growth of maize. On the other hand, the distributions of E. cloacae and A. pallidus between maize varieties with different male parent were apparently different. So we deduced the endophyte affect the environmental adaptation of different maize varieties and the results showed the light on the future maize variety cultivation from the angle of endophyte.