Convergent shifts in host-associated microbial communities across environmentally elicited phenotypes

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03383-w
• Publication Date: 2018-02-27T20:32:44Z
• Authors: Tyler J. Carrier; Adam M. Reitzel
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Science; Microbiota; Q; Environment; Article; Diet; 03 medical and health sciences; Phenotype; Species Specificity; Larva; Sea Urchins; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Animals

Morphological plasticity is a genotype-by-environment interaction that enables organisms to increase fitness across varying environments. Symbioses with diverse microbiota may aid in acclimating this variation, but whether the associated bacteria community phenotype specific remains understudied. Here we induce morphological three species of sea urchin larvae and measure changes bacterial community. While each host has unique communities, expression results convergence on phenotype-specific microbiome is, part, driven by differential association α- γ-proteobacteria. Furthermore, these suggest signatures are product environment correlated ingestive digestive structures. By manipulating diet quantity over time, also show differentially associating along phenotypic continuum bidirectional. Taken together, our data support idea microbial extends beyond interaction.