Heading to the Origins – Rice Microbiome as Functional Extension of the Host

Plant has evolved along microbial symbionts, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protista. These symbionts, i.e. microorganisms living in close association with the host, with their collection of intricate genetic components have improved plant fitness by adding essential and functional capabilities. Therefore, one might continuously see plant as a superorganism composed of an amalgam of both selected symbiont microbiota and host cells. As single unit, both partners interact closely and often operate by complementarity of their metabolic capabilities. The nature of these interactions range from mutualism, where cooperation between symbionts evolved by enhancing all participants’ inclusive fitness, to pathogenesis, where the symbiont increases its own growth and fitness selfishly, and trigger the host response leading to disease development and ultimately to terminate the interaction. Thus, plants have evolved to detect molecular patterns of symbionts and are capable to discriminate them by either reinforcement of beneficial cooperation [1] or sanctions of detrimental interactions [2].