Early life disruption of the microbiota affects organ development and cytokine gene expression in threespine stickleback.

ABSTRACT: The microbiota that inhabits vertebrates exerts strong effects on host physiology and can be crucial to the development of a normal phenotype. This includes development of the immune system, somatic growth and maintenance, and morphogenesis. However, the genetic background of the host can also affect these life history traits. To this end, we investigated the effects of the microbiota on growth, development, and immune gene expression on two populations of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), one anadromous and one freshwater. We tested the hypotheses that microbial colonization and the genetic background of the host would affect survival, cytokine gene expression, growth, and development. We raised in vitro crosses of stickleback larvae with and without conventional microbiota

SUBMITTER: Kirschman LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10388389 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature