Daidzein shapes rhizosphere bacterial communities

Rhizosphere microbes play pivotal roles in plant growth and health. Despite the importance of plant specialized metabolites in the assemblage and function of microbial rhizosphere communities, little is known of how far the effects of these metabolites extend through the soil. Here, we explored the spatiotemporal distribution of plant specialized metabolites in the soil near plant roots, using daidzein, an isoflavone secreted by soybean roots, as a model. We showed that bacterial communities of daidzein-treated soils were more similar to those of the soybean rhizosphere than those of bulk soils, indicating that daidzein participates in shaping soybean rhizosphere communities.