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isolation and phylogenetic analysis of bacteria with antimicrobial activities from the mediterranean sponges aplysina aerophoba and aplysina cavernicola.the aim of this study was to isolate bacteria with antimicrobial activities from the marine sponges aplysina aerophoba and aplysina cavernicola. the obtained 27 isolates could be subdivided into eight phylogenetically different clusters based on comparative sequence analysis of their 16s rdna genes. the sponge isolates were affiliated with the low (bacillus) and high g+c gram-positive bacteria (arthobacter, micrococcus), as well as the alpha-proteobacteria (unknown isolate) and gamma-proteobacte ...200111311441
hortein, a new natural product from the fungus hortaea werneckii associated with the sponge aplysina aerophoba.the fungus hortaea werneckii isolated from the mediterranean sponge aplysina aerophoba, collected at banyuls-sur-mer in southern france, yielded a new compound named hortein (1), which possesses a unique ring system hitherto unknown for natural products. the structure of 1 was established on the basis of 1d and 2d nmr spectroscopic and mass spectrometric (esi, ci, fab, ei) data.200111374967
new metabolites from sponge-derived fungi curvularia lunata and cladosporium herbarum.the fungus curvularia lunata, isolated from the marine sponge niphates olemda, yielded the new 1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methoxyanthraquinone, which we named lunatin (1), the known modified bisanthraquinone cytoskyrin a (2), and the known plant hormone (+)-abscisic acid (3). both anthraquinones were found to be active against bacillus subtilis, staphylococcus aureus, and escherichia coli. two strains of the fungus cladosporium herbarum, isolated from the sponges aplysina aerophoba and callyspongia aeri ...200212027752
antimicrobial activities and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry of bacillus isolates from the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba.the aim of this study was to isolate bacteria that are resistant to the strong antimicrobial metabolites characteristic of aplysina aerophoba. for this purpose, bacterial isolation was performed on agar plates to which sponge tissue extract had been added. following screening for antifungal and antimicrobial activities, 5 strains were chosen for more detailed analyses. 16s ribosomal dna sequencing revealed that all isolates belonged to the genus bacillus, specifically b. subtilis and b. pumilus. ...200314730425
identification of planctomycetes with order-, genus-, and strain-specific 16s rrna-targeted probes.a specific 16s rrna-targeted oligonucleotide probe (pir1223) for the genus pirellula and a species-specific probe (rb454) for pirellula sp. strain sh1 have been designed and optimized. together with the already existing order-specific probe pla886, the two newly designed probes were used to detect and identify planctomycetes, pirellulae, and close relatives of pirellula sp. strain sh1 in different habitats. with the help of these probes for detection and identification, bacteria of the genus pir ...200414994173
the biogeography and phylogeny of unicellular cyanobacterial symbionts in sponges from australia and the mediterranean.the distribution, host associations, and phylogenetic relationships of the unicellular cyanobacterial symbionts of selected marine sponges were investigated with direct 16s rdna sequencing. the results indicate that the symbionts of the marine sponges aplysina aerophoba, ircinia variabilis, and petrosia ficiformis from the mediterranean, four chondrilla species from australia and the mediterranean, and haliclona sp. from australia support a diversity of symbionts comprising at least four closely ...200415546037
cloning, recombinant expression and biochemical characterisation of novel esterases from bacillus sp. associated with the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba.two novel esterases (estb1 and estb2) were isolated from a genomic library of bacillus sp. associated with the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba. estb1 shows low identity (26-44%) with the published hydrolases of the genus bacillus, whereas estb2 shows high identity (73-74%) with the carboxylesterases from b. cereus and b. anthracis. both esterases were efficiently expressed in escherichia coli under the control of t7 promoter using the vector pet-22b(+). recombinant estb1 was purified in a singl ...200415614567
