Sponge Symbionts Research Articles

Screening of Extract Secondary Metabolites of Bacteria Which Have Symbiosis with Sponges from Central Tapanuli Bakar Island as an Antibacteria

This study aims to determine the presence of antibacterial-producing bacteria from sponges from Bakar Island, Central Tapanuli Regency and to determine the antibacterial activity of methanol extracts from potential bacterial isolates against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichiacoli. 21 pure isolates were found and it was known that 9 isolates produced antibacterial against S. aureus and 4 isolates against E. coli. Bacterial isolates with the highest inhibition zone against bothS.aureus and E. coli were found in isolates with code SP20 with each large inhibition zone are 14.5 mm and 16.04 mm. Then microscopic observations were carried out, namely gram staining and were obtained 8 isolates were gram positive, and 1 gram was negative. The biochemical test showed that SP20 showed positive results for the Motility, TSIA and Catalase Test but negative for Citrate Test. Bacterial isolates withthe code SP20 had the largest inhibition zone so that these isolates were to be extracted.The resultsof the screening test showed that the secondary metabolitesof the sponge symbiont bacterial extract from Bakar Island were positive for flavonoids and saponins. And then test the activity of secondary metabolites with 3 concentrations, 10%, 20%, and 30%.The results showed that the best concentration of the test bacteria was S. aureus at a concentration of 30% with an inhibition zone of 3.08 mm and E. coli at 5.04 mm.

Exploring the cyanobacterial diversity in Portugal: Description of four new genera from LEGE-CC using thepolyphasic approach.

Culture collections such as the Blue Biotechnology and Ecotoxicology Culture Collection (LEGE-CC) hold approximately 1200 cyanobacterial strains and are critical community resources. However, many isolates in this and other collections have not been described with a polyphasic approach, and this limits further study. Here, we employed a polyphasic methodology that integrates 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analyses, similarity (p-distance), 16S-23S ITS rRNA region secondary structures, morphological analyses, and habitat assessments to describe four novel cyanobacterial genera from the LEGE-CC, Portugal. Pseudolimnococcus planktonicus gen. et sp. nov. (Chroococcales) is phylogenetically and morphologically related to Limnococcus. The 16S rRNA gene similarity between the types of both genera is only 93.1%. Morphologically, Pseudolimnococcus cells do not reach the original spherical shape before the next division or have aerotopes and firm mucilage, while Limnococcus cells reach the original shape, lack aerotopes, and have diffluent mucilage. Eucapsopsis lusitanus gen. et sp. nov. (Chroococcales) is morphologically similar to Eucapsis but differs from it by having aerotopes and diffluent envelope. Eucapsis lacks aerotopes and has firm mucilaginous envelopes, rarely diffluent. Both genera are phylogenetically very distant from each other and have only 90.68% 16S rRNA gene similarity. Pseudoacaryochloris arrabidensis gen. et sp. nov. (Acaryochloridales) differs from Acaryochloris by the lack of mucilaginous envelope, which is present in Acaryochloris. Both genera are phylogenetically distant and have only 94.1% 16S rRNA gene similarity. Moreover, Acaryochloris is marine (sponge symbiont), while Pseudoacaryochloris is from freshwater. Vasconcelosia minhoensis gen. et sp. nov. (Nodosilineales) is phylogenetically related to Cymatolege but has only 94.3% similarity with this genus. Morphologically both genera are distinct. Vasconcelosia has a Romeria-like structure, while Cymatolege has a Phormidium-like structure. In all cases the 16S-23S ITS rRNA region secondary structures are in agreement with the other analyses. These novel genera expand the diversity of cyanobacteria in culture collections.

Biochemical and structural insights of a recombinant AA16 LPMO from the marine and sponge-symbiont Peniophora sp

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are copper-dependent enzymes that oxidize polysaccharides, leading to their cleavage. LPMOs are classified into eight CAZy families (AA9-11, AA13-17), with the functionality of AA16 being poorly characterized. This study presents biochemical and structural data for an AA16 LPMO (PnAA16) from the marine sponge symbiont Peniophora sp. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that PnAA16 clusters separately from previously characterized AA16s. However, the structural modelling of PnAA16 showed the characteristic immunoglobulin-like fold of LPMOs, with a conserved his-brace motif coordinating a copper ion. The copper-bound PnAA16 showed greater thermal stability than its apo-form, highlighting copper's role in enzyme stability. Functionally, PnAA16 demonstrated oxidase activity, producing 5 μM H₂O₂ after 30 min, but showed 20 times lower peroxidase activity (0.27 U/g) compared to a fungal AA9. Specific activity assays indicated that PnAA16 acts only on cellohexaose, generating native celloligosaccharides (C3 to C5) and oxidized products with regioselective oxidation at C1 and C4 positions. Finally, PnAA16 boosted the activity of a cellulolytic cocktail for cellulose saccharification in the presence of ascorbic acid, hydrogen peroxide, or both. In conclusion, the present work provides insights into the AA16 family, expanding the understanding of their structural and functional relationships and biotechnological potential.

Metagenomic mining of two Egyptian Red Sea sponges associated microbial community

The Red Sea is a promising habitat for the discovery of new bioactive marine natural products. Sponges associated microorganisms represent a wealthy source of compounds with unique chemical structures and diverse biological activities. Metagenomics is an important omics-based culture-independent technique that is used as an effective tool to get genomic and functional information on sponge symbionts. In this study, we used metagenomic analysis of two Egyptian Red Sea sponges Hyrtios erectus and Phorbas topsenti microbiomes to study the biodiversity and the biosynthetic potential of the Red Sea sponges to produce bioactive compounds. Our data revealed high biodiversity of the two sponges’ microbiota with phylum Proteobacteria as the most dominant phylum in the associated microbial community with an average of 31% and 70% respectively. The analysis also revealed high biosynthetic potential of sponge Hyrtios erectus microbiome through detecting diverse types of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) with predicted cytotoxic, antibacterial and inhibitory action. Most of these BGCs were predicted to be novel as they did not show any similarity with any MIBiG database known cluster. This study highlights the importance of the microbiome of the collected Red Sea sponge Hyrtios erectus as a valuable source of new bioactive natural products.

Preliminary Study on Potential Bacterial Species Introducing Antibacterial Agent from Sponge in Unggeh Island Central Tapanuli, Indonesia

Sponges have the potential to symbiont with bacteria that produce antibacterial compounds. This study was conducted to isolate and test the antibacterial activity of sponge symbiont bacteria. Bacterial isolates obtained were tested for antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli using the Kirby-Bauer method. The identification results of both sponges have similarities with Clathria sp. and Hyrtios sp. symbiont bacteria obtained from both sponges as many as 16 isolates. Antibacterial activity testing had a weak inhibitory effect on isolates Sp1A, Sp2C, Sp2D and Sp2F, while Sp2J showed moderate inhibition against gram-negative and positive bacteria. The antibacterial activity of the whole supernatant of symbiont bacteria obtained the diameter of the inhibition zone with weak, medium and strong categories. Sp1A isolate supernatant was obtained, potentially able to fight Escherichia coli bacteria with a strong category as a representation of gram-negative bacteria and against gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus) classified into the medium category. In conclusion, 16 symbiont bacterial supernatants have antibacterial activity mostly active against gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis. There are 6 isolates (Sp1A, Sp1B, Sp1E, Sp1F, Sp2D, Sp2F) active as antibacterial against Staphylococcus aureus with weak and moderate categories.

Antimicrobial and FAD synthetases modulating activities of leporins A-C isolated from the sponge-associated fungus Trichoderma sp.

Abstract. Losung F, Ginting EL, Abdjul B, Kapojos MM, Maarisit W, Mentang F, Sumilat DA, Balansa W, Mangindaan REP. 2023. Antimicrobial and FAD synthetases modulating activities of leporins A-C isolated from the sponge-associated fungus Trichoderma sp. Biodiversitas 24: 6502-6515. The emergence of microbial resistance poses a formidable threat to human health, requiring the discovery of new antibiotics. In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial potential and molecular structures of the metabolites produced by a sponge's symbiont fungal species, Trichoderma sp., in vitro against S. aureus IAM 12544T and Candida albicans IFM 4954 and in-silico against the emerging antibacterial target, prokaryotic bifunctional synthetases (FADS). The molecular structures were determined using spectroscopic techniques (1D, 2D NMR, HRESIMS), while the assessment of biological activities, physicochemical properties, and molecular modifications was performed through a slightly modified disk agar diffusion method, molecular docking, SwissAdme and pkCMS tools, and bioisosterism, respectively. The analysis of spectroscopic data supported the identification of leporins A-C (1-3) as the metabolites, which exhibited strong binding affinities against the 2X0K protein target (-8.9 to -9.4 kcal/mol). Despite their being slightly weaker than known FADS modulators such as compounds 4 (-10.5 kcal/mol) and 5 (-10.5 kcal/mol), leporins A-C demonstrated a stronger binding affinity than compound 6 (-9.6 to -10.5 kcal/mol). Notably, substituting a methyl group with a fluorine atom in 1-3 resulted in lepofluorins A-C (1a-3a), which exhibited enhanced binding affinities and improved physicochemical properties compared to the existing FADS modulators. These findings suggest that leporins A-C (1-3), particularly lepofluorins A-C (1a-3a), have potential as putative novel modulators of FADS. This study provides valuable insights into the design and development of new antibiotics to combat microbial resistance.

Fluorescein-based vital dye for silicifying organisms

A method for the synthesis of a new amine-containing dye based on fluorescein (Flunet) was developed. The new dye exhibits pH-independent fluorescence in aqueous media and is able to penetrate living cells. Flunet can accumulate in the siliceous valve of diatom algae and cause cell death at a concentration of 0.5 μM, accompanied by chloroplast destruction. Flunet is nontoxic to yeasts and photosynthesizing dinoflagellates, but suppresses the growth of sponge primmorphs. Turning off the fluorescence of Flunet using a fluorescein shield protects diatom algae from death. Flunet, unlike other biosilica vital dyes, has emission in the red region (650–700 nm), which corresponds to the absorption band of chlorophyll. We suppose that once a significant amount of Flunet enters the siliceous valve of a diatom alga, it begins to convert blue light into green and red light, leading to the destruction of chloroplasts located very close (at the micrometer level) to the valve. Siliceous sponges can be suppressed in a similar way: light emitted by growing spicules destroys photosynthesizing sponge symbionts. Our findings open up a new way to influence silica-containing organisms by introducing different fluorescent dyes into the silica structures. This effect can be both positive (increased photosynthesis due to light tuning) and negative, leading to phototoxicity. Considering the main role of diatoms in biofouling of ships and other surfaces, the use of silica-penetrating dyes is a promising environmentally friendly way of antifouling protection.

Isolation and Selection of Extracellular Enzymes in Sponge Symbiont Bacteria (Porifera: Demospongiae) from Tablolong Beach

Marine biota has many benefits for human life. Sponges are a species of marine biota that can be used as a producer of antimicrobial compounds. The bacteria found in sponges have an important role in the continuity of life in the sea. The symbiotic lifestyle that occurs in bacteria and sponges has the opportunity to form substitutions for the content of secondary metabolites and enzymes, especially extracellular enzymes (amylase, protease, cellulose and lipase). This study aims to determine how to isolate sponge symbiotic bacteria and identify spongy symbiotic bacteria. The method used is purposive to take sponges. Characterization of bacteria was carried out based on morphology and gram staining. Enzymatic bacterial selection was carried out by testing the activity of the amylase enzyme (soluble starch), lipase enzyme (Teen 80), protease enzyme (skim milk) and cellulose enzyme (carboxyl methyl cellulose). Data analysis was performed in a qualitative descriptive manner by measuring the clear zone in the extracellular enzyme test results. Meanwhile, other research parameters measured in this study were temperature, salinity and pH. The results showed that out of 47 isolated bacteria and 33 of them had extracellular enzymes with 10 bacteria had amylase enzymes, 27 bacteria had lipase enzymes, 2 bacteria had protease enzymes and 1 isolate had cellulose enzymes.

Genome Mining of a Novel Marine Sponge Symbiont Nocardia sp. BML-15-R-026U Reveals High Biosynthetic Potential for Secondary Metabolites, Including a Non-Ribosomal Peptide and a Polyketide of High Novelty

Antibiotic and drug resistance poses serious global public health threats, leading to substantial infections and fatalities annually. Addressing these issues requires the discovery of novel bioactive compounds and a faster and more cost-effective discovery process. However, traditional approaches, which require isolation and multi-step purification of compounds from organisms and running of initial assays, suffer from serious limitations such asthe need for substantial amounts of biological material and high rates of compound rediscoveries. Because the biosynthetic capabilities of organisms are encoded in their genomes, genome mining provides a promising solution that would complement traditional approaches. This study conducted long-read whole genome sequencing on a marine sponge symbiont, Nocardia sp. BML-15-R-026U, to explore its genomic repertoire of secondary metabolite-encoding Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs). A four-contig genome assembly was generated for this isolate with a high degree of completeness and an estimated genome size of 4.84 Mbp. Its genome displays remarkable biosynthetic potential by containing at least 34 distinct secondary metabolite BGCs, predominantly Non-Ribosomal Peptide Synthetase (NRPS) and Polyketide Synthase (PKS) systems capable of producing novel chemical structures. Further analysis was focused on two genomic regions. In region 3.10, the study predicted a BGC for a novel, serine-rich non-ribosomal peptide with a predicted molecular weight of 2754 g/mol. Region 3.12 contained an iterative type-I PKS BGC, suggesting the potential synthesis of a polyketide compound with oxidoreductase-inhibiting properties. This study highlights genome mining as a productive early-phase approach for identifying promising drug leads and has identified the most promising candidates among this isolate’s BGCs for experimental validation

Antibacterial potential marine sponge extract and bacteria symbionts Callyspongia vaginalis from Kendit Waters Against the bacteria Vibrio harveyi

Vibrio harveyi is the reason for Vibriosis disease in shrimp which causes mortality above 80%. The diseases caused by these bacteria can be treated using antibiotics, but the use of antibiotics in fisheries and aquaculture is currently estimated to harm the environment. This research was conducted to determine the screening of sponge symbiont bacteria, the antibacterial potential of sponge extract, and secondary metabolites in sponge extract. This method includes an antibacterial test, antagonist test, and qualitative phytochemical test. The test results showed that the sponge extract of Callyspongia vaginalis had the potential against V. harveyi, this was indicated by the presence of clear zones at concentrations of 10%, 20%, 80%, which indicated that these concentrations had weak inhibition criteria, while at a concentration of 40% and 60% have medium barriers criteria. The screening test results for symbiont bacteria showed that only 4 active isolates showed the presence of antibacterial activity marked by the appearance of an inhibition zone around the paper disc and categorized as having weak inhibitory power. Phytochemical tests on this sponge extract showed it had secondary metabolites: flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and steroids.

Polyketide Synthase Gene Domain Exploration of Marine Sponge Symbiont Bacteria Collected From Weh Island

Sponges have long been known as a source for isolating secondary metabolites. These natural compounds are biosynthetic products of symbiont bacteria from various phyla colonizing sponge tissue. Some symbiont bacteria are known to produce bioactive compounds that would have antibacterial activity, such as polyketide, due to competition in colonizing and obtaining nutrients from their hosts. In general, this study aims to explore the biosynthetic potential of seven sponge-symbiont bacteria by detecting the gene domain involved in the production of polyketide compounds. Sponge-symbiont bacteria isolation was carried out on one species of sponge collected from a depth of ±15 m in the Iboih area, Weh Island, Aceh Province, Indonesia. The bacteria was allowed to grow in Sea Water Complete agar medium and incubated at 280C for 10-14 days. The production of polyketide compounds involves the enzyme polyketide synthase (PKS). Polyketide synthase was detected by detecting the encoding gene domain involved in the production of polyketide compounds using PCR method. Five of the seven isolates of sponge symbiont bacteria were detected to contain the PKS gene domain. Furthermore, molecular identification confirm by 16S rRNA sequencing showed that the isolates belonged to the phylum Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. The result indicated that the sponge symbiont bacteria collected from Weh Island had the biosynthetic potential to produce polyketide compounds. These compounds would have antimicrobial activities that will play a major role in the medical field. Research related to screening PKS genes in marine sponge symbionts bacteria from Weh Island has never been reported before, thus adding to the novelty of this research.

The Effect of Modified Media on The Antibacterial Activity of The Sea Sponge Symbion Fungi, Fusarium solani

The purpose of this study was to analyze the biomass production and bioactivity of sponge symbiont mushroom extracts on modified media using experimental laboratory methods. Biomass was calculated by weighing the wet weight of the symbiont mushroom mycelium and then tested for antibacterial activity with an extract concentration of 500 µg/disk. The results of this study, namely the weight of F.solani mycelium on MKD + MGV media was 10 grams, the mass of mycelium on MKD media was 9 grams, while the mass of mycelium on MEB standard media was 9.7 grams. The yield weight of the F.solani crude extract cultured on MKD + MGV media was 0.0386 grams or 0.3860% of the wet weight, on MKD media it showed that the crude extract weight was 0.0276 grams or 0.3067% of the wet weight, while on MEB the crude extract weight was 0.0119 grams or 0.1190% of the wet weight. The results of the antibacterial test showed that the largest inhibition zone for MDR (Meticilin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria was F.solani crude extract cultured on MKD + MGV media, namely 25.83 ± 3.37 mm, F.solani cultured on MKD media of 22.10 ± 2.51 mm , while F. solani cultured on MEB media was 19.00 ± 0.52 mm. The results of the mass culture of the fungus Fusarium solani on modified media showed that the mushrooms cultured on MKD + MGV media had greater biomass, crude extract and antibacterial activity compared to MKD and MEB culture media.

AUDIO VISUAL MEDIA DESIGN FOR PRACTICAL MICROBIOLOGY LEARNING

This study aims to describe the process of making audio-visual media and to determine the feasibility of it based on the assessment of material experts, media experts and student responses. This research is a descriptive study that adopts the ADDIE development step which has five stages. However, this research is limited to only three stages, the analysis, design, and development stages. The population used in this study were all majoring students of Biology in the 2018 at Unimed and the sample of this study were 40 majoring students of Biology in the 2018 who had taken microbiology courses at Unimed. Theinstrument used in this study was a questionnaire using a Likert scale. The results showed that videos of sterilization and media making, videos of observing bacterial colonies and counting the number of bacteria using the pour plate dilution method, isolation videos of pure bacteria cultures, videos of bacterial staining, videos of bacterial biochemical activity, and video of testing of antibacterial activity on sponge symbionts against bacteria MDR (Multi Drug Resistance) is categorized as very feasible based on the assessment of material experts, media experts and student responses.

Synthase-selected sorting approach identifies a beta-lactone synthase in a nudibranch symbiotic bacterium

BackgroundNudibranchs comprise a group of > 6000 marine soft-bodied mollusk species known to use secondary metabolites (natural products) for chemical defense. The full diversity of these metabolites and whether symbiotic microbes are responsible for their synthesis remains unexplored. Another issue in searching for undiscovered natural products is that computational analysis of genomes of uncultured microbes can result in detection of novel biosynthetic gene clusters; however, their in vivo functionality is not guaranteed which limits further exploration of their pharmaceutical or industrial potential. To overcome these challenges, we used a fluorescent pantetheine probe, which produces a fluorescent CoA-analog employed in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, to label and capture bacterial symbionts actively producing these compounds in the mantle of the nudibranch Doriopsilla fulva.ResultsWe recovered the genome of Candidatus Doriopsillibacter californiensis from the Ca. Tethybacterales order, an uncultured lineage of sponge symbionts not found in nudibranchs previously. It forms part of the core skin microbiome of D. fulva and is nearly absent in its internal organs. We showed that crude extracts of D. fulva contained secondary metabolites that were consistent with the presence of a beta-lactone encoded in Ca. D. californiensis genome. Beta-lactones represent an underexplored group of secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical potential that have not been reported in nudibranchs previously.ConclusionsAltogether, this study shows how probe-based, targeted sorting approaches can capture bacterial symbionts producing secondary metabolites in vivo.8entVVL2Hhkfc-ejj4sDuQVideo

Species-specific relationships between deep sea sponges and their symbiotic Nitrosopumilaceae.

Sponges thrive in the deep, dark and nutrient-depleted ocean and may rely on microbial symbionts for carbon acquisition and energy generation. However, these symbiotic relationships remain largely unexplored. In this study, we analyze the microbiome of deep-sea sponges and show that ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) of the family Nitrosopumilaceae make up at least 75% of the microbial communities of the sponges Aphrocallistes sp., Farrea sp. and Paratimea sp.. Given the known autotrophic metabolism of AOAs, this implies that these sponge holobionts can have the capacity for primary production in the deep-sea. We also show that specific AOA lineages are highly specific towards their hosts, hinting towards an unprecedent vertical transmission of these symbionts in deep-sea sponges. Our results show that the ecology and evolution of symbiotic relationships in deep-sea sponge is distinct from that of their shallow-water counterparts.

Distribution and diversity of ‘Tectomicrobia’, a deep-branching uncultivated bacterial lineage harboring rich producers of bioactive metabolites

Genomic and functional analyses of bacterial sponge symbionts belonging to the uncultivated candidate genus ‘Entotheonella’ has revealed them as the prolific producers of bioactive compounds previously identified from their invertebrate hosts. These studies also suggested ‘Entotheonella’ as the first members of a new candidate phylum, ‘Tectomicrobia’. Here we analyzed the phylogenetic structure and environmental distribution of this as-yet sparsely populated phylum-like lineage. The data show that ‘Entotheonella’ and other ‘Tectomicrobia’ are not restricted to marine habitats but widely distributed among terrestrial locations. The inferred phylogenetic trees suggest several intra-phylum lineages with diverse lifestyles. Of these, the previously described ‘Entotheonella’ lineage can be more accurately divided into at least three different candidate genera with the terrestrial ‘Candidatus Prasianella’, the largely terrestrial ‘Candidatus Allonella’, the ‘Candidatus Thalassonella’ comprising sponge-associated members, and the more widely distributed ‘Candidatus Entotheonella’. Genomic characterization of ‘Thalassonella’ members from a range of sponge hosts did not suggest a role as providers of natural products, despite high genomic similarity to ‘Entotheonella’ regarding primary metabolism and implied lifestyle. In contrast, the analysis revealed a correlation between the revised ‘Entotheonella’ 16S rRNA gene phylogeny and a specific association with sponges and their natural products. This feature might serve as a discovery method to accelerate the identification of new chemically rich ‘Entotheonella’ variants, and led to the identification of the first ‘Entotheonella’ symbiont in a non-tetractinellid sponge, Psammocinia sp., indicating a wide host distribution of ‘Entotheonella’-based chemical symbiosis.

Bioremediation Performance of Marine Sponge Symbiont Bacteria against Nickel and Mercury Heavy Metal Pollutants

Heavy metals, mercury, and nickel are toxic contaminants, forming positive ions when concentrated and dissolved, and can accumulate in a specific object, including water. The activity and performance of bacterial bioremediation against toxic heavy metals vary due to bacterial characteristics and internal contaminant factors. This research aims to analyze the activity, performance, and efficiency of bioremediation of nickel and mercury pollutants using marine sponge symbiont bacteria. The bioremediation analysis procedure, suspension of bacteria Alcaligenes faecalis strain Cu4-1 (AF), and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus strain PHCDB14 (AC) interacted with heavy metal pollutants as contaminants for 15 days. Bioremediation performance and efficiency were measured using AAS. The analysis parameters consisted of the performance, efficiency, and mechanism of bacterial bioremediation against nickel and mercury pollutants. The research results show that the bioremediation performance of AF and AC bacteria can carry out the bioremediation function against Ni+2 and Hg+2 contaminants. The bioremediation performance of AF bacteria against Ni+2 pollutant is, on average 167.64±0.9 mg/L, equivalent to 66.85% bioremediation efficiency, and against Hg+2 an average 171.55±0.7 equivalent to the efficiency of 65.47%. The performance of bioremediation of AC bacteria on Ni+2 pollutant was 168.92±0.7 or efficiency reached 66.97%, and 145.87±0.8 for Hg+2, equivalent to 58.35% efficiency. The bioremediation performance of AF ˂ AC bacteria against Ni+2 pollutants, but against Hg+2 pollutants, the bioremediation performance of AF ˃ AC bacteria. The symbiotic bacteria of marine sponges are thought to have bioremediation performance against toxic metal pollutants are bacteria isolated from sponges whose body surface is covered with mucus substances.

