Publications

phylogenetic position of the hexactinellida within the phylum porifera based on the amino acid sequence of the protein kinase c from rhabdocalyptus dawsoni.	recent analyses of genes encoding proteins typical for multicellularity, especially adhesion molecules and receptors, favor the conclusion that all metazoan phyla, including the phylum porifera (sponges), are of monophyletic origin. however, none of these data includes cdna encoding a protein from the sponge class hexactinellida. we have now isolated and characterized the cdna encoding a protein kinase c, belonging to the c subfamily (cpkc), from the hexactinellid sponge rhabdocalyptus dawsoni. ...	1998	9608055
genome size and chromosomes in marine sponges [suberites domuncula, geodia cydonium].	the genome size of the marine sponges suberites domuncula and geodia cydonium has been determined by flow cytofluorometric analysis using diamidino-phenylindole [dapi]. using human lymphocytes as reference the amount of dna in cells from s. domuncula has been determined to be 3.7 pg and that of g. cydonium 3.3 pg. while no chromosomes could be identified in g. cydonium, the karyotype of the suberites domuncula is 32 chromosomes in the diploid state. the size of the chromosomes was between 0.25 a ...	1995	9721624
prolidase in the marine sponge suberites domuncula: enzyme activity, molecular cloning, and phylogenetic relationship.	: the enzyme prolidase hydrolyzes the peptide bond that involves the imino nitrogen of proline or hydroxyproline; hence, it catalyzes the final step in collagen degradation. from mammals it is known that this enzyme plays a major role in the recycling of proline for collagen synthesis and can be considered to be essential for the control of cell growth. the dominant organic exoskeleton in sponges, especially in demospongiae, is collagen and the collagen-related spongin. here we demonstrate that ...	1999	10373628
ethylene modulates gene expression in cells of the marine sponge suberites domuncula and reduces the degree of apoptosis.	sponges (phylum porifera) live in an aqueous milieu that contains dissolved organic carbon. this is degraded photochemically by ultraviolet radiation to alkenes, particularly to ethylene. this study demonstrates that sponge cells (here the demosponge suberites domuncula has been used), which have assembled to primmorphs, react to 5 microm ethylene with a significant up-regulation of intracellular ca(2+) concentration and with a reduction of starvation-induced apoptosis. in primmorphs from s. dom ...	1999	10531355
differential expression of allograft inflammatory factor 1 and of glutathione peroxidase during auto- and allograft response in marine sponges.	very recently, porifera (sponges) have been proven to be suitable model systems to study auto- and allograft recognition at the molecular level. several potential immune molecules have been isolated from the marine sponges suberites domuncula and geodia cydonium, among them those which comprise ig-like domains in their extracellular part. here we report on the isolation of two cdnas from s. domuncula that code for molecules involved in mammals in cytokine-mediated graft response; a putative allo ...	1999	10564648
origin of insulin receptor-like tyrosine kinases in marine sponges.	one autapomorphic character restricted to all metazoa including porifera [sponges] is the existence of transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinases (rtks). in this study we screened for molecules from one subfamily within the superfamily of the insulin receptors. the subfamily includes the insulin receptors (insr), the insulin-like growth factor i receptors, and the insr-related receptors--all found in vertebrates--as well as the insr-homolog from drosophila melanogaster. cdnas encoding putative insr ...	1999	10573839
increased gene expression of a cytokine-related molecule and profilin after activation of suberites domuncula cells with xenogeneic sponge molecule(s).	porifera (sponges) constitute the lowest metazoan phylum. experiments examined whether sponges can recognize self/nonself molecules. cells from the marine sponge suberites domuncula were incubated with membranes from either s. domuncula or another marine sponge, geodia cydonium, as well as with recombinant alpha-integrin from g. cydonium. the cells responded immediately with a rise of intracellular ca2+ ([ca2+i]) if they were treated with membranes from g. cydonium but not after treatment by tho ...	1999	10619600
