Sponge Disease Research Articles

Disease and nutrient enrichment as potential stressors on the Caribbean sponge Aplysina cauliformis and its bacterial symbionts

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 456:101-111 (2012) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09716 Disease and nutrient enrichment as potential stressors on the Caribbean sponge Aplysina cauliformis and its bacterial symbionts D. J. Gochfeld1,2,*, C. G. Easson2, C. J. Freeman3, R. W. Thacker3, J. B. Olson4 1National Center for Natural Products Research and 2Environmental Toxicology Research Program, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677-1848, USA 3Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA 4Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487, USA *Email: gochfeld@olemiss.edu ABSTRACT: Sponge diseases have recently emerged as potential forces structuring coral reefs. The increasing prevalence of disease on reefs may be due to changes in the virulence of pathogens and/or to decreases in host resistance as a result of changing environmental conditions. Coral reef ecosystems typically thrive in oligotrophic waters; however, runoff of fertilizers or sewage that contains elevated concentrations of nutrients can lead to eutrophic conditions. Aplysina cauliformis is a dominant member of the Caribbean sponge community, and is susceptible to Aplysina Red Band Syndrome (ARBS), a disease that causes reduced sponge growth and survival. We assessed the independent and interacting effects of nutrient enrichment and disease on A. cauliformis, using a factorial field experiment in which healthy and diseased sponges were exposed to nutrient-enriched or non-enriched treatments. Impacts on ARBS virulence (rate of lesion growth) and host response (both sponge and cyanobacterial symbiont growth and physiology) were assessed. ARBS lesions increased rapidly regardless of nutrient treatment, and disease had a significantly greater detrimental impact on sponges than did nutrient enrichment, as evidenced by a decline in sponge mass and reduced total protein content. The sponge−cyanobacterial symbiont relationship was less impacted by disease, although the sponge-associated bacterial community was significantly affected by sponge condition, with healthy sponges and diseased tissue hosting significantly different bacterial assemblages. In contrast, nutrient enrichment had no effects on sponge or symbiont physiology. Disease is a much greater stressor than eutrophication on the growth and physiology of A. cauliformis and its cyanobacterial symbionts. KEY WORDS: Sponge disease · Nutrient enrichment · Symbiosis · Stressors Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Gochfeld DJ, Easson CG, Freeman CJ, Thacker RW, Olson JB (2012) Disease and nutrient enrichment as potential stressors on the Caribbean sponge Aplysina cauliformis and its bacterial symbionts. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 456:101-111. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09716 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 456. Online publication date: June 07, 2012 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2012 Inter-Research.

Meeting Report: 1st International Symposium on Sponge Microbiology

The success of the 1st International Symposium on Sponge Microbiology reflects the growing interest of the scientific community in this new and emerging field. Research themes of the symposium included symbiont diversity, physiology and function, secondary metabolites, metagenomics, single-cell genomics and other -omics approaches, sponge-symbiont interactions, sponge diseases, environmental stress, and many more. This article summarizes the major developments in the field and identifies future foci for research.

Sponge Mass Mortalities in a Warming Mediterranean Sea: Are Cyanobacteria-Harboring Species Worse Off?

Mass mortality events are increasing dramatically in all coastal marine environments. Determining the underlying causes of mass mortality events has proven difficult in the past because of the lack of prior quantitative data on populations and environmental variables. Four-year surveys of two shallow-water sponge species, Ircinia fasciculata and Sarcotragus spinosulum, were carried out in the western Mediterranean Sea. These surveys provided evidence of two severe sponge die-offs (total mortality ranging from 80 to 95% of specimens) occurring in the summers of 2008 and 2009. These events primarily affected I. fasciculata, which hosts both phototrophic and heterotrophic microsymbionts, while they did not affect S. spinosulum, which harbors only heterotrophic bacteria. We observed a significant positive correlation between the percentage of injured I. fasciculata specimens and exposure time to elevated temperature conditions in all populations, suggesting a key role of temperature in triggering mortality events. A comparative ultrastructural study of injured and healthy I. fasciculata specimens showed that cyanobacteria disappeared from injured specimens, which suggests that cyanobacterial decay could be involved in I. fasciculata mortality. A laboratory experiment confirmed that the cyanobacteria harbored by I. fasciculata displayed a significant reduction in photosynthetic efficiency in the highest temperature treatment. The sponge disease reported here led to a severe decrease in the abundance of the surveyed populations. It represents one of the most dramatic mass mortality events to date in the Mediterranean Sea.

Recovery of the commercial sponges in the central and southeastern Aegean Sea (NE Mediterranean) after an outbreak of sponge disease

The distribution and biometry of commercial sponges (Porifera) in coastal areas of the central and southeastern Aegean Sea was investigated to estimate the recovery progress of the populations eight years after the first appearance of sponge disease. Signs of the disease were detected only in 1.6% of the harvested sponges. Multivariate analysis on the percentage abundance of sponges showed two distinct groups among the sixteen fishing grounds studied: the eight deep (50-110 m) and the eight shallow ones (<40 m). The group from the deep depths consisted of Spongia officinalis adriatica, S. agaricina and S. zimocca. The infralittoral zone was characterized by the presence of Hippospongia communis, S. officinalis adriatica and S. officinalis mollissima. These bath sponges showed an enhanced abundance in the eastern Cretan Sea (S. Aegean Sea). In addition, their dimensions, particularly height, increased with increasing depth. It is indicated that the hydrographic conditions prevailing in the eastern Cretan Sea affected the repopulating processes of sponge banks. In each species, the biometric characteristics of the experimental specimens were similar to those of the sponges found in the market and harvested at respective depths prior to the appearance of sponge disease.

Effects of Sponge Bleaching on Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea: Distribution and Relative Expression of Ammonia Monooxygenase Genes Associated with the Barrel Sponge Xestospongia muta

Sponge-mediated nitrification is an important process in the nitrogen cycle, however, nothing is known about how nitrification and symbiotic Archaea may be affected by sponge disease and bleaching events. The giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta is a prominent species on Caribbean reefs that contains cyanobacterial symbionts, the loss of which results in two types of bleaching: cyclic, a recoverable condition; and fatal, a condition associated with the disease-like sponge orange band (SOB) syndrome and sponge death. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) analyses, clone libraries, and relative mRNA quantification of ammonia monooxygenase genes (amoA) were performed using a RNA transcript-based approach to characterize the active ammonia-oxidizing Archaea (AOA) community present in bleached, non-bleached, and SOB tissues of cyclically and fatally bleached sponges. We found that non-bleached and cyclically bleached tissues of X. muta harbored a unique Crenarchaeota community closely related to those reported for other sponges. In contrast, bleached tissue from the most degraded sponge contained a Crenarchaeota community that was more similar to those found in sediment and sand. Although there were no significant differences in amoA expression among the different tissues, amoA expression was higher in the most deteriorated tissues. Results suggest that a shift in the Crenarchaeota community precedes an increase in amoA gene expression in fatally bleached sponges, while cyclic bleaching did not alter the AOA community structure and its amoA gene expression.

Purification and Characterization of a Collagenolytic Enzyme from a Pathogen of the Great Barrier Reef Sponge, Rhopaloeides odorabile

BackgroundIn recent years there has been a global increase in reports of disease affecting marine sponges. While disease outbreaks have the potential to seriously impact on the survival of sponge populations, the ecology of the marine environment and the health of associated invertebrates, our understanding of sponge disease is extremely limited.Methodology/Principal FindingsA collagenolytic enzyme suspected to enhance pathogenicity of bacterial strain NW4327 against the sponge Rhopaloeides odorabile was purified using combinations of size exclusion and anion exchange chromatography. After achieving a 77-fold increase in specific activity, continued purification decreased the yield to 21-fold with 7.2% recovery (specific activity 2575 collagen degrading units mg−1protein) possibly due to removal of co-factors. SDS-PAGE of the partially pure enzyme showed two proteins weighing approximately 116 and 45 kDa with the heavier band being similar to reported molecular weights of collagenases from Clostridium and marine Vibrios. The enzyme degraded tissue fibres of several sponge genera suggesting that NW4327 could be deleterious to other sponge species. Activity towards casein and bird feather keratin indicates that the partially purified collagenase is either a non-selective protease able to digest collagen or is contaminated with non-specific proteases. Enzyme activity was highest at pH 5 (the internal pH of R. odorabile) and 30°C (the average ambient seawater temperature). Activity under partially anaerobic conditions also supports the role of this enzyme in the degradation of the spongin tissue. Cultivation of NW4327 in the presence of collagen increased production of collagenase by 30%. Enhanced enzyme activity when NW4327 was cultivated in media formulated in sterile natural seawater indicates the presence of other factors that influence enzyme synthesis.Conclusions/SignificanceSeveral aspects of the sponge disease etiology were revealed, particularly the strong correlation with the internal tissue chemistry and environmental temperature. This research provides a platform for further investigations into the virulence mechanisms of sponge pathogens.

Bacillus insecticides are not acutely harmful to corals and sponges

Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive bacterium that produces crystalline endotoxins and is widely considered an environmentally safe insecticide to control mosquitoes and a number of agriculture pests. Bacteria closely related to B. thuringiensis have recently been discovered in association with diseased sponges, which has raised concerns that Bacillus insecticides may be harm- ful to tropical marine invertebrates. We exposed coral larvae and juvenile corals to the insecticides VectoBac ® G (containing B. thuringiensis israelensis) and VectoLex ® G (containing B. sphaericus). VectoBac G and VectoLex G had no effect on the survival and metamorphosis of Acropora millepora and A. tenuis larvae at very high concentrations (5000 µg l -1 ). The juvenile corals of the same species were also unaffected after 4 sequential 48 h exposures to B. thuringiensis israelensis and B. sphaeri- cus at different stages of development. Adult corals (A. millepora) and sponges (Ianthella basta) were exposed to a single 6 h pulse of 1000 µg l -1 VectoBac G. Although B. thuringiensis israelensis was detected in the seawater using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, it was not detected in associ- ation with the corals or sponges. No evidence of coral or sponge disease was observed during the following 2 wk. These results indicate that insecticides containing endotoxin-producing Bacillus spp. are unlikely to be acutely pathogenic to corals and sponges. However, the effect on most tropical marine invertebrates remain untested and the risks of seed populations of alien Bacillus becoming established on reefs and horizontal transfer of toxin genes to native bacteria also need to be addressed.

White Sponge Nevus: Presentation of a New Family

We present an occurrence of white sponge disease affecting four members of the same family: a father and three children. The lesions consisted of white asymptomatic patches in the oral mucosa.

Disease prevalence and population density over time in three common Caribbean coral reef sponge species

Reports of disease in sponges are increasing, but the paucity of data on disease prevalence over time makes it uncertain how much this trend reflects increased attention to sponges rather than increased sponge disease. Population and community influences on disease dynamics, and the consequences of disease at these levels, are also little known. Five censuses, over 14 y, of a small plot on a shallow coral reef at San Blas, Panama, provide data for the three most abundant species on population dynamics (number of individuals and total volume) and disease prevalence (number of individuals with active lesions). Although data for the three species, combined in broad categories (i.e. high vs low), support a general conclusion that disease prevalence was greater from 1994–1998 than from 1984–1988, the data do not demonstrate a steady increase over time, and disease prevalence for two of the species decreased in each of the final two censuses from a high in 1994. Fluctuations in population density (total volume) and disease prevalence were nearly synchronous within individual species, but asynchronous among the three species, suggesting that population density, measured as total sponge volume per unit area, may influence disease dynamics in these sponges.

Sponge disease: a global threat?

Sponges are the most simple and primitive metazoans, yet they have various biological and ecological properties that make them an influential component of coral-reef ecosystems. Marine sponges provide refuge for many small invertebrates and are critical to benthic-pelagic coupling across a wide range of habitats. Reports of sponge disease have increased dramatically in recent years with sponge populations decimated throughout the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Reports also suggest an increased prevalence of sponge disease in Papua New Guinea, the Great Barrier Reef and in the reefs of Cozumel, Mexico. These epidemics can have severe impacts on the survival of sponge populations, the ecology of the reef and the fate of associated marine invertebrates. Despite the ecological and commercial importance of sponges, the understanding of sponge disease is limited. There has generally been a failure to isolate and identify the causative agents of sponge disease, with only one case confirming Koch's postulates and identifying a novel Alphaproteobacteria strain as the primary pathogen. Other potential disease agents include fungi, viruses, cyanobacteria and bacterial strains within the Bacillus and Pseudomonas genera. There is some evidence for correlations between sponge disease and environmental factors such as climate change and urban/agricultural runoff. This review summarizes the occurrence of sponge disease, describes the syndromes identified thus far, explores potential linkages with environmental change and proposes a strategy for future research towards better management of sponge disease outbreaks.

Identification of bacteria associated with a disease affecting the marine sponge Ianthella basta in New Britain, Papua New Guinea

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 324:139-150 (2006) - doi:10.3354/meps324139 Identification of bacteria associated with a disease affecting the marine sponge Ianthella basta in New Britain, Papua New Guinea James M. Cervino1,*, Kathryn Winiarski-Cervino2, Shawn W. Polson3, Thomas Goreau4, Garriet W. Smith5 1Department of Biological Sciences, Pace University, 1 Pace Plaza, New York, 10038, USA 2The New York Academy of Medicine, New York, 10029–5293, USA 3Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, 29425, USA 4Global Coral Reef Alliance, 37 Pleasant St., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA 5Department of Biology and Geology, University of South Carolina, Aiken, South Carolina, 29801, USA *Email: cnidaria@earthlink.net ABSTRACT: Ianthella basta marine sponges in Kimbe Bay, west New Britain, Papua New Guinea were affected by a disease, and exhibited high mortality, between 1996 and 2000. These fan-shaped sponges were mottled with brown lesions, rotted tissue and large holes. The decayed tissue was surrounded by brown biofilm that smothered the ostia openings. Since 1996, I. basta suffered its highest mortality at 3 sites within 16–20 km of the shore of west New Britain. No mortality was observed at 3 other locations further from shore (between 27–41 km), nor at 10 sites located more than 41 km from shore outside of Kimbe Bay in deeper waters, nor at the site nearest to shore. Comparison of the carbon source utilization patterns of 99 bacterial isolates from all healthy and diseased sponges revealed 5 species of bacteria specifically present in diseased I. basta. These bacteria were not present in healthy sponge samples. Bacteria isolated from affected sponges and inoculated onto healthy sponges caused disease signs similar to those in field specimens. The 16S rRNA genes from these bacteria were sequenced and found to correspond with 2 species of Bacillus and 3 species of Pseudomonas. The closest relatives of these bacteria based on BLAST searches included many terrestrial pathogens and species that are used as pathogens against insects and fungi in integrated pest control management. The bacteria causing disease in I. basta may thus originate from pesticides applied to agricultural land, predominantly oil palm plantations, in west New Britain. The possibility that these bacteria can pass virulence factors to marine bacteria through horizontal gene transfer needs to be investigated, as this may have unexpected impacts on marine ecosystems. KEY WORDS: Sponge disease · 16S rRNA · Pseudomonas · Bacillus · Pesticide · Ianthella basta Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 324. Online publication date: October 23, 2006 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2006 Inter-Research.

Aplysina red band syndrome: a new threat to Caribbean sponges

A substantial and increasing number of reports have documented dramatic changes and continuing declines in Caribbean coral reef communities over the past 2 decades. To date, the majority of disease reports have focused on scleractinian corals, whereas sponge diseases have been less frequently documented. In this study, we describe Aplysina red band syndrome (ARBS) affecting Caribbean rope sponges of the genus Aplysina observed on shallow reefs in the Bahamas. Visible signs of disease presence included 1 or more rust-colored leading edges, with or without a trailing area of necrotic tissue, such that the lesion forms a contiguous band around part or all of the sponge branch. Microscopic examination of the leading edge of the disease margin indicated that a cyanobacterium was consistently responsible for the coloration. Although the presence of this distinctive coloration was used to characterize the diseased state, it is not yet known whether this cyanobacterium is directly responsible for disease causation. The prevalence of ARBS declined significantly from July to October 2004 before increasing above July levels in January 2005. Transmission studies in the laboratory demonstrated that contact with the leading edge of an active lesion was sufficient to spread ARBS to a previously healthy sponge, suggesting that the etiologic agent, currently undescribed, is contagious. Studies to elucidate the etiologic agent of ARBS are ongoing. Sponges are an essential component of coral reef communities and emerging sponge diseases clearly have the potential to impact benthic community structure on coral reefs.

