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Carlo Cerrano - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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RESEARCH ARTICLE Mass Mortality Events in the NW Adriatic Sea: Phase Shift from Slow- to Fast-Growing Organisms
2016Co-Authors: Cristina Gioia, Di Camillo, Carlo CerranoAbstract:Massive outbreaks are increasing all over the world, which are likely related to climate change. The North Adriatic Sea, a sub-basin of the Mediterranean Sea, is a shallow semi-closed sea receiving high nutrients inputs from important rivers. These inputs sustain the highest productive basin of the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, this area shows a high num-ber of endemisms probably due to the high diversity of environmental conditions and the conspicuous food availability. Here, we documented two massive mortalities (2009 and 2011) and the pattern of recovery of the affected biocoenoses in the next two years. Results show an impressive and fast shift of the benthic assemblage from a biocoenosis mainly composed of slow-growing and long-lived species to a biocoenosis dominated by fast-grow-ing and short-lived species. The sponge Chondrosia reniformis, one of the key species of this assemblage, which had never been involved in previous massive mortality events in the Mediterranean Sea, reduced its coverage by 70%, and only few small specimens sur-vived. All the damaged sponges, together with many associated organisms, were detached by rough-sea conditions, leaving large bare areas on the rocky wall. Almost three year
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molecular characterization and expression analysis of the first porifera tumor necrosis factor superfamily member and of its putative receptor in the marine sponge chondrosia reniformis
Developmental and Comparative Immunology, 2016Co-Authors: Marina Pozzolini, Carlo Cerrano, Francesca Mussino, Sonia Scarfi, Stefano Ghignone, Luigi Vezzulli, Marco GiovineAbstract:Abstract Here we report the molecular cloning and characterization of the first Tumor Necrosis Factor homologous and of its putative receptor in the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis : chTNF and chTNFR, respectively. The deduced chTNF amino acid sequence is a type II transmembrane protein containing the typical TNFSF domain. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that chTNF is more related to Chordata TNFs rather than to other invertebrates. chTNF and chTNFR are constitutively expressed both in the ectosome and in the choanosome of the sponge, with higher levels in the ectosome. chTNF and chTNFR mRNAs were monitored in sponge fragmorphs treated with Gram + or Gram − bacteria. chTNF was significantly upregulated in Gram + -treated fragmorphs as compared to controls, while chTNFR was upregulated by both treatments. Finally, the possible chTNF fibrogenic role in sponge fragmorphs was studied by TNF inhibitor treatment measuring fibrillar and non fibrillar collagen gene expression; results indicate that the cytokine is involved in sponge collagen deposition and homeostasis.
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Mass Mortality Events in the NW Adriatic Sea: Phase Shift from Slow- to Fast-Growing Organisms
2015Co-Authors: Cristina Gioia Di Camillo, Carlo CerranoAbstract:Massive outbreaks are increasing all over the world, which are likely related to climate change. The North Adriatic Sea, a sub-basin of the Mediterranean Sea, is a shallow semi-closed sea receiving high nutrients inputs from important rivers. These inputs sustain the highest productive basin of the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, this area shows a high number of endemisms probably due to the high diversity of environmental conditions and the conspicuous food availability. Here, we documented two massive mortalities (2009 and 2011) and the pattern of recovery of the affected biocoenoses in the next two years. Results show an impressive and fast shift of the benthic assemblage from a biocoenosis mainly composed of slow-growing and long-lived species to a biocoenosis dominated by fast-growing and short-lived species. The sponge Chondrosia reniformis, one of the key species of this assemblage, which had never been involved in previous massive mortality events in the Mediterranean Sea, reduced its coverage by 70%, and only few small specimens survived. All the damaged sponges, together with many associated organisms, were detached by rough-sea conditions, leaving large bare areas on the rocky wall. Almost three years after the disease, the survived specimens of C. reniformis did not increase significantly in size, while the bare areas were colonized by fast-growing species such as stoloniferans, hydrozoans, mussels, algae, serpulids and bryozoans. Cnidarians were more resilient than massive sponges since they quickly recovered in less than one month. In the study area, the last two outbreaks caused a reduction in the filtration efficiency of the local benthic assemblage by over 60%. The analysis of the times series of wave heights and temperature revealed that the conditions in summer 2011 were not so extreme as to justify severe mass mortality, suggesting the occurrence of other factors which triggered the disease. The long-term observations of a benthic assemblage in the NW Adriatic Sea allowed us to monitor its dynamics before, during and after the mortality event. The N Adriatic Sea responds quickly to climatic anomalies and other environmental stresses because of the reduced dimension of the basin. The long-term consequences of frequent mass mortality episodes in this area could promote the shift from biocoenoses dominated by slow-growing and long-lived species to assemblages dominated by plastic and short life cycle species.