molecular evolution of apoptotic pathways: cloning of key domains from sponges (bcl-2 homology domains and death domains) and their phylogenetic relationships.	cells from metazoan organisms are eliminated in a variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes by apoptosis. in this report, we describe the cloning and characterization of molecules from the marine sponges geodia cydonium and suberites domuncula, whose domains show a high similarity to those that are found in molecules of the vertebrate bcl-2 superfamily and of the death receptors. the bcl-2 proteins contain up to four bcl-2 homology regions (bh). two bcl-2-related molecules have b ...	2000	10835482
the mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 pathway is conserved in metazoans: cloning and activation of p38 of the sapk2 subfamily from the sponge suberites domuncula.	our recent data suggest that during auto- and allograft recognition in sponges (porifera), cytokines are differentially expressed. since the mitogen-activated protein kinase (mapk) signal transduction modulates the synthesis and release of cytokines, we intended to identify one key molecule of this pathway. therefore, a cdna from the marine sponge suberites domuncula encoding the mapk was isolated and analyzed. its encoded protein is 366 amino acids long (calculated mr 42 209), has a tgy dual ph ...	2000	10879630
application of cell culture for the production of bioactive compounds from sponges: synthesis of avarol by primmorphs from dysidea avara.	among all metazoan phyla, sponges are known to produce the largest number of bioactive compounds. however, until now, only one compound, arabinofuranosyladenine, has been approved for application in humans. one major obstacle is the limited availability of larger quantities of defined sponge starting material. recently, we introduced the in vitro culture of primmorphs from suberites domuncula, which contain proliferating cells. now we have established the primmorph culture also from the marine s ...	2000	10978201
sponge homologue to human and yeast gene encoding the longevity assurance polypeptide: differential expression in telomerase-positive and telomerase-negative cells of suberites domuncula.	porifera show a characteristic bauplan in spite of the fact that (almost) all cells are telomerase-positive and presumably provided with an unlimited potency for cell proliferation. studies revealed that telomerase-positive cells can be triggered to telomerase-negative cells by dissociating them into single cells. single cells from the demosponge suberites domuncula, in contrast to cells present in primmorphs (a special form of cell aggregates), lack the property to proliferate and they undergo ...	2000	11006445
stimulation of protein (collagen) synthesis in sponge cells by a cardiac myotrophin-related molecule from suberites domuncula.	the body wall of sponges (porifera), the lowest metazoan phylum, is formed by two epithelial cell layers of exopinacocytes and endopinacocytes, both of which are associated with collagen fibrils. here we show that a myotrophin-like polypeptide from the sponge suberites domuncula causes the expression of collagen in cells from the same sponge in vitro. the cdna of the sponge myotrophin was isolated; the potential open reading frame of 360 nt encodes a 120 aa long protein (mr of 12,837). the seque ...	2000	11023986
modulation of intracellular calcium and proliferative activity of invertebrate and vertebrate cells by ethylene.	ethylene is a widely distributed alkene product which is formed enzymatically (e.g., in plants) or by photochemical reactions (e.g., in the upper oceanic layers from dissolved organic carbon). this gaseous compound was recently found to induce in cells from the marine sponge suberites domuncula, an increase in intracellular ca2+ level ([ca2+]i) and an upregulation of the expression of two genes, the potential ethylene-responsive gene, sderr, and a ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase.	2001	11401726
identification of highly conserved genes: snz and sno in the marine sponge suberites domuncula: their gene structure and promoter activity in mammalian cells(1).	recently, we reported that cells from the sponge suberites domuncula respond to ethylene with an increase in intracellular ca(2+) level [ca(2+)](i), and with an upregulation of the expression of (at least) two genes, a ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase and the potential ethylene-responsive gene, termed sdsnzerr (a. krasko, h.c. schröder, s. perovic, r. steffen, m. kruse, w. reichert, i.m. müller, w.e.g. müller, j. biol. chem. 274 (1999)). here, we describe for the first time that also m ...	2001	11470156