analysis of the first genome fragment from the marine sponge-associated, novel candidate phylum poribacteria by environmental genomics.the novel candidate phylum poribacteria is specifically associated with several marine demosponge genera. because no representatives of poribacteria have been cultivated, an environmental genomic approach was used to gain insights into genomic properties and possibly physiological/functional features of this elusive candidate division. in a large-insert library harbouring an estimated 1.1 gb of microbial community dna from aplysina aerophoba, a poribacteria-positive 16s rrna gene locus was ident ...200616584473
bacterial uptake by the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba.sponges (porifera) are filter feeders that take up microorganisms from seawater and digest them by phagocytosis. at the same time, many sponges are known to harbor massive consortia of symbiotic microorganisms, which are phylogenetically distinct from those in seawater, within the mesohyl matrix. in the present study, feeding experiments were performed to investigate whether phylogenetically different bacterial isolates, hereafter termed "food bacteria," microbial seawater consortia, and sponge ...200717265004
widespread occurrence and genomic context of unusually small polyketide synthase genes in microbial consortia associated with marine sponges.numerous marine sponges harbor enormous amounts of as-yet-uncultivated bacteria in their tissues. there is increasing evidence that these symbionts play an important role in the synthesis of protective metabolites, many of which are of great pharmacological interest. in this study, genes for the biosynthesis of polyketides, one of the most important classes of bioactive natural products, were systematically investigated in 20 demosponge species from different oceans. unexpectedly, the sponge met ...200717293531
physiology, phylogeny and in situ evidence for bacterial and archaeal nitrifiers in the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba.the potential for nitrification in the mediterranean sponge aplysina aerophoba was assessed using a combined physiological and molecular approach. nitrate excretion rates in whole sponges reached values of up to 344 nmol g(-1) dry weight (wt) h(-1) (unstimulated) and 1325 nmol g(-1) dry wt h(-1) (stimulated). addition of nitrapyrin, a nitrification-specific inhibitor, effectively inhibited nitrate excretion. ammonium was taken up by sponges in spring and excreted in fall, the sponges thus servin ...200818363713
shifts in microbial and chemical patterns within the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba during a disease outbreak.the microbial community composition in affected and unaffected portions of diseased sponges and healthy control sponges of aplysina aerophoba was assessed to ascertain the role of microbes in the disease process. sponge secondary metabolites were also examined to assess chemical shifts in response to infection. the microbial profile and aplysinimine levels in unaffected tissue near the lesions closely reflected those of healthy sponge tissue, indicating a highly localized disease process. dgge d ...200818783385
depth-related alkaloid variation in mediterranean aplysina sponges.total amounts and patterns of bromoisoxazoline alkaloids of aplysina sponges from croatia (mediterranean sea) were analyzed along an underwater slope ranging from 1.8 to 38.5 m. total amounts of alkaloids varied from sample to sample and showed no correlation with depth. in contrast, striking differences of alkaloid patterns were found between sponges from shallow sites (1.8-11.8 m) and those collected from deeper sites (11.8-38.5 m). sponges from shallow depths consistently exhibited alkaloid p ...200919526725
morphological, bacterial, and secondary metabolite changes of aplysina aerophoba upon long-term maintenance under artificial conditions.the aim of this study was to analyze successional changes in the bacterial community over a period of 6 months of cultivation of aplysina aerophoba sponges under different artificial cultivation conditions by use of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (dgge). the cultivation conditions varied concerning the water temperature (20 +/- 2 degrees c and 25 +/- 2 degrees c) of the aquaria, additional illumination of one aquarium, and feeding of the sponges. amplicons from dgge separation of domina ...200919588186
desulfoluna spongiiphila sp. nov., a dehalogenating bacterium in the desulfobacteraceae from the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba.a reductively dehalogenating, strictly anaerobic, sulfate-reducing bacterium, designated strain aa1t, was isolated from the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba collected in the mediterranean sea and was characterized phenotypically and phylogenetically. cells of strain aa1t were gram-negative, short, curved rods. growth of strain aa1t was observed between 20 and 37 degrees c (optimally at 28 degrees c) at ph 7-8. nacl was required for growth; optimum growth occurred in the presence of 25 g nacl l(- ...200919605712
enrichment and physiological characterization of a novel nitrospira-like bacterium obtained from a marine sponge.members of the nitrite-oxidizing genus nitrospira are most likely responsible for the second step of nitrification, the conversion of nitrite (no(2)(-)) to nitrate (no(3)(-)), within various sponges. we succeeded in obtaining an enrichment culture of nitrospira derived from the mesohyl of the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba using a traditional cultivation approach. electron microscopy gave first evidence of the shape and ultrastructure of this novel marine nitrospira-like bacterium (culture aa0 ...201020511427
single-cell genomics reveals the lifestyle of poribacteria, a candidate phylum symbiotically associated with marine sponges.in this study, we present a single-cell genomics approach for the functional characterization of the candidate phylum poribacteria, members of which are nearly exclusively found in marine sponges. the microbial consortia of the mediterranean sponge aplysina aerophoba were singularized by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and individual microbial cells were subjected to phi29 polymerase-mediated 'whole-genome amplification'. pyrosequencing of a single amplified genome (sag) derived from a memb ...201020613790
polyketide genes in the marine sponge plakortis simplex: a new group of mono-modular type i polyketide synthases from sponge symbionts.sponge symbionts are a largely unexplored source of new and unusual metabolic pathways. insights into the distribution and function of metabolic genes of sponge symbionts are crucial to dissect and exploit their biotechnological potential. screening of the metagenome of the marine sponge plakortis simplex led to the discovery of the swf family, a new group of mono-modular type i polyketide synthase/fatty acid synthase (pks/fas) specifically associated with sponge symbionts. two different example ...201324249289
diversity of nonribosomal peptide synthetase genes in the microbial metagenomes of marine sponges.genomic mining revealed one major nonribosomal peptide synthetase (nrps) phylogenetic cluster in 12 marine sponge species, one ascidian, an actinobacterial isolate and seawater. phylogenetic analysis predicts its taxonomic affiliation to the actinomycetes and hydroxy-phenyl-glycine as a likely substrate. additionally, a phylogenetically distinct nrps gene cluster was discovered in the microbial metagenome of the sponge aplysina aerophoba, which shows highest similarities to nrps genes that were ...201222822366
total synthesis of herbarin a and b, determination of their antioxidant properties and toxicity in zebrafish embryo model.herbarin a and b were isolated from the fungal strains of cladosporium herbarum found in marine sponges aplysina aerophoba and callyspongia aerizusa. total synthesis of herbarin a and b was achieved by carrying out a multi-step synthesis approach, and the antioxidant properties were evaluated using frap assay. toxicity of these compounds was determined using a zebrafish embryo model.201525690788
3d chitinous scaffolds derived from cultivated marine demosponge aplysina aerophoba for tissue engineering approaches based on human mesenchymal stromal cells.the recently discovered chitin-based scaffolds derived from poriferans have the necessary prosperities for potential use in tissue engineering. among the various demosponges of the verongida order, aplysina aerophoba is an attractive target for more in-depth investigations, as it is a renewable source of unique 3d microporous chitinous scaffolds. we found these chitinous scaffolds were cytocompatible and supported attachment, growth and proliferation of human mesenchymal stromal cells (hmscs) in ...201728347785
sponge microbiota are a reservoir of functional antibiotic resistance genes.wide application of antibiotics has contributed to the evolution of multi-drug resistant human pathogens, resulting in poorer treatment outcomes for infections. in the marine environment, seawater samples have been investigated as a resistance reservoir; however, no studies have methodically examined sponges as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance. sponges could be important in this respect because they often contain diverse microbial communities that have the capacity to produce bioactive metab ...201627909433
an enrichment of crispr and other defense-related features in marine sponge-associated microbial metagenomes.many marine sponges are populated by dense and taxonomically diverse microbial consortia. we employed a metagenomics approach to unravel the differences in the functional gene repertoire among three mediterranean sponge species, petrosia ficiformis, sarcotragus foetidus, aplysina aerophoba and seawater. different signatures were observed between sponge and seawater metagenomes with regard to microbial community composition, gc content, and estimated bacterial genome size. our analysis showed fur ...201627877161