Experimental sponge fishery in Egypt during recovery from sponge disease

1. A survey was undertaken (1995) on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt that investigated four sponge fishing grounds. These fishing banks suffered from sponge disease between 1987 and 1990, causing a mass mortality of commercial sponges in the eastern and central Mediterranean. 2. Adult commercial sponges (length >10 cm) were harvested by divers in the infralittoral zone (depth range 17–36 m). The substratum at most of the sampling stations was hard, consisting mainly of plaques, rocks and heavy stones, sometimes covered by Posidonia oceanica. 3. Two commercial sponge species were detected, Hippospongia communis and Spongia cfr zimocca; the former was more prevalent and abundant. Light penetration in the area surveyed was high. The two commercial sponge species detected seemed to be well adapted to these conditions, as indicated by the colour of their external membranes, which were almost black due to enhanced pigment formation. The absence of Spongia officinalis, in the area surveyed may also be related to light penetration, since S. officinalis is a more sciaphilous species. 4. The shape of H. communis was almost spherical, and the average dimensions (length, width, height, circumference) increased with increasing depth of the fishing grounds. At shallower depths (<30 m), adult H. communis occurred in lower densities, whereas young commercial sponges were abundant. No signs of sponge disease were found. 5. It is concluded that the recovery of the four sponge fishing grounds was in progress, and that the repopulation of commercial sponges in the infralittoral zone showed a gradient from deeper to shallower waters. It is recommended to prohibit destructive fishing methods in the deeper waters in order to protect the population and its ability to regenerate. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Bone Involvement in Patients with Idiopathic Calcium Nephrolithiasis

While bone involvement is more evident in case of secondary calcium calculosis, such as hyperparathyroidism, medullary sponge disease, hypercalcemic systemic illness and chronic diarrhea syndrome, less known and more controversial is still the link between bone loss and idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis. In this study 46 patients with idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis were consecutively enrolled at their customer diet. Our data show that dietary habits, especially an high sodium and animal protein intake, could seem to influence bone loss of the lumbar spine and of the neck. Furthemore a negative correlation has been found between citrate urinary excretion and bone loss, that suggests a protective role of potassium citrate not only on prevention of recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis, but also on bone loss.

馬蹄腎に合併した海綿腎の1例

A 60-year-old man visited our hospital with complaints of micturition pain and interruption of urinary stream. X-ray examinations were performed, showing no bladder and urethral stone. However, KUB revealed bilateral multiple renal stones. Excretory urography showed a horseshoe kidney and a concentration of the contrast medium in the ectatic tubules at the pyramidal apices. Calculi were also located in these ectatic tubules. Thus, we considered that this was a very rare case of medullary sponge disease associated with horseshoe kidney. So far there has been no case report of medullary sponge disease with horseshoe kidney in our country.

Mangrove sponge disease induced by cyanobacterial symbionts: failure of a primitive immune system?

Mangrove sponge disease induced by cyanobacterial symbionts: failure of a primitive immune system?

Medullary sponge disease in horseshoe kidney

We report on a patient with a combination of medullary sponge disease and horseshoe kidney. The coexistence of two uncommon conditions of the kidney in this case obscured the clinical picture, and the patient was perhaps subjected to unnecessary invasive tests to establish the diagnosis. Medullary sponge disease occasionally will present as hematuria, and the condition should be kept in mind as a differential diagnosis since it is almost always recognizable on intravenous urography.

Simultaneous Medullary Sponge and Adult Polycystic Kidney Disease

Two cases of simultaneous medullary sponge and adult polycystic kidney disease developed in siblings. The diagnoses of polycystic kidneys were made by renal ultrasonography and medullary sponge kidney was diagnosed roentgenographically. The family history was markedly positive for "cystic" disease. Medullary sponge kidney might be a precursor of polycystic kidney disease in some instances, or, more likely, this represents two separate afflictions occurring in the same individuals. When large medullary sponge kidneys are encountered, the possibility of concomitant polycystic kidney disease should be entertained and investigated with a sonogram. While the prognosis of isolated sponge kidney is excellent, polycystic kidney disease eventually leads to hypertension and renal failure.

Sponge Disease in British Honduras, and its Transmission by Water Currents

EcologyVolume 22, Issue 4 p. 415-421 Article Sponge Disease in British Honduras, and its Transmission by Water Currents F. G. Walton Smith, F. G. Walton SmithSearch for more papers by this author F. G. Walton Smith, F. G. Walton SmithSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 October 1941 https://doi.org/10.2307/1930719Citations: 45AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume22, Issue4October 1941Pages 415-421 RelatedInformation