Diversity of bacterial communities associated with the Indian Ocean sponge Tsitsikamma favus that contains the bioactive pyrroloiminoquinones, tsitsikammamine A and B

Mar Biotechnol (NY). 2012 Dec;14(6):681-91. doi: 10.1007/s10126-012-9430-y. Epub 2012 Feb 5.

Abstract

Tsitsikamma favus is a latrunculid sponge endemic to the coast of South Africa that produces unique pyrroloiminoquinones known as tsitsikammamines. Wakayin and makaluvamine A are structurally similar to the tsitsikammamines and are the only pyrroloiminoquinones isolated from a source other than Porifera (namely a Fijian ascidian Clavelina sp. and a laboratory culture of the myxomycete Didymium bahiense, respectively). The source of the tsitsikammamines is hypothesised to be microbial, which could provide a means of overcoming the current supply problem. This study focuses on characterising the microbial diversity associated with T. favus. We have used denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis together with clonal and deep sequencing of microbial 16S rRNA gene amplicons to show that specimens of this sponge species contain a distinct and conserved microbial population, which is stable over time and is dominated by a unique Betaproteobacterium species.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Betaproteobacteria / classification
  • Betaproteobacteria / isolation & purification*
  • Betaproteobacteria / metabolism*
  • Biodiversity*
  • Indian Ocean
  • Microbial Consortia / physiology
  • Porifera / microbiology*
  • Pyrroles / metabolism*
  • Pyrroloiminoquinones / metabolism*
  • Quinolines / metabolism*
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • Pyrroles
  • Pyrroloiminoquinones
  • Quinolines
  • tsitsikammamine A
  • tsitsikammamine B