Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kylie Hesp, Jans M. E. van der Heijden, Stephanie Munroe, Detmer Sipkema, Dirk E. E. Martens, Rene H. H. Wijffels, Shirley A. A. Pomponi
Summary: In this study, the first continuous marine sponge cell line derived from G. barretti was established. It was found that G. barretti cells cultured in OpM1 medium grew more rapidly and to a higher density than in M1 medium. This breakthrough overcomes a major obstacle in the production of biopharmaceuticals with sponge cells at industrial scale for decades.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Huynh Nguyen Khanh Tran, Min Jin Kim, A-Young Shin, Le Viet Ha Tran, Jihoon Lee, Yeon-Ju Lee
Summary: Ten new norterpene alkaloids, coscinoderines A-J (1-10), were isolated from the marine sponge Coscinoderma bakusi. Each coscinoderine contains a 1,2,5-trisubstituted pyridinium moiety bearing a terpene unit at the C-2 position. The structures were determined using NMR and HRMS data, and the absolute stereochemistry of compound 4 was confirmed by comparing calculated and measured ECD spectra. The discovery of these coscinoderines expands the range of pyridinium alkaloids found in marine sponges.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Gustavo A. Ramirez, Rinat Bar-Shalom, Andrea Furlan, Roberto Romeo, Michelle Gavagnin, Gianluca Calabrese, Arkadiy I. Garber, Laura Steindler
Summary: Methanotrophic bacteria from the candidate phylum Binatota have been found in oxygenated shallow-water marine sponges, where methane is synthesized via two independent pathways involving methylamine and methylphosphonate transformations. Methylphosphonate may come from seawater filtered by the sponge host, while methylamines may be generated from sponge cell debris by different microbial lineages. Additionally, pigment-producing methanotrophs affiliated with Binatota may provide a photoprotective function and participate in the C-1 metabolic loop involving the sponge host and associated microbial community.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Caterina Longo, Guadalupe Gimenez, Francesco Miscioscia, Giuseppe Corriero
Summary: Submerged and semi-submerged marine caves are important habitats for preserving biodiversity in the Mediterranean. A study in Apulia, Italy, revealed the presence of 145 sponge species in marine caves, with the Tremiti archipelago, Adriatic coast of Bari, and the Salento Peninsula being the best studied areas. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive research on sponge fauna in many marine caves along the Apulian coast.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Eleonora Tassara, Boaz Orel, Micha Ilan, Dario Cavallo, Andrea Dodero, Maila Castellano, Silvia Vicini, Marco Giovine, Marina Pozzolini
Summary: This study investigates the molecular and chemical-physical properties of collagen extracted from Chondrosia reniformis sponges collected in different seasons to evaluate the potential impact of sea temperature. The results show that collagen fibrils extracted from samples at 17 degrees C have lower lysyl-hydroxylation level, thermal stability, and protein glycosylation level compared to those extracted from samples at 27 degrees C. Membranes made from 17 degrees C fibrils exhibit higher stiffness than those made from 27 degrees C fibrils. The differences in collagen properties are important in guiding the use of the biomaterial.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xueyan Xiang, Davide Poli, Bernard M. Degnan, Sandie M. Degnan
Summary: This study compares the effectiveness of poly(A)-RNA-Seq and rRNA-depleted-RNA-Seq in capturing gene expression in the holobiont of the marine demosponge Amphimedon queenslandica. While both methods showed no significant difference in the host sponge transcriptomes, rRNA-depleted-RNA-Seq outperformed poly(A)-RNA-Seq in capturing symbiont transcriptomes. The results suggest that rRNA-depletion is an effective method for simultaneous gene expression profiling of both host and symbionts in holobiont studies.
MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Do Thi Trang, Bui Huu Tai, Dan Thi Thuy Hang, Pham Hai Yen, Nguyen Xuan Nhiem, Phan Van Kiem
Summary: Four new aaptamine alkaloids were isolated from the sponge Aaptos, showing significant cytotoxic effects against various cancer cell lines. One of the compounds exhibited the most potent cytotoxic activity among them.
NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Kristina Dominko, Antea Talajic, Martina Radic, Nikolina Skrobot Vidacek, Kristian Vlahovicek, Maja Herak Bosnar, Helena Cetkovic
Summary: Determining the intracellular localization of proteins is crucial for understanding their biological function. While most protein localization studies focus on optimized protocols for primary and secondary vertebrate cell lines, recent advances have been made in studying invertebrate cells, including basal Metazoa. Interest in studying human diseases from an evolutionary perspective has led to the use of sponges, a simple animal model with a complex genome containing genes implicated in human diseases, as a unique model for investigating cancer-related proteins.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Z. B. Randolph Quek, Juat Ying Ng, Sudhanshi S. Jain, J. X. Sean Long, Swee Cheng Lim, Karenne Tun, Danwei Huang
Summary: The magnificent Neptune's cup sponge Cliona patera was discovered in 1819 near Singapore but was believed to be extinct since 1907 until seven living individuals were rediscovered in 2011. Unfortunately, the genetic diversity of this rediscovered population is extremely limited, which may hinder its ability to recover from environmental and anthropogenic pressures associated with the highly urbanized coastlines of Singapore.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yvain Desplat, Jacob F. Warner, Emily J. Blake, Nidhi Vijayan, Marie Cuvelier, Patricia Blackwelder, Jose Lopez
Summary: Marine sponges play important roles in benthic ecosystems by maintaining water quality and providing shelter and food to other species. A study was conducted to test the vulnerability of benthic ecosystems to oil spills using Cinachyrella alloclada as an experimental indicator. The findings showed that exposure to crude oil and oil dispersant resulted in significant shifts in gene expression in sponges and host bacterial communities, with up-regulation of stress-related pathways, cancer-related pathways, and cell integrity pathways.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ilya Borisenko, Maria Daugavet, Alexander Ereskovsky, Andrey Lavrov, Olga Podgornaya
Summary: Sponges are early-branching animals with a simple body plan but a complex genetic repertoire. The continuity between larval cells and adult tissues is still not well understood. This study identified a novel protein, ilborin, which is present in multiple species and may be involved in calcium-mediated regulation of energy metabolism.
Article
Ecology
D. F. R. Cleary, N. J. de Voogd, T. M. Stuij, T. Swierts, V. Oliveira, A. R. M. Polonia, A. Louvado, N. C. M. Gomes, F. J. R. C. Coelho
Summary: The amount of available light is crucial for the growth and development of microbial communities. This study investigates the differences in prokaryotic communities associated with two sponge species, Cinachyrella kuekenthali and Xestospongia muta, collected from dimly lit and illuminated habitats. The biotope was found to be the major driver of variation in prokaryotic community composition, while the light habitat also influenced the composition of prokaryotic communities in both sponge species. Machine learning was used to identify features that distinguished specimens collected from dimly lit and illuminated habitats.
Article
Geography, Physical
Edda E. Guareschi, Christine H. L. Schonberg, Paola A. Magni, Shanan S. Tobe, Philip K. Nicholls, Gordon Turner-Walker
Summary: The analysis of terrestrial mammalian skeletal remains can provide insights into their life history and post-mortem processes. This study focuses on the alterations of archaeological bones submerged in marine environments, particularly the colonization and bioerosion by marine sponges. The findings have potential interdisciplinary applications, especially in forensic investigations.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ida Erngren, Eva Smit, Curt Pettersson, Paco Cardenas, Mikael Hedeland
Summary: Different sampling protocols for Geodia barretti sponges were investigated for metabolomics analysis, with immediate freezing in liquid nitrogen being identified as the optimal method. Ethanol extracts from specimens can be valuable for further studies relating to natural products, chemosystematics, or metabolomics.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Diede L. L. Maas, Stefan Prost, Christiaan A. A. de Leeuw, Ke Bi, Lydia L. L. Smith, Purwanto Purwanto, Ludi P. P. Aji, Ricardo F. F. Tapilatu, Rosemary G. G. Gillespie, Leontine E. E. Becking
Summary: The relative influence of geography, currents, and environment on gene flow within sessile marine species remains an open question. Marine lakes can provide discrete and replicated ecosystems to study population genomic structure. Using high-resolution DNA sequencing, populations of the sponge Suberites diversicolor were genotyped and strong intralineage population structure was detected even at small scales.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Matt Jellicoe, Aghil Igder, Clarence Chuah, Darryl B. Jones, Xuan Luo, Keith A. Stubbs, Emily M. Crawley, Scott J. Pye, Nikita Joseph, Kasturi Vimalananthan, Zoe Gardner, David P. Harvey, Xianjue Chen, Filomena Salvemini, Shan He, Wei Zhang, Justin M. Chalker, Jamie S. Quinton, Youhong Tang, Colin L. Raston
Summary: The study demonstrates that efficient mixing and separation of immiscible liquids can be achieved without the need for additional substances, through specific designs utilizing liquids of different densities. Innovative designs of tube shapes and control of rotation speeds can enable high inter-phase mass transfer, helping to overcome limitations at liquid interfaces.
Article
Microbiology
Qi Yang, Jackson K. B. Cahn, Jorn Piel, Yue-Fan Song, Wei Zhang, Hou-Wen Lin
Summary: Sponges host abundant microbial symbionts that can produce an impressive number of novel bioactive metabolites. However, knowledge on intracellular (endosymbiotic) microbiota is scarce. By separating sponge cells and enriching intracellular microbes, we characterize the composition and function of the endosymbiotic microbiome, uncovering a noteworthy number of taxa exclusively in the endosymbiotic microbiome. Our study achieves a more comprehensive sponge microbial community profile, which demonstrates the structural and functional specificity of the endosymbiotic microbiome.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Correction
Chemistry, Applied
Renao Bai, Peng Su, Guo Zhen, Trung T. Nguyen, Yong Diao, Kirsten Heimann, Wei Zhang
JOURNAL OF FOOD COMPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Xuan Luo, Wenjin Xing, Iliana Delcheva, Fayed Abdullah Alrashaidi, Amir Heydari, Dennis Palms, Vi Khanh Truong, Krasimir Vasilev, Zhongfan Jia, Wei Zhang, Peng Su, Kasturi Vimalanathan, Aghil Igder, Gregory A. Weiss, Youhong Tang, Melanie MacGregor, Colin L. Raston
Summary: A shear-stress-mediated platform called portable vortex-fluidic device (P-VFD) has been developed to overcome the diffusion-limit and achieve fast reaction rates. The platform consists of a plasma oxazoline-coated polyvinyl chloride (POx-PVC) film with tough hydrogel covalently bound to its surface and a reactor tube for reactions. The hydrogel arrays on the film provide a strong matrix for entrapping biomolecules and tolerate shear stress, resulting in a >6-fold increase in reaction rate.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Deena Al Mahbuba, Sayaka Masuko, Shiwei Wang, Deepsing Syangtan, Jeong Seuk Kang, Yuefan Song, Tay Won Shin, Ke Xia, Fuming Zhang, Robert J. Linhardt, Edward S. Boyden, Laura L. Kiessling
Summary: Using expansion microscopy, researchers found that the nanotopography of heparan sulfate (HS) changes significantly during human pluripotent stem cell differentiation, and these changes are correlated with growth factor signaling. In undifferentiated cells, HS is densely distributed as hair-like protrusions, which can recruit fibroblast growth factor for signaling. However, during differentiation into ectodermal lineage, HS becomes localized into dispersed puncta, leading to a decrease in fibroblast growth factor binding to neural cells. This study highlights the importance of HS nanotopography in growth factor binding.