discovery and characterization of isofistularin-3, a marine brominated alkaloid, as a new dna demethylating agent inducing cell cycle arrest and sensitization to trail in cancer cells.we characterized the brominated alkaloid isofistularin-3 (iso-3), from the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba, as a new dna methyltransferase (dnmt)1 inhibitor. docking analysis confirmed our in vitro dnmt inhibition data and revealed binding of iso-3 within the dna binding site of dnmt1. subsequent increased expression of tumor suppressor gene aryl hydrocarbon receptor (ahr) could be correlated to decreased methylation of cpg sites within the essential sp1 regulatory region of its promoter. iso-3 ...201627006469
rubrobacter aplysinae sp. nov. isolated from the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba. 201525953592
seasonal variation of fatty acids and stable carbon isotopes in sponges as indicators for nutrition: biomarkers in sponges identified.to get a better understanding of sponge feeding biology and efficiencies, the fatty acid (fa) composition and (13)c natural abundance of sponges and of suspended particulate matter (spm) from surrounding seawater was studied in different seasons at three locations. haliclona oculata and haliclona xena from the oosterschelde, the netherlands, halichondria panicea and h. xena from lake veere, the netherlands, and aplysina aerophoba and dysidea avara from the mediterranean, spain, were studied. sev ...201525107690
quantification of bacterial and archaeal symbionts in high and low microbial abundance sponges using real-time pcr.in spite of considerable insights into the microbial diversity of marine sponges, quantitative information on microbial abundances and community composition remains scarce. here, we established qpcr assays for the specific quantification of four bacterial phyla of representative sponge symbionts as well as the kingdoms eubacteria and archaea. we could show that the 16s rrna gene numbers of archaea, chloroflexi, and the candidate phylum poribacteria were 4-6 orders of magnitude higher in high mic ...201424942664
rubrobacter aplysinae sp. nov., isolated from the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba.a gram-stain-positive, non-spore-forming bacterium (strain rv113(t)) was isolated from the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba. 16s rrna gene sequence analysis showed that strain rv113(t) belongs to the genus rubrobacter, and is related most closely to rubrobacter bracarensis vf70612_s1(t) (96.9% similarity) and more distantly related (<93%) to all other species of the genus rubrobacter. the peptidoglycan diamino acid was lysine. strain rv113(t) exhibited a quinone system with menaquinone mk-8 as t ...201424170773
the antiangiogenic compound aeroplysinin-1 induces apoptosis in endothelial cells by activating the mitochondrial pathway.aeroplysinin-1 is a brominated metabolite extracted from the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba that has been previously characterized by our group as a potent antiangiogenic compound in vitro and in vivo. in this work, we provide evidence of a selective induction of apoptosis by aeroplysinin-1 in endothelial cells. studies on the nuclear morphology of treated cells revealed that aeroplysinin-1 induces chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation, and it increases the percentage of cells with ...201223118719
temporal trends in the secondary metabolite production of the sponge aplysina aerophoba.temporal changes in the production of secondary metabolites are far from being fully understood. our study quantified, over a two-year period, the concentrations of brominated alkaloids in the ectosome and the choanosome of aplysina aerophoba, and examined the temporal patterns of these natural products. based on standard curves, we quantified the concentrations of aerophobin-2, aplysinamisin-1, and isofistularin-3: three of the four major peaks obtained through chemical profiling with high-perf ...201222690137
genomic mining for novel fadh₂-dependent halogenases in marine sponge-associated microbial consortia.many marine sponges (porifera) are known to contain large amounts of phylogenetically diverse microorganisms. sponges are also known for their large arsenal of natural products, many of which are halogenated. in this study, 36 different fadh₂-dependent halogenase gene fragments were amplified from various caribbean and mediterranean sponges using newly designed degenerate pcr primers. four unique halogenase-positive fosmid clones, all containing the highly conserved amino acid motif "gxgxxg", we ...201322562484
relevant spatial scales of chemical variation in aplysina aerophoba.understanding the scale at which natural products vary the most is critical because it sheds light on the type of factors that regulate their production. the sponge aplysina aerophoba is a common mediterranean sponge inhabiting shallow waters in the mediterranean and its area of influence in atlantic ocean. this species contains large concentrations of brominated alkaloids (bas) that play a number of ecological roles in nature. our research investigates the ecological variation in bas of a. aero ...201122363236
exploring the links between natural products and bacterial assemblages in the sponge aplysina aerophoba.the sponge aplysina aerophoba produces a large diversity of brominated alkaloids (bas) and hosts a complex microbial assemblage. although bas are located within sponge cells, the enzymes that bind halogen elements to organic compounds have been exclusively described in algae, fungi, and bacteria. bacterial communities within a. aerophoba could therefore be involved in the biosynthesis of these compounds. this study investigates whether changes in both the concentration of bas and the bacterial a ...201121115701
pks and nrps gene clusters from microbial symbiont cells of marine sponges by whole genome amplification.whole genome amplification (wga) approaches provide genomic information on single microbial cells and hold great promise for the field of environmental microbiology. here, the microbial consortia of the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba were sorted by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (facs) and then subjected to wga. a cosmid library was constructed from the wga product of a sample containing two bacterial cells, one a member of the candidate phylum poribacteria and one of a sponge-specific cl ...201023766222
three-dimensional chitin-based scaffolds from verongida sponges (demospongiae: porifera). part i. isolation and identification of chitin.marine invertebrate organisms including sponges (porifera) not only provide an abundant source of biologically active secondary metabolites but also inspire investigations to develop biomimetic composites, scaffolds and templates for practical use in materials science, biomedicine and tissue engineering. here, we presented a detailed study of the structural and physico-chemical properties of three-dimensional skeletal scaffolds of the marine sponges aiolochroia crassa, aplysina aerophoba, a. cau ...201020471418
oxygen dynamics and transport in the mediterranean sponge aplysina aerophoba.the mediterranean sponge aplysina aerophoba kept in aquaria or cultivation tanks can stop pumping for several hours or even days. to investigate changes in the chemical microenvironments, we measured oxygen profiles over the surface and into the tissue of pumping and non-pumping a. aerophoba specimens with clark-type oxygen microelectrodes (tip diameters 18-30 μm). total oxygen consumption rates of whole sponges were measured in closed chambers. these rates were used to back-calculate the oxygen ...200824391232
advances in the production of sponge biomass aplysina aerophoba--a model sponge for ex situ sponge biomass production.sponges are a promising source of organic compounds of potential interest regarding industrial and medical applications. for detailed studies on such compounds, large amounts of sponge biomass are required. obtaining that is at present extremely difficult because most sponges are relatively rare in nature and their mass cultivation in the laboratory has not yet been accomplished. in this study the possibility of culturing aplysina aerophoba fragments in laboratory was examined. while a substanti ...200616697067
activated chemical defense in aplysina sponges revisited.sponges of the genus aplysina accumulate brominated isoxazoline alkaloids in concentrations that sometimes exceed 10% of their dry weight. we previously reported a decrease in concentrations of these compounds and a concomitant increase in concentrations of the monocyclic nitrogenous compounds aeroplysinin-1 and dienone in aplysina aerophoba following injury of the sponge tissue. further investigations indicated a wound-induced enzymatic cleavage of the former compounds into the latter, and demo ...200616525873
microbial diversity of marine sponges.the recent application of molecular microbial ecology tools to sponge-microbe associations has revealed a glimpse into the biodiversity of these microbial communities, that is considered just 'the tip of the iceberg'. this chapter provides an overview over these new findings with regard to identity, diversity and distribution patterns of sponge-associated microbial consortia. the sponges aplysina aerophoba (verongida), rhopaloeides odorabile (dicytoceratida) and theonella swinhoei (lithistida) w ...200315825640
