Genotype-environment interactions determine microbiota plasticity in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis.

ABSTRACT: Most multicellular organisms harbor microbial colonizers that provide various benefits to their hosts. Although these microbial communities may be host species- or even genotype-specific, the associated bacterial communities can respond plastically to environmental changes. In this study, we estimated the relative contribution of environment and host genotype to bacterial community composition in Nematostella vectensis, an estuarine cnidarian. We sampled N. vectensis polyps from 5 different populations along a north-south gradient on the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada. In addition, we sampled 3 populations at 3 different times of the year. While half of the polyps were immediately analyzed for their bacterial composition by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the remaining polyps wer

SUBMITTER: Baldassarre L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9894556 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature