Light exposure mediates circadian rhythms of rhizosphere microbial communities

Abstract Microbial community circadian rhythms have a broad influence on host health and even though light-induced environmental fluctuations could regulate microbial communities, the contribution of light to the circadian rhythms of rhizosphere microbial communities has received little attention. To address this gap, we monitored diel changes in the microbial communities in rice (Oryza sativa L.) rhizosphere soil under light–dark and constant dark regimes, identifying microbes with circadian rhythms caused by light exposure and microbial circadian clocks, respectively. While rhizosphere microbial communities displayed circadian rhythms under light–dark and constant dark regimes, taxa possessing circadian rhythms under the two conditions were dissimilar. Light exposure concealed microbial circadian clocks as a regulatory driver, leading to fewer ecological niches in light versus dark communities. These findings disentangle regulation mechanisms for circadian rhythms in the rice rhizosphere microbial communities and highlight the role of light-induced regulation of rhizosphere microbial communities.