Sponge Enzyme's Role in Biomineralization and Human Applications

Abstract

Enzymes are the micro-executive workers of any living system, and their role is pivotal for the phylum Porifera. Sponges are the members of this phylum and dwells as sea habitat. They utilize unique enzymes to create complex polymers of inorganic matter and form a defined structure. It provides shape and hardness, which impart an overall increased physical stability to the organism. The two most important enzymes being carbonic anhydrases and silicatein are used for biocalcification and biosilicification, respectively, in sponges contributing to biomineralization. Sponges lack a developed nervous system, and thus, the biopolymers formed are genetically and molecularly controlled, imparting special properties to these materials that are hard to mimic in a laboratory. Siliceous sponges such as Tethya aurantium and Suberites domuncula and calcareous sponges such as Sycon raphanus form an intricate matrix of spicules formed by calculated deposition of silica and calcite, respectively, proving that the enzymes are not only responsible for the deposition and enzymatic activation of these inorganic molecules but also serve as templates for their deposition order and design. They can create giant silica monoliths in a silica deficit environment (<50µM) that would otherwise require a temperature >1600°C if replicated on land starting from pure solid silica. In this chapter, the authors discuss the role of the aforementioned enzymes, their detailed mechanism of action, and the role of genomics in biomineralization in sponges. They also emphasize the tremendous scope of this phenomenon in regenerative medicines, tumor target therapy, biomedical engineering, and other novel applications.