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Molecular Characterization of a Nonfibrillar Collagen from the Marine Sponge Chondrosia reniformis Nardo 1847 and Positive Effects of Soluble Silicates on Its Expression
Marine Biotechnology, 2012Co-Authors: Marina Pozzolini, Carlo Cerrano, Federica Bruzzone, Valentina Berilli, Francesca Mussino, Umberto Benatti, Marco GiovineAbstract:We report here the complete cDNA sequence of a nonfibrillar collagen (COLch) isolated from the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis , Nardo 1847 using a PCR approach. COLch cDNA consists of 2,563 nucleotides and includes a 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of 136 nucleotides, a 3′ UTR of 198 nucleotides, and an open reading frame encoding for a protein of 743 amino acids with an estimated M _r of 72.12 kDa. The phylogenetic analysis on the deduced amino acid sequence of C-terminal end shows that the isolated sequence belongs to the short-chain spongin-like collagen subfamily, a nonfibrillar group of invertebrate collagens similar to type IV collagen. In situ hybridization analysis shows higher expression of COLch mRNA in the cortical part than in the inner part of the sponge. Therefore, COLch seems to be involved in the formation of C. reniformis ectosome, where it could play a key role in the attachment to the rocky substrata and in the selective sediment incorporation typical of these organisms. qPCR analysis of COLch mRNA level, performed on C. reniformis tissue culture models (fragmorphs), also demonstrates that this matrix protein is directly involved in sponge healing processes and that soluble silicates positively regulate its expression. These findings confirm the essential role of silicon in the fibrogenesis process also in lower invertebrates, and they should give a tool for a sustainable production of marine collagen in sponge mariculture.
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dynamic structure of the mesohyl in the sponge chondrosia reniformis porifera demospongiae
Zoomorphology, 2001Co-Authors: F Bonasoro, Carlo Cerrano, I C Wilkie, Giorgio Bavestrello, Daniela Candia M CarnevaliAbstract:The common demosponge Chondrosia reniformis possesses the capacity to undergo an unusual creep process which results in the formation of long outgrowths from the parent body. These shape changes, which have been interpreted as adaptive strategies related to environmental factors, asexual reproduction or localised locomotor phenomena, are due mainly to the structural and mechanical adaptability of the collagenous mesohyl. This contribution describes the morphological correlates of mesohyl plasticisation in C. reniformis. The microscopic anatomy of the mesohyl was examined when it was in different physiological conditions: (1) standard ”resting” condition, (2) ”stiffened” condition and (3) dynamic ”creep” condition. In this last case four representative regions of the sponge body were analysed: the parent region, the elongation region, the transition region and the propagule region. The results show that the histological modification of the sponge mesohyl during plasticisation is limited and localised. The most significant structural changes involve mainly cytological features of specific cellular components characterised by granule inclusions (i.e. the spherulous cells) and the arrangement and density of the collagenous extracellular framework, though the integrity of the collagen fibrils themselves is not affected. Morphological and functional aspects of mesohyl plasticisation invite comparison with the mutable collagenous tissue of echinoderms. Possible functional analogies between these two tissues are hypothesised.
