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Peer-reviewedCC BYNature Communications

Insights into the role of dopamine in rhizosphere microbiome assembly

  • Yezhang Ding1,2
  • Hunter K. Vogel3,2
  • Yi Zhai4,5
  • Hans K. Carlson3,2
  • Peter F Andeer3,2
  • Vlastimil Novák3,2
  • Nakian Kim6,3,2
  • Benjamin P. Bowen3,4,2,5
  • Amber N. Golini3,2
  • Suzanne M. Kosina3,2
  • Devin Coleman‐Derr6,7,8,9
  • John P. Vogel10,11,2,5
1 more authors
  • Trent R. Northen12,13,2,5
13 affiliations
  1. 1Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA. [email protected]
  2. 2Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
  3. 3Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
  4. 4The DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
  5. 5The DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 9470, USA
  6. 6Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
  7. 7Plant Gene Expression Center, UC Berkeley, Albany, CA, USA
  8. 8Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, 111 Koshland Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
  9. 9Plant Gene Expression Center, UC Berkeley, USDA-ARS, Albany, CA, USA
  10. 10Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA. [email protected]
  11. 11The DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA. [email protected]
  12. 12Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA. [email protected]
  13. 13The DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA. [email protected]
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Abstract

Dopamine plays a critical role in animal physiology and interactions with gut microbes. In plants, dopamine is known to function in plant defense and abiotic stress tolerance; however, its role in mediating plant-microbiome interactions remains unexplored. In this study, we show that dopamine is one of the most abundant exometabolites with natural variation in root exudates across diverse Brachypodium distachyon lines, suggesting a potential role in rhizosphere microbial assembly. To further investigate this, we colonized ten natural B. distachyon lines with a 16-member bacterial synthetic community (SynCom), collected metabolomic and 16S rRNA sequencing data, and performed an association analysis. Our results reveal that dopamine levels in root exudates were significantly associated with the abundance of six SynCom members in a hydroponic system. In vitro growth studies demonstrated that dopamine had a significant effect on the growth of the same six bacterial isolates. Additionally, treating soil directly with dopamine enriched Actinobacteria, consistent with both the SynCom-dopamine correlations and the isolate growth results. Collectively, our study underscores the selective influence of dopamine on rhizosphere microbial communities, with implications for precision microbiome management.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{ding2026insights,
  title = {{Insights into the role of dopamine in rhizosphere microbiome assembly}},
  author = {Yezhang Ding and Hunter K. Vogel and Yi Zhai and Hans K. Carlson and Peter F Andeer and Vlastimil Novák and Nakian Kim and Benjamin P. Bowen and Amber N. Golini and Suzanne M. Kosina and Devin Coleman‐Derr and John P. Vogel and Trent R. Northen},
  journal = {Nature Communications},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-76211-1},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76211-1},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Insights into the role of dopamine in rhizosphere microbiome assembly
AU  - Yezhang Ding
AU  - Hunter K. Vogel
AU  - Yi Zhai
AU  - Hans K. Carlson
AU  - Peter F Andeer
AU  - Vlastimil Novák
AU  - Nakian Kim
AU  - Benjamin P. Bowen
AU  - Amber N. Golini
AU  - Suzanne M. Kosina
AU  - Devin Coleman‐Derr
AU  - John P. Vogel
AU  - Trent R. Northen
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/29
JO  - Nature Communications
DO  - 10.1038/s41467-026-76211-1
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76211-1
AB  - Dopamine plays a critical role in animal physiology and interactions with gut microbes. In plants, dopamine is known to function in plant defense and abiotic stress tolerance; however, its role in mediating plant-microbiome interactions remains unexplored. In this study, we show that dopamine is one of the most abundant exometabolites with natural variation in root exudates across diverse Brachypodium distachyon lines, suggesting a potential role in rhizosphere microbial assembly. To further investigate this, we colonized ten natural B. distachyon lines with a 16-member bacterial synthetic community (SynCom), collected metabolomic and 16S rRNA sequencing data, and performed an association analysis. Our results reveal that dopamine levels in root exudates were significantly associated with the abundance of six SynCom members in a hydroponic system. In vitro growth studies demonstrated that dopamine had a significant effect on the growth of the same six bacterial isolates. Additionally, treating soil directly with dopamine enriched Actinobacteria, consistent with both the SynCom-dopamine correlations and the isolate growth results. Collectively, our study underscores the selective influence of dopamine on rhizosphere microbial communities, with implications for precision microbiome management.
SN  - 2041-1723
ER  -