Phospholipid fatty acids and sterols of two Cinachyrella sponges from the Saudi Arabian Red Sea: comparison with Cinachyrella species from other origins

• Published in: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Vol. 135; no. 2; pp. 297 - 308
• Main Authors: Barnathan, Gilles, Genin, Emilie, Velosaotsy, Nambinina E., Kornprobst, Jean-Michel, Al-Lihaibi, Sultan, Al-Sofyani, Abdulmohsin, Nongonierma, Rita
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Inc 01.06.2003
• Subjects: Animals; Cholesterol - analogs & derivatives; Cholesterol - analysis; Cholesterol - isolation & purification; Cinachyra kuekenthali; Cinachyrella; Cinachyrella alloclada; Cinachyrella kuekenthali; Demospongiae; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids - analysis; Fatty Acids - chemistry; Indian Ocean; Marine; New Caledonia; Phospholipids; Phospholipids - chemistry; Porifera; Porifera - chemistry; Red Sea; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Sponges; Sterols; Sterols - analysis; Terpenes - analysis; Saudi Arabia; Indian Ocean; Red Sea; ISEW, Pacific, New Caledonia; ISW, Red Sea; ASE, Senegal; ISW, Saudi Arabia; Sterols; Senegal; Cinachyrella; Red Sea; Phospholipids; Sponges; Fatty acids; New Caledonia
• ISSN: 1096-4959; 1879-1107
• DOI: 10.1016/S1096-4959(03)00085-X

Phospholipid class compositions, fatty acids and sterols of the sponges Cinachyrella alloclada and C. kükenthali from the Saudi Arabian Red Sea were studied and compared with previous results for other Cinachyrella spp. collected in Senegal (East Atlantic) and New Caledonia (West Pacific). More than 50 fatty acids were identified as methyl esters and N-acyl pyrrolidides in each phospholipid mixture by GC/MS. Six fatty acids not hitherto found in nature were identified, namely 17-methyltetracosanoic in C. kükenthali and 18-methyltetracosanoic, 18-methylpentacosanoic, 18-methylhexacosanoic, 18,24-dimethyl-hexacosanoic and 6-bromo-5,9-nonacosadienoic acids in C. alloclada. Approximately 20 Δ5,9 unsaturated fatty acids were found, including three 6-brominated acids. The presence of bacteria was evidenced by the relatively high proportions of phosphatidylglycerol and high levels of branched short-chain fatty acids. A total of 20 free 3β-hydroxysterols were found by GC/MS, including clerosterol in relatively high amounts and gorgosterol in low amounts. The latter sterol has not been reported to date in a sponge. Comparisons with Cinachyrella species from other geographical areas show marked differences for both phospholipid fatty acid and sterol compositions.