Microbiome diversity from sponges biogeographically distributed between South America and Antarctica

Sponges from South America and Antarctica are evolutionarily closely related. Specific symbiont signatures that could differentiate these two geographic regions are unknown. This study aimed to investigate the microbiome diversity of sponges from South America and Antarctica. In total 71 sponge specimens were analyzed (Antarctica: N = 59, 13 different species; South America: N = 12, 6 different species). Illumina 16S rRNA sequences were generated (2.88 million sequences; 40K ± 29K/sample). The most abundant symbionts were heterotrophic (94.8 %) and belonged mainly to Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota. EC94 was the most abundant symbiont and dominated the microbiome of some species (70–87 %), comprising at least 10 phylogroups. Each of the EC94 phylogroups was specific to one genus or species of sponge. Furthermore, South America sponges had higher abundance of photosynthetic microorganisms (2.3 %) and sponges from Antarctica, the highest abundance of chemosynthetic (5.5 %). Sponge symbionts may contribute to the function of their hosts. The unique features from each of these two regions (e.g., light, temperature, and nutrients) possibly stimulate distinct microbiome diversity from sponges biogeographically distributed across continents.

Genome-centric view of the microbiome in a new deep-sea glass sponge species Bathydorus sp.

Sponges are widely distributed in the global ocean and harbor diverse symbiotic microbes with mutualistic relationships. However, sponge symbionts in the deep sea remain poorly studied at the genome level. Here, we report a new glass sponge species of the genus Bathydorus and provide a genome-centric view of its microbiome. We obtained 14 high-quality prokaryotic metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) affiliated with the phyla Nitrososphaerota, Pseudomonadota, Nitrospirota, Bdellovibrionota, SAR324, Bacteroidota, and Patescibacteria. In total, 13 of these MAGs probably represent new species, suggesting the high novelty of the deep-sea glass sponge microbiome. An ammonia-oxidizing Nitrososphaerota MAG B01, which accounted for up to 70% of the metagenome reads, dominated the sponge microbiomes. The B01 genome had a highly complex CRISPR array, which likely represents an advantageous evolution toward a symbiotic lifestyle and forceful ability to defend against phages. A sulfur-oxidizing Gammaproteobacteria species was the second most dominant symbiont, and a nitrite-oxidizing Nitrospirota species could also be detected, but with lower relative abundance. Bdellovibrio species represented by two MAGs, B11 and B12, were first reported as potential predatory symbionts in deep-sea glass sponges and have undergone dramatic genome reduction. Comprehensive functional analysis indicated that most of the sponge symbionts encoded CRISPR-Cas systems and eukaryotic-like proteins for symbiotic interactions with the host. Metabolic reconstruction further illustrated their essential roles in carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles. In addition, diverse putative phages were identified from the sponge metagenomes. Our study expands the knowledge of microbial diversity, evolutionary adaption, and metabolic complementarity in deep-sea glass sponges.

Potential Utilization of Bacterial Consortium of Symbionts Marine Sponges in Removing Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons and Heavy Metals, Review.

Toxic materials in waste generally contain several components of the global trending pollutant category, especially PAHs and heavy metals. Bioremediation technology for waste management that utilizes microorganisms (bacteria) has not been fully capable of breaking down these toxic materials into simple and environmentally friendly chemical products. This review paper examines the potential application of a consortium of marine sponge symbionts with high performance and efficiency in removing PAHs and heavy metal contaminants. The method was carried out through a review of several related research articles by the author and published by other researchers. The results of the study conclude that the development of global trending pollutant (GTP) bioremediation technology could be carried out to increase the efficiency of remediation. Several types of marine sponge symbiont bacteria, hydrocarbonoclastic (R-1), metalloclastic (R-2), and metallo-hydro-carbonoclastic (R-3), have the potential to be applied to improve waste removal performance. A consortium of crystalline bacterial preparations is required to mobilize into GTP-exposed sites rapidly. Bacterial symbionts of marine sponges can be traced mainly to sea sponges, whose body surface is covered with mucus.