Identification of the bacterial symbiont Entotheonella sp. in the mesohyl of the marine sponge Discodermia sp

• Published in: The ISME Journal Vol. 2; no. 3; pp. 335 - 339
• Main Authors: Brück, Wolfram M, Sennett, Susan H, Pomponi, Shirley A, Willenz, Philippe, McCarthy, Peter J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.03.2008; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Deltaproteobacteria - classification; Deltaproteobacteria - genetics; Deltaproteobacteria - growth & development; Deltaproteobacteria - ultrastructure; DNA, Bacterial; Ecology; Evolutionary Biology; Fractionation; Genes, rRNA; Hybridization; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Life Sciences; Metabolites; Microbial Ecology; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Porifera - microbiology; Porifera - ultrastructure; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Seawater; Secondary metabolites; Sequence Analysis, DNA; short-communication; Symbiosis; FISH; filamentous bacteria; sponge symbionts
• ISSN: 1751-7362; 1751-7370
• DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2007.91

The lithistid sponge Discodermia dissoluta (family Theonellidae), is found in deep-waters throughout the Caribbean sea and is the source of discodermolide, a natural product with potential anticancer properties, and other secondary metabolites. As with other sponges, large numbers of microbes are harbored in the sponge mesohyl. The microbial population of the sponge mesohyl shows an abundance of large filamentous microbes. Fractionation of the dissociated sponge allowed enrichment of this microbe, which was then identified by analysis of the 16S rRNA genes. Its identity was confirmed through the use of fluorescent in situ hybridization. These studies have allowed the identification of this eubacterial microbe as belonging to the genus Entotheonella .