contribution of sponge genes to unravel the genome of the hypothetical ancestor of metazoa (urmetazoa).	recently the term urmetazoa, as the hypothetical metazoan ancestor, was introduced to highlight the finding that all metazoan phyla including the porifera (sponges) are derived from one common ancestor. sponges as the evolutionarily oldest, still extant phylum, are provided with a complex network of structural and functional molecules. analyses of sponge genomes from demospongiae (suberites domuncula and geodia cydonium), calcarea (sycon raphanus) and hexactinellida (aphrocallistes vastus) have ...	2001	11591483
comparative studies on two potential methods for the biotechnological production of sponge biomass.	the production of marine sponge biomass is one of the main outstanding goals of marine biotechnology. due to the increased number of sponge secondary metabolites of economical value the interest in sponge cultivation increased over the last years, too. therefore, we examined cultivation properties of 11 mediterranean sponge species. two methodologies were tested: functional fragment culture and multicell reaggregate culture. the in vitro cultivation of sponge fragments without further dissociati ...	2001	11640986
molecular evolution of the metazoan extracellular matrix: cloning and expression of structural proteins from the demosponges suberites domuncula and geodia cydonium.	one crucial event during evolution to multicellularity was the development of either direct cell-cell contact or indirect interaction via extracellular matrix (ecm) molecules. the identification of those polypeptides provides conclusive data on the phylogenetic relationship of metazoan phyla and helps us to understand the position of the metazoa among the other kingdoms. recently it became evident that the ecm of sponges is amazingly complex; it is composed of fibrous molecules, e.g., collagen, ...	2001	11675600
iron induces proliferation and morphogenesis in primmorphs from the marine sponge suberites domuncula.	dissociated cells from marine demosponges retain their proliferation capacity if they are allowed to form special aggregates, the primmorphs. on the basis of incorporation studies and septin gene expression, we show that fe3+ ions are required for the proliferation of cells in primmorphs from suberites domuncula. in parallel, fe3+ induced the expression of ferritin and strongly stimulated the synthesis of spicules. this result is supported by the finding that the enzymatic activity of silicatein ...	2002	11879581
conservation of the positions of metazoan introns from sponges to humans.	sponges (phylum porifera) are the phylogenetic oldest metazoa still extant. they can be considered as reference animals (urmetazoa) for the understanding of the evolutionary processes resulting in the creation of metazoa in general and also for the metazoan gene organization in particular. in the marine sponge suberites domuncula, genes encoding p38 and jnk kinases contain nine and twelve introns, respectively. eight introns in both genes share the same positions and the identical phases. one p3 ...	2002	12354665
development in primary cell culture of demosponges.	we have established primary cell culture of the marine demosponge dysidea avara and suberites domuncula. microbial contamination was controlled by the use of a pool of antibiotics confirming the goodness of this procedure. effect of ph, temperature and light was studied to establish the better growth conditions. the comparison of lipid composition of sponge and cells suggested a series of experiments to optimise the medium. a glucose dose-dependent experiment showed that the ideal glucose concen ...	2003	12423906
primmorphs from seven marine sponges: formation and structure.	primmorphs were obtained from seven different marine sponges: stylissa massa, suberites domuncula, pseudosuberites aff. andrewsi, geodia cydonium, axinella polypoides, halichondria panicea and haliclona oculata. the formation process and the ultra structure of primmorphs were studied. a positive correlation was found between the initial sponge-cell concentration and the size of the primmorphs. by scanning electron microscopy (sem) it was observed that the primmorphs are very densely packed spher ...	2003	12423907
emergence and disappearance of an immune molecule, an antimicrobial lectin, in basal metazoa. a tachylectin-related protein in the sponge suberites domuncula.	sponges (phylum porifera) represent the evolutionarily oldest metazoans that comprise already a complex immune system and are related to the crown taxa of the protostomians and the deuterostomians. here, we demonstrate the existence of a tachylectin-related protein in the demosponge suberites domuncula, termed suberites lectin. the mapk pathway was activated in response to lipopolysaccharide treatment of the three-dimensional cell aggregates, the primmorphs; this process was abolished by the mon ...	2003	12805362
retinoid x receptor and retinoic acid response in the marine sponge suberites domuncula.	to date no nuclear receptors have been identified or cloned from the phylogenetically oldest metazoan phylum, the porifera (sponges). we show that retinoic acid causes tissue regression in intact individuals of the demosponge suberites domuncula and in primmorphs, special three-dimensional cell aggregates. primmorphs were cultivated on a galectin/poly-l-lysine matrix in order to induce canal formation. in the presence of 1 or 50 micromol l(-1) retinoic acid these canals undergo regression, a pro ...	2003	12909707
physical and chemical analysis of the siliceous skeletons in six sponges of two groups (demospongiae and hexactinellida).	the siliceous skeletons of six hexactinellids and demosponges were compared using a series of physical and chemical tests. the sponges were two hermit-crab sponges (class demospongiae, family suberitidae), one from scotland, suberites domuncula, and the other, pseudospongosorites suberitoides, from the gulf of mexico, and four hexactinellids, hyalonema sp., euplectella aspergillum, rhabdocalyptus dawsoni, and aphrocallistes vastus. the operating hypothesis was that differences in the amorphous h ...	2003	14534907
exocellular cyclic dipeptides from a ruegeria strain associated with cell cultures of suberites domuncula.	from cell cultures of suberites domuncula was isolated a bacterial strain, sdc-1, which was identified by 16s ribosomal rna sequence analysis as an alpha-proteobacterium of the genus ruegeria. the occurrence of the strain in sponge cell culture could be explained by its resistance to the antibiotics used in the isolation of sponge cell cultures or by the preservation of sdc-1 by host sponge cells. the fatty acid composition of sdc-1 is characterized by branched c-12 methyl fatty acids. two new a ...	2004	14586767
synthesis of the neurotoxin quinolinic acid in apoptotic tissue from suberites domuncula: cell biological, molecular biological, and chemical analyses.	sessile marine animals, such as sponges, are prone to infection by prokaryotic as well as by eukaryotic attacking organisms. using the sponge suberites domuncula we document for the first time that in its apoptotic tissue a toxic compound is produced that very likely controls the elimination of the dying tissue. apoptosis was induced by exposing the sponges to 2,2'-dipyridyl or by maintaining them under nonaeration conditions. after that treatment at least one eukaryotic epibiont (bittium sp.) c ...	2002	14961229
bruton tyrosine kinase-like protein, btksd, is present in the marine sponge suberites domuncula.	sponges, the simplest and most ancient phylum of metazoa, encode in their genome complex and highly sophisticated proteins that evolved together with multicellularity and are found only in metazoan animals. we report here the finding of a bruton tyrosine kinase (btk)-like protein in the marine sponge suberites domuncula (demospongiae). the nucleotide sequence of one sponge cdna predicts a 700-aa-long protein, which contains all of the characteristic domains for the tec family of protein tyrosine ...	2004	15028297
oxygen-controlled bacterial growth in the sponge suberites domuncula: toward a molecular understanding of the symbiotic relationships between sponge and bacteria.	sponges (phylum porifera), known to be the richest producers among the metazoans of bioactive secondary metabolites, are assumed to live in a symbiotic relationship with microorganisms, especially bacteria. until now, the molecular basis of the mutual symbiosis, the exchange of metabolites for the benefit of the other partner, has not been understood. we show with the demosponge suberites domuncula as a model that the sponge expresses under optimal aeration conditions the enzyme tyrosinase, whic ...	2004	15066829
