Heterosis studies integrating host transcriptome, rhizosphere bacteria and fungi in maize
This study investigates the impact of the rhizosphere microbiome on maize heterosis by exploring interkingdom interactions between plant transcriptomes and microbial communities. We conducted a comprehensive investigation into the mechanistic regulation of the root transcriptome and rhizosphere microbiome during the maize seedling stage. This involved the use of cortex tissue-specific root RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), and bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS gene sequencing.