#Sponges react to changes in their #microbiome with extensive modifications in #GeneRegulation
https://phys.org/news/2023-06-sponges-react-microbiome-extensive-modifications.html

#BodyPlan Reorganization in a #Sponge Correlates with Microbiome Change https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/doi/10.1093/molbev/msad138/7191912

"The sponges respond to the loss of #cyanobacteria—eg. due to shading—with significant changes to their #morphology: Here, initially blue sponges with leaf-like growth forms transformed into white, thread-like #morphotypes with a markedly different #microanatomy."

Sponges react to changes in their microbiome with extensive modifications in gene regulation: Study

For a number of years, mounting evidence has shown that the microbiome—the totality of all microorganisms that inhabit a living being—interacts with its host in various ways and can influence key life processes. Sponges, which rank among the oldest multicellular life forms on Earth, likewise host a diverse array of microbial communities.

Phys.org