silica transport in the demosponge suberites domuncula: fluorescence emission analysis using the pdmpo probe and cloning of a potential transporter.	silicon is, besides oxygen, the most abundant element on earth. only two taxa use this element as a major constituent of their skeleton, namely sponges (phylum porifera) and unicellular diatoms. results from combined cytobiological and molecularbiological techniques suggest that, in the demosponge suberites domuncula, silicic acid is taken up by a transporter. incubation of cells with the fluorescent silica tracer pdmpo [2-(4-pyridyl)-5-[[4-(2-dimethylaminoethylaminocarbamoyl)methoxy]phenyl]-oxa ...	2004	15128286
isolation and characterization of five fox (forkhead) genes from the sponge suberites domuncula.	fox or forkhead genes constitute a subgroup of the helix-turn-helix class of transcription factors with a characteristic and highly conserved dna binding domain. to date, around 100 different fox genes have been reported ranging from yeast to humans; these have been classified into 18 subclasses (a to p). fox proteins are responsible for a wide range of functions and key roles in early developmental processes, during organogenesis and also for the function of the major organs and tissues in the ...	2004	15256253
cyclic peptides from a ruegeria strain of bacteria associated with the sponge suberites domuncula.	two new cyclic peptides, cyclo-(glycyl-l-seryl-l-prolyl-l-glutamyl) and cyclo-(glycyl-l-prolyl-l-glutamyl), have been isolated from the cell extract of a ruegeria strain associated with cell cultures of suberites domuncula. three other cyclopeptides have been isolated for the first time from a natural source. additionally, a new diastereoisomer of a known compound is reported. the structures of isolated compounds have been elucidated by means of spectroscopic data (1d-, 2d-nmr, hresims) and chir ...	2004	15270577
src proteins/src genes: from sponges to mammals.	the genome of marine sponge suberites domuncula, a member of the most ancient and most simple metazoan phylum porifera, encodes at least five genes for src-type proteins, more than, i.e., caenorhabditis elegans or drosophila melanogaster (two in each). three proteins, src1sd, src2sd and src3sd, were fully characterized. the overall homology (identity+similarity) among the three s. domuncula srcs (68-71%) is much lower than the sequence conservation between orthologous src proteins from freshwate ...	2004	15527984
antiangiogenic, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic potential of sponge-associated bacteria.	the bacteria associated with marine invertebrates are a rich source of bioactive metabolites. in the present study bacteria associated with the sponge suberites domuncula and its primmorphs (3-dimensional aggregates containing proliferating cells) were isolated and cultured. these bacteria were extracted, and the extracts were assayed for antiangiogenic, hemolytic, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities. our studies revealed that extract obtained from the bacterium (pb2) isolated from sponge pr ...	2005	15776311
the complete set of ribosomal proteins from the marine sponge suberites domuncula.	the siliceous marine sponge suberites domuncula is a member of the most ancient and simplest extant phylum of multicellular animals-porifera, which have branched off first from the common ancestor of all metazoa. we have determined primary structures of 79 ribosomal proteins (r-proteins) from s. domuncula: 32 proteins from the small ribosomal subunit and 47 proteins from the large ribosomal subunit. only l39 and l41 polypeptides (51 and 25 residues long in rat, respectively) are missing. the spo ...	2006	16229974
isolation of ef silicatein and ef lectin as molecular markers for sclerocytes and cells involved in innate immunity in the freshwater sponge ephydatia fluviatilis.	sponges (phylum porifera) have remarkable regenerative and reconstitutive abilities and represent evolutionarily the oldest metazoans. to investigate sponge stem cell differentiation, we have focused on the asexual reproductive system in the freshwater sponge ephydatia fluviatilis. during germination, thousands of stem cells proliferate and differentiate to form a fully functional sponge. as an initial step of our investigation of stem cell (archeocyte) differentiation, we isolated molecular mar ...	2005	16286723
