Sampling Maize (Zea mays) Seed Endophytes
- Jason G. Wallace1,2,3,4 and
- Daniel Laspisa2,3
- 1Department of Crop and Soil Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
- 2Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
- 3Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
- ↵4Correspondence: jason.wallace{at}uga.edu
Abstract
For most farmers, the production of maize grain is the ultimate goal of the entire field season. From the point of view of plant microbiome studies, seeds are particularly interesting in that they are the only avenue for vertical transmission of microbes from parent to offspring, though microbes can also enter maize seeds via wounds or silks. Although the presence of seed endophytes is well documented, their role, if any, in seed health and their effects on the next generation of plants are largely unknown. This protocol describes the isolation of seed endophytes. Its primary focus is properly sterilizing the seed surface, followed by grinding to release the endophytes. The end product is a cell suspension suitable for either culturing or DNA analysis.
Footnotes
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From the Maize collection, edited by Candice N. Hirsch and Marna D. Yandeau-Nelson. The entire Maize collection is available online at Cold Spring Harbor Protocols and can be accessed at https://cshprotocols.cshlp.org/.
