The Microbiome of Fertilization-Stage Maize Silks (Style) Encodes Genes and Expresses Traits That Potentially Promote Survival in Pollen/Style Niches and Host Reproduction.

Within flowers, the style channel receives pollen and transmits male gametes inside elongating pollen tubes to ovules. The styles of maize/corn are called silks. Fertilization-stage silks possess complex microbiomes, which may partially derive from pollen. These microbiomes lack functional analysis. We hypothesize that fertilization-stage silk microbiomes promote host fertilization to ensure their own vertical transmission. We further hypothesize that these microbes encode traits to survive stresses within the silk (water/nitrogen limitation) and pollen (dehydration/aluminum) habitats. Here, bacteria cultured from fertilization-stage silks of 14 North American maize genotypes underwent genome mining and functional testing, which revealed osmoprotection, nitrogen-fixation, and aluminum-tolerance traits. Bacteria contained auxin biosynthesis genes, and testing confirmed indole compound secretion, which is relevant, since pollen delivers auxin to silks to stimulate egg cell maturation. Some isolates encoded biosynthetic/transport compounds known to regulate pollen tube guidance/growth. The isolates encoded ACC deaminase, which degrades the precursor for ethylene that otherwise accelerates silk senescence. The findings suggest that members of the microbiome of fertilization-stage silks encode adaptations to survive the stress conditions of silk/pollen and have the potential to express signaling compounds known to impact reproduction. Overall, whereas these microbial traits have traditionally been assumed to primarily promote vegetative plant growth, this study proposes they may also play selfish roles during host reproduction.