co-expression and functional interaction of silicatein with galectin: matrix-guided formation of siliceous spicules in the marine demosponge suberites domuncula.	sponges (phylum porifera) of the class of demospongiae are stabilized by a siliceous skeleton. it is composed of silica needles (spicules), which provide the morphogenetic scaffold of these metazoans. in the center of the spicules there is an axial filament that consists predominantly of silicatein, an enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of biosilica. by differential display of transcripts we identified additional proteins involved in silica formation. two genes were isolated from the marine dem ...	2006	16495220
toll-like receptors are part of the innate immune defense system of sponges (demospongiae: porifera).	during evolution and with the emergence of multicellular animals, the need arose to ward off foreign organisms that threaten the integrity of the animal body. among many different receptors that participate in the recognition of microbial invaders, toll-like receptors (tlrs) play an essential role in mediating the innate immune response. after binding distinct microbial components, tlrs activate intracellular signaling cascades that result in an induced expression of diverse antimicrobial molecu ...	2007	17190971
ras-like small gtpases form a large family of proteins in the marine sponge suberites domuncula.	sponges (porifera) are the simplest and the most ancient metazoan animals, which branched off first from the common ancestor of all multicellular animals. we have inspected approximately 13,000 partial cdna sequences (ests) from the marine sponge suberites domuncula and have identified full or partial cdna sequences coding for approximately 50 different ras-like small gtpases. forty-four sponge proteins from the ras family are described here: 6 proteins from the ras subfamily, 5 from rho, 6 from ...	2007	17334709
silicateins, the major biosilica forming enzymes present in demosponges: protein analysis and phylogenetic relationship.	silicateins are enzymes, which are restricted to sponges (phylum porifera), that mediate the catalytic formation of biosilica from monomeric silicon compounds. the silicatein protein is compartmented in the sponges in the axial filaments which reside in the axial canals of the siliceous spicules. in the present study silicatein has been isolated from the freshwater sponge lubomirskia baicalensis where it occurs in isoforms with sizes of 23 kda, 24 kda and 26 kda. since the larger protein is glyc ...	2007	17408887
expression and characterization of recombinant 2',5'-oligoadenylate synthetase from the marine sponge geodia cydonium.	2',5'-oligoadenylate (2-5a) synthetases are known as components of the interferon-induced cellular defence mechanism in mammals. the existence of 2-5a synthetases in the evolutionarily lowest multicellular animals, the marine sponges, has been demonstrated and the respective candidate genes from geodia cydonium and suberites domuncula have been identified. in the present study, the putative 2-5a synthetase cdna from g. cydonium was expressed in an escherichia coli expression system to characteri ...	2007	17561961
drimane sesquiterpenoids from the fungus aspergillus ustus isolated from the marine sponge suberites domuncula.	seven new drimane sesquiterpenoids (1-3, 6-9), along with the known compounds deoxyuvidin b (4), strobilactone b (5), and res-1149-2 (10), were obtained from cultures of the fungus aspergillus ustus, which was isolated from the marine sponge suberites domuncula. their structures were established by means of spectroscopic analyses including one- and two-dimensional nmr spectroscopy and high-resolution ms. compounds 6, 7, and 10 showed cytotoxic activity against a panel of tumor cell lines, includ ...	2009	19778087
demosponge est sequencing reveals a complex genetic toolkit of the simplest metazoans.	sponges (porifera) are among the simplest living and the earliest branching metazoans. they hold a pivotal role for studying genome evolution of the entire metazoan branch, both as an outgroup to eumetazoa and as the closest branching phylum to the common ancestor of all multicellular animals (urmetazoa). in order to assess the transcription inventory of sponges, we sequenced expressed sequence tag libraries of two demosponge species, suberites domuncula and lubomirskia baicalensis, and systemat ...	2010	20621960
