Purpose To elucidate the community diversity, spatial distribution characteristics, and ecological functional potential of endophytic bacteria within rice seeds in the Dongting Lake ecological zone of Hunan Province.
Methods Taking 209 rice seeds from seven counties and districts within the ecological zone as the research subjects, Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the endophytic bacterial community. Additionally, LEfSe analysis was utilized to screen differential markers, while linear regression analysis was conducted to identify the primary geographical factors influencing alpha diversity. Furthermore, ecological function predictions were made based on the FAPROTAX database.
Results The endophytic bacterial community in rice seeds from this region encompassed 30 phyla and 240 genera, exhibiting significant variations in community structure across different counties and districts. Among them, Jinshi City exhibited the highest bacterial community diversity, along with the most complex and stable ecological network structure. LEfSe analysis identified 51 differential markers among the endophytic bacterial communities from rice seeds collected across six counties and districts. Latitude was the primary geographical factor influencing the alpha diversity of the bacterial community. Functional prediction showed that chemoheterotrophy, aerobic chemoheterotrophy, and photosynthesis were the predominant functions of endophytic bacteria in rice seeds.
Conclusion The endophytic bacterial community of rice seeds in the Dongting Lake ecological zone is rich in diversity, yet it exhibits significant geographical and spatial heterogeneity. This study reveals the geographical distribution patterns and core ecological functions of endophytic bacteria in rice seeds from this region, providing a crucial theoretical basis for subsequent germplasm improvement driven by microbiome and the conservation of agricultural microbial resources.
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