Symbiotic state modulates microbiome recovery following depletion in a facultatively symbiotic cnidarian

This study explored microbiome depletion and recovery following antibiotic treatment in symbiotic and aposymbiotic Exaiptasia pallida, a facultatively symbiotic sea anemone. We used 16S gene sequencing of the bacterial microbiome to characterize taxa during recovery following antibiotic treatment. We characterized the host molecular response to microbiome depletion and recovery using whole-animal gene expression profiling and Western blotting of the innate immune transcription factor NF-kappaB. This study reveals dynamics of microbiome recovery following depletion and the influence of microbiome community members on host gene expression, providing a foundation for work for future research involving pairwise interactions between beneficial microorganisms and cnidarian hosts