Marco Giovine - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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molecular characterization and expression analysis of the first porifera tumor necrosis factor superfamily member and of its putative receptor in the marine sponge chondrosia reniformis
Developmental and Comparative Immunology, 2016Co-Authors: Marina Pozzolini, Carlo Cerrano, Francesca Mussino, Sonia Scarfi, Stefano Ghignone, Luigi Vezzulli, Marco GiovineAbstract:Abstract Here we report the molecular cloning and characterization of the first Tumor Necrosis Factor homologous and of its putative receptor in the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis : chTNF and chTNFR, respectively. The deduced chTNF amino acid sequence is a type II transmembrane protein containing the typical TNFSF domain. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that chTNF is more related to Chordata TNFs rather than to other invertebrates. chTNF and chTNFR are constitutively expressed both in the ectosome and in the choanosome of the sponge, with higher levels in the ectosome. chTNF and chTNFR mRNAs were monitored in sponge fragmorphs treated with Gram + or Gram − bacteria. chTNF was significantly upregulated in Gram + -treated fragmorphs as compared to controls, while chTNFR was upregulated by both treatments. Finally, the possible chTNF fibrogenic role in sponge fragmorphs was studied by TNF inhibitor treatment measuring fibrillar and non fibrillar collagen gene expression; results indicate that the cytokine is involved in sponge collagen deposition and homeostasis.
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Molecular Characterization of a Nonfibrillar Collagen from the Marine Sponge Chondrosia reniformis Nardo 1847 and Positive Effects of Soluble Silicates on Its Expression
Marine Biotechnology, 2012Co-Authors: Marina Pozzolini, Carlo Cerrano, Federica Bruzzone, Valentina Berilli, Francesca Mussino, Umberto Benatti, Marco GiovineAbstract:We report here the complete cDNA sequence of a nonfibrillar collagen (COLch) isolated from the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis , Nardo 1847 using a PCR approach. COLch cDNA consists of 2,563 nucleotides and includes a 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of 136 nucleotides, a 3′ UTR of 198 nucleotides, and an open reading frame encoding for a protein of 743 amino acids with an estimated M _r of 72.12 kDa. The phylogenetic analysis on the deduced amino acid sequence of C-terminal end shows that the isolated sequence belongs to the short-chain spongin-like collagen subfamily, a nonfibrillar group of invertebrate collagens similar to type IV collagen. In situ hybridization analysis shows higher expression of COLch mRNA in the cortical part than in the inner part of the sponge. Therefore, COLch seems to be involved in the formation of C. reniformis ectosome, where it could play a key role in the attachment to the rocky substrata and in the selective sediment incorporation typical of these organisms. qPCR analysis of COLch mRNA level, performed on C. reniformis tissue culture models (fragmorphs), also demonstrates that this matrix protein is directly involved in sponge healing processes and that soluble silicates positively regulate its expression. These findings confirm the essential role of silicon in the fibrogenesis process also in lower invertebrates, and they should give a tool for a sustainable production of marine collagen in sponge mariculture.
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quartz dissolution by the sponge chondrosia reniformis porifera demospongiae
Nature, 1995Co-Authors: Giorgio Bavestrello, Carlo Cerrano, Umberto Benatti, Marco Giovine, Attilio Arillo, R Cattaneovietti, Luciano Cortesognoi, Laura Gaggero, Michela Tonetti, Michele SaraAbstract:MANY marine organisms etch calcareous substrata1. Indeed sponges, mainly of the genus Cliona, are important factors in the erosion of calcareous coasts2,3. Among terrestrial organisms, only a few lichens are known to penetrate siliceous rocks4,5, an ability unknown in the animal kingdom. The Demospongiae have a siliceous skeleton formed by spicules6 of various shapes and sizes, but several species also incorporate sand grains or foreign spicules7,8. The demosponge Chondrosia reniformis Nardo has no autochtonous spicules but incorporates a wide range of foreign materials in its ectosome9,10. Here we report that quartz particles are strongly etched and made uniform in size, quickly and with sharp selectivity, the hydrated silica (chalcedony and opal) remaining unaltered. The presence of a thick collagenous ectosome11 suggests that ascorbic acid, the reducing agent in proline hydroxylation, might be involved in quartz etching by C. reniformis.