poriferan survivin exhibits a conserved regulatory role in the interconnected pathways of cell cycle and apoptosis.	survivin orchestrates intracellular pathways during cell division and apoptosis. its central function as mitotic regulator and inhibitor of cell death has major implications for tumor cell proliferation. analyses in early-branching metazoa so far propose an exclusive role of survivin as a chromosomal passenger protein, whereas only later during evolution a complementary antiapoptotic function might have arisen, concurrent with increased organismal complexity. to lift the veil on the ancestral fu ...	2010	20651742
isolation and characterization of a mn(ii)-oxidizing bacillus strain from the demosponge suberites domuncula.	in this study we demonstrate that the demosponge suberites domuncula harbors a mn(ii)-oxidizing bacterium, a bacillus strain, termed bac-subdo-03. our studies showed that mn(ii) stimulates bacterial growth and induces sporulation. moreover, we show that these bacteria immobilize manganese on their cell surface. comparison of the 16s rdna sequence allowed the grouping of bac-subdo-03 to the mn-precipitating bacteria. analysis of the spore cell wall revealed that it contains an mn(ii)-oxidizing en ...	2010	21339943
sponge non-metastatic group i nme gene/protein - structure and function is conserved from sponges to humans.	nucleoside diphosphate kinases ndpk are evolutionarily conserved enzymes present in bacteria, archaea and eukarya, with human nme1 the most studied representative of the family and the first identified metastasis suppressor. sponges (porifera) are simple metazoans without tissues, closest to the common ancestor of all animals. they changed little during evolution and probably provide the best insight into the metazoan ancestor's genomic features. recent studies show that sponges have a wide repe ...	2011	21457554
characterization of nme6-like gene/protein from marine sponge suberites domuncula.	nucleoside diphosphate kinases (ndpks) are evolutionarily conserved enzymes involved in many biological processes such as metastasis, proliferation, development, differentiation, ciliary functions, vesicle transport and apoptosis in vertebrates. biochemical mechanisms of these processes are still largely unknown. sponges (porifera) are simple metazoans without tissues, closest to the common ancestor of all animals. they changed little during evolution and probably provide the best insight into t ...	2011	21533994
chemosensitizers of the multixenobiotic resistance in amorphous aggregates (marine snow): etiology of mass killing on the benthos in the northern adriatic?	periodically appearing amorphous aggregates, `marine snow', are formed in the sea and if settled as mats on the sea bottom cause death of benthic metazoans. especially those animals are killed which are sessile filter feeders, e.g. sponges, mussels, or anthozoa. the etiology of the toxic principle(s) is not yet well understood. gel-like marine snow aggregates occurred in the northern adriatic during summer 1997. samples of these aggregates were collected during the period july to september and t ...	1998	21781899
Inducible ASABF-type antimicrobial peptide from the sponge Suberites domuncula: microbicidal and hemolytic activity in vitro and toxic effect on molluscs in vivo.	Since sponges, as typical filter-feeders, are exposed to a high load of attacking prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, they are armed with a wide arsenal of antimicrobial/cytostatic low-molecular-weight, non-proteinaceous bioactive compounds. Here we present the first sponge agent belonging to the group of ASABF-type antimicrobial peptides. The ASABF gene was identified and cloned from the demosponge Suberites domuncula. The mature peptide, with a length of 64 aa residues has a predicted pI of ...	2011	22073005
differential expression of the demosponge (suberites domuncula) carotenoid oxygenases in response to light: protection mechanism against the self-produced toxic protein (suberitine).	the demosponge suberites domuncula has been described to contain high levels of a proteinaceous toxin, suberitine, that displays haemolytic activityin the present study this 7-8 kda polypeptide has been isolated and was shown to exhibit also cytotoxic effects on cells of the same species. addition of retinal, a recently identified metabolite of β-carotene that is abundantly present in s. domuncula was found to reduce both the haemolytic and the cell toxic activity of suberitine at a molar ratio ...	2012	22363229