Article
Biophysics
Wanling Cai, Wei Zhang, Zuliang Chen
Summary: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with high surface area and biodegradability have potential in drug release. Fe3O4 nanoparticles and MOFs composite materials, with magnetic features, were investigated for norfloxacin loading and release. The composite showed pH-sensitive properties and high release efficiency, making it suitable for targeted drug delivery. Its antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli was also tested, indicating its potential as a microbial inhibitor.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Joel G. Hashimoto, Mo L. Singer, Calla M. Goeke, Fuming Zhang, Yuefan Song, Ke Xia, Robert J. Linhardt, Marina Guizzetti
Summary: This study investigated the effects of a neonatal handling protocol on dendritic arborization and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) levels in the developing brain. Sex differences were found in both dendritic arborization and HS-GAG levels, with an increase observed in females but not males. Additionally, neonatal handling led to changes in GAG levels in the hippocampus in both males and females, indicating a similar stress response in both sexes.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Trung T. T. Nguyen, Thanh Hoang, Tuyet Pham, Vi Khanh Truong, Xuan Luo, Jian Qin, Wei Zhang
Summary: Shell wastes impose burdens on the shellfish industry, but they can be used for commercial chitin production to minimize negative impacts and maximize economic value.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Renao Bai, Trung T. Nguyen, Yali Zhou, Yong Diao, Wei Zhang
Summary: Arthrospira maxima is a sustainable source of proteins with diverse functionalities. The residue of spent biomass still contains proteins with potential for biopeptide production. The hydrolyzed product with the highest antioxidative activity was further fractionated and purified, and the resulting biopeptides have potential applications in food and nutraceutical products.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Deling Shi, Peng He, Yuefan Song, Robert J. Linhardt, Jonathan S. Dordick, Lianli Chi, Fuming Zhang
Summary: The unexpected surge of RSV cases after the COVID-19 pandemic phase has attracted public attention. Antiviral research indicates the potential of sulfated polysaccharides in targeting RSV-glycosaminoglycan interactions. The study investigates the binding affinity and kinetics of two RSV glycoproteins to heparin and evaluates the inhibition of RSV glycoproteins by certain compounds.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yuefan Song, Ahmed Kouta, Lee M. Cera, Ke Xia, Fuming Zhang, Roland Kraemer, Jawed Fareed, Robert J. Linhardt, Walter Jeske
Summary: In this study, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) method were used to directly measure heparin's concentration in non-human primates after administering porcine, bovine, and ovine heparin. The results showed that LC-MS and Heparin Red assay measurements closely correlated with unfractionated heparin's biological activities. This study provides a new method for measuring heparin concentration in plasma, which could improve our understanding of heparin's metabolism and dosing safety.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Peng He, Ke Xia, Yuefan Song, Ritesh Tandon, Rudra Channappanavar, Fuming Zhang, Robert J. Linhardt
Summary: The development of effective antiviral drugs to treat SARS-CoV-2 and influenza is crucial due to the pathogenicity of their new variants. Researchers have designed and synthesized multivalent sialyllactose-conjugated polyamidoamine dendrimers, which show potential antiviral activities against the viruses. These dendrimer derivatives have good solubility and stability in aqueous solutions, making them promising candidates for further studies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tuyet Pham, Tien Thanh Nguyen, Ngoc Huu Nguyen, Andrew Hayles, Wenshao Li, Duy Quang Pham, Chung Kim Nguyen, Trung Nguyen, Jitraporn Vongsvivut, Neethu Ninan, Ylias Sabri, Wei Zhang, Krasimir Vasilev, Vi Khanh Truong
Summary: This study presents a novel sustainable technology, using argon atmospheric plasma jet, to transform microalgae into bioactive coatings with excellent antibacterial activity and biological compatibility. This technology has the potential to combat wound infections and advance wound care research.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dechao Chen, Muhammad Usman Zia, Fan Yang, Yuting Wang, Frederic D. L. Leusch, Nam-Trung Nguyen, Wei Zhang, Yongsheng Gao, Dongyuan Zhao, Colin L. L. Raston, Qin Li
Summary: A ligand-mediated, spatially-confined synthesis method is developed to produce high-quality carbon dots from crude bioresources. The choice of solvent plays a critical role in the formation and properties of the carbon dots. The ligand-carbon interactions and electron transfer result in the formation of uniform colloidal carbon dots with multiple emissions. These carbon dots can be easily dispersed in various solvents and fabricated into thin-film devices, making them suitable for optoelectronic applications.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Suvimol Charoensiddhi, Pawadee Methacanon, Peng Su, Wei Zhang
Summary: This study investigated the anti-skin aging potential of three Southern Australian brown seaweed extracts. The results showed that the extracts from Cystophora moniliformis and Cystophora siliquosa exhibited strong inhibitory effects on glycation activity and stimulated collagen production, suggesting their potential as skin anti-aging supplements. Further in vivo studies are warranted.
ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS
(2023)