Paco Cardenas - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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DEBATE Open Access Proposal for a revised classification of the
2016Co-Authors: Christine Morrow, Paco CardenasAbstract:Background: Demospongiae is the largest sponge class including 81 % of all living sponges with nearly 7,000 species worldwide. Systema Porifera (2002) was the result of a large international collaboration to update the Demospongiae higher taxa classification, essentially based on morphological data. Since then, an increasing number of molecular phylogenetic studies have considerably shaken this taxonomic framework, with numerous polyphyletic groups revealed or confirmed and new clades discovered. And yet, despite a few taxonomical changes, the overall framework of the Systema Porifera classification still stands and is used as it is by the scientific community. This has led to a widening phylogeny/classification gap which creates biases and inconsistencies for the many end-users of this classification and ultimately impedes our understanding of today’s marine ecosystems and evolutionary processes. In an attempt to bridge this phylogeny/classification gap, we propose to officially revise the higher taxa Demospongiae classification. Discussion: We propose a revision of the Demospongiae higher taxa classification, essentially based on molecular data of the last ten years. We recommend the use of three subclasses: Verongimorpha, Keratosa and Heteroscleromorpha. We retain seven (Agelasida, Chondrosiida, Dendroceratida, Dictyoceratida, Haplosclerida, Poecilosclerida, Verongiida) of the 13 orders from Systema Porifera. We recommend the abandonment of five order name
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Proposal for a revised classification of the Demospongiae (Porifera)
Frontiers in Zoology, 2015Co-Authors: Christine Morrow, Paco CardenasAbstract:Background Demospongiae is the largest sponge class including 81% of all living sponges with nearly 7,000 species worldwide. Systema Porifera (2002) was the result of a large international collaboration to update the Demospongiae higher taxa classification, essentially based on morphological data. Since then, an increasing number of molecular phylogenetic studies have considerably shaken this taxonomic framework, with numerous polyphyletic groups revealed or confirmed and new clades discovered. And yet, despite a few taxonomical changes, the overall framework of the Systema Porifera classification still stands and is used as it is by the scientific community. This has led to a widening phylogeny/classification gap which creates biases and inconsistencies for the many end-users of this classification and ultimately impedes our understanding of today’s marine ecosystems and evolutionary processes. In an attempt to bridge this phylogeny/classification gap, we propose to officially revise the higher taxa Demospongiae classification. Discussion We propose a revision of the Demospongiae higher taxa classification, essentially based on molecular data of the last ten years. We recommend the use of three subclasses: Verongimorpha, Keratosa and Heteroscleromorpha. We retain seven (Agelasida, Chondrosiida, Dendroceratida, Dictyoceratida, Haplosclerida, Poecilosclerida, Verongiida) of the 13 orders from Systema Porifera . We recommend the abandonment of five order names (Hadromerida, Halichondrida, Halisarcida, lithistids, Verticillitida) and resurrect or upgrade six order names (Axinellida, Merliida, Spongillida, Sphaerocladina, Suberitida, Tetractinellida). Finally, we create seven new orders (Bubarida, Desmacellida, Polymastiida, Scopalinida, Clionaida, Tethyida, Trachycladida). These added to the recently created orders (Biemnida and Chondrillida) make a total of 22 orders in the revised classification. We propose the abandonment of the haplosclerid and poecilosclerid suborders. The family content of each order is also revised. Summary The deletion of polyphyletic taxa, the use of resurrected or new names for new clades and the proposal of new family groupings will improve the comparability of studies in a wide range of scientific fields using sponges as their object of study. It is envisaged that this will lead to new and more meaningful evolutionary hypotheses for the end-users of the Demospongiae classification.