structural and functional characterization of ribosomal protein gene introns in sponges.	ribosomal protein genes (rpgs) are a powerful tool for studying intron evolution. they exist in all three domains of life and are much conserved. accumulating genomic data suggest that rpg introns in many organisms abound with non-protein-coding-rnas (ncrnas). these ancient ncrnas are small nucleolar rnas (snornas) essential for ribosome assembly. they are also mobile genetic elements and therefore probably important in diversification and enrichment of transcriptomes through various mechanisms ...	2012	22880015
surface immobilization of protein via biosilification catalyzed by silicatein fused to glutathione s-transferase (gst).	silicatein from suberites domuncula was known to catalyze silica deposition in vitro under near neutral ph and ambient temperature conditions. in this study, we employed gst-glutathione (gsh) interaction system to increase the production of silicatein and develop an efficient protein immobilization method. recombinant silicatein fused with gst (gst-sil) was produced in e. coli and the gst-sil protein was employed on gsh-coated glass plate. gst-sil bound surface or matrix can catalyze the formati ...	2013	22955837
potentiation of the cytotoxic activity of copper by polyphosphate on biofilm-producing bacteria: a bioinspired approach.	adhesion and accumulation of organic molecules represent an ecologically and economically massive problem. adhesion of organic molecules is followed by microorganisms, unicellular organisms and plants together with their secreted soluble and structure-associated byproducts, which damage unprotected surfaces of submerged marine structures, including ship hulls and heat exchangers of power plants. this is termed biofouling. the search for less toxic anti-biofilm strategies has intensified since th ...	2012	23203265
cryptochrome in sponges: a key molecule linking photoreception with phototransduction.	sponges (phylum: porifera) react to external light or mechanical signals with contractile or metabolic reactions and are devoid of any nervous or muscular system. furthermore, elements of a photoreception/phototransduction system exist in those animals. recently, a cryptochrome-based photoreceptor system has been discovered in the demosponge. the assumption that in sponges the siliceous skeleton acts as a substitution for the lack of a nervous system and allows light signals to be transmitted th ...	2013	23920109
cellular effects of bacterial n-3-oxo-dodecanoyl-l-homoserine lactone on the sponge suberites domuncula (olivi, 1792): insights into an intimate inter-kingdom dialogue.	sponges and bacteria have lived together in complex consortia for 700 million years. as filter feeders, sponges prey on bacteria. nevertheless, some bacteria are associated with sponges in symbiotic relationships. to enable this association, sponges and bacteria are likely to have developed molecular communication systems. these may include molecules such as n-acyl-l-homoserine lactones, produced by gram-negative bacteria also within sponges. in this study, we examined the role of n-3-oxododecan ...	2014	24858701
potential biological role of laccase from the sponge suberites domuncula as an antibacterial defense component.	laccases are copper-containing enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of a wide variety of phenolic substrates.	2015	25459515
lipopolysaccharides from commensal and opportunistic bacteria: characterization and response of the immune system of the host sponge suberites domuncula.	marine sponges harbor a rich bacterioflora with which they maintain close relationships. however, the way these animals make the distinction between bacteria which are consumed to meet their metabolic needs and opportunistic and commensal bacteria which are hosted is not elucidated. among the elements participating in this discrimination, bacterial cell wall components such as lipopolysaccharides (lps) could play a role. in the present study, we investigated the lps chemical structure of two bac ...	2015	26262625
the lipopolysaccharide lipid a structure from the marine sponge-associated bacterium pseudoalteromonas sp. 2a.	suberites domuncula is a marine demosponge harbouring a large bacterioflora, including commensal, opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria, among which, species of the gram-negative genus pseudoalteromonas were identified. the sponge-bacteria interaction mechanisms are still not fully understood. as the main component of the gram-negative bacterial outer membrane, the lipopolysaccharide (lps) may play a role in such a crucial relationship. moreover, the lps is known to be the most versatile bioacti ...	2017	28364252