chemical defense of mediterranean sponges aplysina cavernicola and aplysina aerophoba.the mediterranean sponges aplysina aerophoba and a. cavernicola accumulate brominated isoxazoline alkaloids including aplysinamisin-1 (1), aerophobin-2 (2), isofistularin-3 (3) or aerothionin (4) at concentrations up to 10% of their respective dry weights. in laboratory feeding experiments employing the polyphagous mediterranean fish blennius sphinx crude extracts of both aplysina sponges were incorporated into artificial fish food at their physiological concentrations (based on volume) and offe ...200915018063
reductive dehalogenation of brominated phenolic compounds by microorganisms associated with the marine sponge aplysina aerophoba.marine sponges are natural sources of brominated organic compounds, including bromoindoles, bromophenols, and bromopyrroles, that may comprise up to 12% of the sponge dry weight. aplysina aerophoba sponges harbor large numbers of bacteria that can amount to 40% of the biomass of the animal. we postulated that there might be mechanisms for microbially mediated degradation of these halogenated chemicals within the sponges. the capability of anaerobic microorganisms associated with the marine spong ...200312839794
molecular evidence for a uniform microbial community in sponges from different oceans.sponges (class porifera) are evolutionarily ancient metazoans that populate the tropical oceans in great abundances but also occur in temperate regions and even in freshwater. sponges contain large numbers of bacteria that are embedded within the animal matrix. the phylogeny of these bacteria and the evolutionary age of the interaction are virtually unknown. in order to provide insights into the species richness of the microbial community of sponges, we performed a comprehensive diversity survey ...200212200297
microsphaerones a and b, two novel gamma-pyrone derivatives from the sponge-derived fungus microsphaeropsis sp.two new metabolites, microsphaerones a (1) and b (2), were identified from the etoac extract of the culture of an undescribed fungus of the genus microsphaeropsis, isolated from the mediterranean sponge aplysina aerophoba. compounds 1 and 2 represent the first examples of gamma-pyrone derivatives of the fungal genus microsphaeropsis. the structures of the compounds were elucidated on the basis of comprehensive spectral analysis ((1)h, (13)c, (1)h-(1)h cosy, hmqc, and hmbc nmr, as well as low- an ...200212027766
distribution of brominated compounds within the sponge aplysina aerophoba: coupling of x-ray microanalysis with cryofixation techniques.the major secondary metabolites of the sponge aplysina aerophoba are brominated compounds. x-ray energy dispersive microanalysis was therefore used to locate secondary metabolites via the br signal in energy emission spectra from sponge sections. to test the reliability of this method in the face of the loss or redistribution of metabolites during processing, we compared the results obtained by conventional aldehyde fixation with those obtained by cryofixation and cryosubstitution with and witho ...200010955726
anthraquinones and betaenone derivatives from the sponge-associated fungus microsphaeropsis species: novel inhibitors of protein kinases.an undescribed fungus of the genus microsphaeropsis, isolated from the mediterranean sponge aplysina aerophoba, produces two new betaenone derivatives (1, 2) and three new 1,3,6, 8-tetrahydroxyanthraquinone congeners (5-7). the structures of the compounds were established on the basis of nmr spectroscopic and mass spectrometric data and by cd spectroscopy. this is the first report wherein the (1)h and (13)c nmr data of the betaenone congeners are fully and unambiguously assigned on the basis of ...200010869191
cytotoxicity and mode of action of aeroplysinin-1 and a related dienonefrom the sponge aplysina aerophoba.aeroplysinin-1 (1) and the structurally related dienone 2 were cytotoxic to ehrlich ascites tumor (eat) cells and hela tumor cells in the microculture tetrazolium (mtt) and clonogenic assays. both compounds are bromotyrosine derivatives, isolated from the marine spong aplysina aerophoba. as the effective concentrations in the mtt assay were lower than in the clonogenic assay, 1 and 2 are able to cause growth inhibition as well as actual cell death in these cell lines. with an ic50 value of 8.2 m ...19968786366
[a coloring agent of protein nature in the sponge aplysina aerophoba nardo]. 195214955239
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