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phylogeny and systematics of demospongiae in light of new small subunit ribosomal dna 18s sequences
Integrative and Comparative Biology, 2013Co-Authors: Niamh E Redmond, Paco Cardenas, Robert W Thacker, Christine Morrow, M C Diaz, Nicole Bouryesnault, Eduardo Hajdu, Gisele Lobohajdu, Bernard Picton, Shirley A. PomponiAbstract:The most diverse and species-rich class of the phylum Porifera is Demospongiae. In recent years, the systematics of this clade, which contains more than 7000 species, has developed rapidly in light of new studies combining molecular and morphological observations. We add more than 500 new, nearly complete 18S sequences (an increase of more than 200%) in an attempt to further enhance understanding of the phylogeny of Demospongiae. Our study specifically targets representation of type species and genera that have never been sampled for any molecular data in an effort to accelerate progress in classifying this diverse lineage. Our analyses recover four highly supported subclasses of Demospongiae: Keratosa, Myxospongiae, Haploscleromorpha, and Heteroscleromorpha. Within Keratosa, neither Dendroceratida, nor its two families, Darwinellidae and Dictyodendrillidae, are monophyletic and Dictyoceratida is divided into two lineages, one predominantly composed of Dysideidae and the second containing the remaining families (Irciniidae, Spongiidae, Thorectidae, and Verticillitidae). Within Myxospongiae, we find Chondrosida to be paraphyletic with respect to the Verongida. We amend the latter to include species of the genus Chondrosia and erect a new order Chondrillida to contain remaining taxa from Chondrosida, which we now discard. Even with increased taxon sampling of Haploscleromorpha, our analyses are consistent with previous studies; however, Haliclona species are interspersed in even more clades. Haploscleromorpha contains five highly supported clades, each more diverse than previously recognized, and current families are mostly polyphyletic. In addition, we reassign Janulum spinispiculum to Haploscleromorpha and resurrect Reniera filholi as Janulum filholi comb. nov. Within the large clade Heteroscleromorpha, we confirmed 12 recently identified clades based on alternative data, as well as a sister-group relationship between the freshwater Spongillida and the family Vetulinidae. We transfer Stylissa flabelliformis to the genus Scopalina within the family Scopalinidae, which is of uncertain position. Our analyses uncover a large, strongly supported clade containing all heteroscleromorphs other than Spongillida, Vetulinidae, and Scopalinidae. Within this clade, there is a major division separating Axinellidae, Biemnida, Tetractinellida, Bubaridae, Stelligeridae, Raspailiidae, and some species of Petromica, Topsentia, and Axinyssa from Agelasida, Polymastiidae, Placospongiidae, Clionaidae, Spirastrellidae, Tethyidae, Poecilosclerida, Halichondriidae, Suberitidae, and Trachycladus. Among numerous results: (1) Spirophorina and its family Tetillidae are paraphyletic with respect to a strongly supported Astrophorina within Tetractinellida; (2) Agelasida is the earliest diverging lineage within the second clade listed above; and (3) Merlia and Desmacella appear to be the earliest diverging lineages of Poecilosclerida.
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Reconstruction of Family-Level Phylogenetic Relationships within Demospongiae (Porifera) Using Nuclear Encoded Housekeeping Genes
PLOS ONE, 2013Co-Authors: Malcolm Hill, April Hill, María Díaz, Robert W Thacker, Jose V. Lopez, Shirley A. Pomponi, Kevin J Peterson, Nicole Boury-esnault, Maja Adamska, Paco CardenasAbstract:Background: Demosponges are challenging for phylogenetic systematics because of their plastic and relatively simple morphologies and many deep divergences between major clades. To improve understanding of the phylogenetic relationships within Demospongiae, we sequenced and analyzed seven nuclear housekeeping genes involved in a variety of cellular functions from a diverse group of sponges. Methodology/Principal Findings: We generated data from each of the four sponge classes (i.e., Calcarea, Demospongiae, Hexactinellida, and Homoscleromorpha), but focused on family-level relationships within demosponges. With data for 21 newly sampled families, our Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian-based approaches recovered previously phylogenetically defined taxa: Keratosa p , Myxospongiae p , Spongillida p , Haploscleromorpha p (the marine haplosclerids) and Democlavia p .W e found conflicting results concerning the relationships of Keratosa p and Myxospongiae p to the remaining demosponges, but our results strongly supported a clade of Haploscleromorpha p +Spongillida p +Democlavia p . In contrast to hypotheses based on mitochondrial genome and ribosomal data, nuclear housekeeping gene data suggested that freshwater sponges (Spongillida p ) are sister to Haploscleromorpha p rather than part of Democlavia p . Within Keratosa p , we found equivocal results as to the monophyly of Dictyoceratida. Within Myxospongiae p , Chondrosida and Verongida were monophyletic. A wellsupported clade within Democlavia p , Tetractinellida p , composed of all sampled members of Astrophorina and Spirophorina (including the only lithistid in our analysis), was consistently revealed as the sister group to all other members of Democlavia p . Within Tetractinellida p , we did not recover monophyletic Astrophorina or Spirophorina. Our results also reaffirmed the monophyly of order Poecilosclerida (excluding Desmacellidae and Raspailiidae), and polyphyly of Hadromerida and Halichondrida. Conclusions/Significance: These results, using an independent nuclear gene set, confirmed many hypotheses based on ribosomal and/or mitochondrial genes, and they also identified clades with low statistical support or clades that conflicted with traditional morphological classification. Our results will serve as a basis for future exploration of these outstanding questions using more taxon- and gene-rich datasets.
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Reconstruction of family-level phylogenetic relationships within Demospongiae (Porifera) using nuclear encoded housekeeping genes.
Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2026Co-Authors: Malcolm S Hill, Robert W Thacker, Shirley A. Pomponi, Kevin J Peterson, Nicole Boury-esnault, Maja Adamska, April L Hill, Jose Lopez, Maria C Diaz, Paco CardenasAbstract:Demosponges are challenging for phylogenetic systematics because of their plastic and relatively simple morphologies and many deep divergences between major clades. To improve understanding of the phylogenetic relationships within Demospongiae, we sequenced and analyzed seven nuclear housekeeping genes involved in a variety of cellular functions from a diverse group of sponges.We generated data from each of the four sponge classes (i.e., Calcarea, Demospongiae, Hexactinellida, and Homoscleromorpha), but focused on family-level relationships within demosponges. With data for 21 newly sampled families, our Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian-based approaches recovered previously phylogenetically defined taxa: Keratosa(p), Myxospongiae(p), Spongillida(p), Haploscleromorpha(p) (the marine haplosclerids) and Democlavia(p). We found conflicting results concerning the relationships of Keratosa(p) and Myxospongiae(p) to the remaining demosponges, but our results strongly supported a clade of Haploscleromorpha(p)+Spongillida(p)+Democlavia(p). In contrast to hypotheses based on mitochondrial genome and ribosomal data, nuclear housekeeping gene data suggested that freshwater sponges (Spongillida(p)) are sister to Haploscleromorpha(p) rather than part of Democlavia(p). Within Keratosa(p), we found equivocal results as to the monophyly of Dictyoceratida. Within Myxospongiae(p), Chondrosida and Verongida were monophyletic. A well-supported clade within Democlavia(p), Tetractinellida(p), composed of all sampled members of Astrophorina and Spirophorina (including the only lithistid in our analysis), was consistently revealed as the sister group to all other members of Democlavia(p). Within Tetractinellida(p), we did not recover monophyletic Astrophorina or Spirophorina. Our results also reaffirmed the monophyly of order Poecilosclerida (excluding Desmacellidae and Raspailiidae), and polyphyly of Hadromerida and Halichondrida.These results, using an independent nuclear gene set, confirmed many hypotheses based on ribosomal and/or mitochondrial genes, and they also identified clades with low statistical support or clades that conflicted with traditional morphological classification. Our results will serve as a basis for future exploration of these outstanding questions using more taxon- and gene-rich datasets
Giorgio Bavestrello - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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insights into the evolution of metazoan regenerative mechanisms roles of tgf superfamily members in tissue regeneration of the marine sponge chondrosia reniformis
The Journal of Experimental Biology, 2019Co-Authors: Marina Pozzolini, Giorgio Bavestrello, Stefano Ghignone, Lorenzo Gallus, Sara Ferrando, Simona Candiani, Matteo Bozzo, Marco Bertolino, G Costa, Sonia ScarfiAbstract:Tissue repair is an adaptive and widespread metazoan response. It is characterised by different cellular mechanisms and complex signalling networks that involve numerous growth factors and cytokines. In higher animals, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signalling plays a fundamental role in wound healing. In order to evaluate the involvement of TGF superfamily members in lower invertebrate tissue regeneration, sequences for putative TGF ligands and receptors were isolated from the transcriptome of the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis We identified seven transcripts that coded for TGF superfamily ligands and three for TGF superfamily receptors. Phylogenetically, C. reniformis TGF ligands were not grouped into any TGF superfamily clades and thus presumably evolved independently, whereas the TGF receptors clustered in the Type I receptor group. We performed gene expression profiling of these transcripts in sponge regenerating tissue explants. Data showed that three ligands (TGF1, TGF3 and TGF6) were mainly expressed during early regeneration and seemed to be involved in stem cell maintenance, whereas two others (TGF4 and TGF5) were strongly upregulated during late regeneration and thus were considered pro-differentiating factors. The presence of a strong TGF inhibitor, SB431542, blocked the restoration of the exopinacoderm layer in the sponge explants, confirming the functional involvement of the TGF pathway in tissue regeneration in these early evolved animals.
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ecophysiology of mesohyl creep in the demosponge chondrosia reniformis porifera Chondrosida
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2012Co-Authors: Dario Fassini, F Bonasoro, I C Wilkie, Giorgio Bavestrello, Lorenzo Parma, Daniela Candia M CarnevaliAbstract:Abstract Chondrosia reniformis is a common marine demosponge that shows striking tissue plasticity and unusual body deformability. This sponge can develop long and slender outgrowths extending from the parental body. According to some authors, this phenomenon, called “creeping”, can be related to asexual reproduction, atypical mechanisms of «localized» locomotion or passive response to environmental stress. Here we address this phenomenon by means of an interdisciplinary approach consisting of field survey, experimental field studies and experimental laboratory studies. During field survey and field experimental survey we observed that the instability of substratum is an important factor that trigs the beginning of creeping. The sponge size does not seem to be directly involved in the occurrence of the phenomenon. Specimens of Bergeggi (Ligurian Sea, northern Italy) show a high correlation between the creeping phenomenon and the sea temperature; this seems to support the hypothesis that the phenomenon is related to asexual reproduction, which is in its turn seasonally regulated by environmental temperature. In addition, experimental laboratory studies performed in different mechanical conditions on isolated samples of both ectosome and choanosome showed that temperature affects mesohyl mechanical properties: the lower is the temperature the stiffer is the mesohyl. The different physiological states recorded by the laboratory experiments are expressions of the mechanical adaptability of the collagenous mesohyl of C. reniformis and suggest that stiffness variability is under cellular control. On the basis of present results we can infer that C. reniformis can exert some control on the creeping phenomenon and that the primary factors implied in inducing creeping phenomena are the instability of substratum and the temperature. Interestingly the capability to modulate the mechanical properties of the collagenous matrix is an uncommon feature that C. reniformis shares with the mutable collagenous tissue (MCT) of Echinoderms. This close analogy, which is supported by morphological and physiological evidence, is an intriguing point that opens a wide range of evolutionary and functional questions.
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dynamic structure of the mesohyl in the sponge chondrosia reniformis porifera demospongiae
Zoomorphology, 2001Co-Authors: F Bonasoro, Carlo Cerrano, I C Wilkie, Giorgio Bavestrello, Daniela Candia M CarnevaliAbstract:The common demosponge Chondrosia reniformis possesses the capacity to undergo an unusual creep process which results in the formation of long outgrowths from the parent body. These shape changes, which have been interpreted as adaptive strategies related to environmental factors, asexual reproduction or localised locomotor phenomena, are due mainly to the structural and mechanical adaptability of the collagenous mesohyl. This contribution describes the morphological correlates of mesohyl plasticisation in C. reniformis. The microscopic anatomy of the mesohyl was examined when it was in different physiological conditions: (1) standard ”resting” condition, (2) ”stiffened” condition and (3) dynamic ”creep” condition. In this last case four representative regions of the sponge body were analysed: the parent region, the elongation region, the transition region and the propagule region. The results show that the histological modification of the sponge mesohyl during plasticisation is limited and localised. The most significant structural changes involve mainly cytological features of specific cellular components characterised by granule inclusions (i.e. the spherulous cells) and the arrangement and density of the collagenous extracellular framework, though the integrity of the collagen fibrils themselves is not affected. Morphological and functional aspects of mesohyl plasticisation invite comparison with the mutable collagenous tissue of echinoderms. Possible functional analogies between these two tissues are hypothesised.
