Microbial-driven zebrafish embryonic development sequencing data

In this study we tested the hypothesis that the surrounding microbiome influences embryonic development in oviparous organisms despite lack of physical contact with microbes, shaping host physiology during and beyond embryogenesis. We utilized zebrafish (Danio rerio) reared germ-free or conventionalized with a microbial community at 6 and 24 hours post-fertilization to examine transcriptomic shifts in embryos at 32 hours post-fertilization and provide characterization of the microbial communities used for conventionalization of zebrafish embryos. This study is of particular relevance to the developmental plasticity and fitness of oviparous organisms in microbially dynamic natural habitats, expanding our understanding of host-microbe interactions during the earliest and most sensitive stage of vertebrate development.