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quartz dissolution by the sponge chondrosia reniformis porifera demospongiae
Nature, 1995Co-Authors: Giorgio Bavestrello, Carlo Cerrano, Umberto Benatti, Marco Giovine, Attilio Arillo, R Cattaneovietti, Luciano Cortesognoi, Laura Gaggero, Michela Tonetti, Michele SaraAbstract:MANY marine organisms etch calcareous substrata1. Indeed sponges, mainly of the genus Cliona, are important factors in the erosion of calcareous coasts2,3. Among terrestrial organisms, only a few lichens are known to penetrate siliceous rocks4,5, an ability unknown in the animal kingdom. The Demospongiae have a siliceous skeleton formed by spicules6 of various shapes and sizes, but several species also incorporate sand grains or foreign spicules7,8. The demosponge Chondrosia reniformis Nardo has no autochtonous spicules but incorporates a wide range of foreign materials in its ectosome9,10. Here we report that quartz particles are strongly etched and made uniform in size, quickly and with sharp selectivity, the hydrated silica (chalcedony and opal) remaining unaltered. The presence of a thick collagenous ectosome11 suggests that ascorbic acid, the reducing agent in proline hydroxylation, might be involved in quartz etching by C. reniformis.
Malcolm Hill - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Reconstruction of Family-Level Phylogenetic Relationships within Demospongiae (Porifera) Using Nuclear Encoded Housekeeping Genes
PLOS ONE, 2013Co-Authors: Malcolm Hill, April Hill, María Díaz, Robert W Thacker, Jose V. Lopez, Shirley A. Pomponi, Kevin J Peterson, Nicole Boury-esnault, Maja Adamska, Paco CardenasAbstract:Background: Demosponges are challenging for phylogenetic systematics because of their plastic and relatively simple morphologies and many deep divergences between major clades. To improve understanding of the phylogenetic relationships within Demospongiae, we sequenced and analyzed seven nuclear housekeeping genes involved in a variety of cellular functions from a diverse group of sponges. Methodology/Principal Findings: We generated data from each of the four sponge classes (i.e., Calcarea, Demospongiae, Hexactinellida, and Homoscleromorpha), but focused on family-level relationships within demosponges. With data for 21 newly sampled families, our Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian-based approaches recovered previously phylogenetically defined taxa: Keratosa p , Myxospongiae p , Spongillida p , Haploscleromorpha p (the marine haplosclerids) and Democlavia p .W e found conflicting results concerning the relationships of Keratosa p and Myxospongiae p to the remaining demosponges, but our results strongly supported a clade of Haploscleromorpha p +Spongillida p +Democlavia p . In contrast to hypotheses based on mitochondrial genome and ribosomal data, nuclear housekeeping gene data suggested that freshwater sponges (Spongillida p ) are sister to Haploscleromorpha p rather than part of Democlavia p . Within Keratosa p , we found equivocal results as to the monophyly of Dictyoceratida. Within Myxospongiae p , Chondrosida and Verongida were monophyletic. A wellsupported clade within Democlavia p , Tetractinellida p , composed of all sampled members of Astrophorina and Spirophorina (including the only lithistid in our analysis), was consistently revealed as the sister group to all other members of Democlavia p . Within Tetractinellida p , we did not recover monophyletic Astrophorina or Spirophorina. Our results also reaffirmed the monophyly of order Poecilosclerida (excluding Desmacellidae and Raspailiidae), and polyphyly of Hadromerida and Halichondrida. Conclusions/Significance: These results, using an independent nuclear gene set, confirmed many hypotheses based on ribosomal and/or mitochondrial genes, and they also identified clades with low statistical support or clades that conflicted with traditional morphological classification. Our results will serve as a basis for future exploration of these outstanding questions using more taxon- and gene-rich datasets.
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Sponge-specific bacterial symbionts in the Caribbean sponge, Chondrilla nucula (Demospongiae, Chondrosida)
Marine Biology, 2006Co-Authors: Malcolm Hill, April Hill, Nora Lopez, Olivia HarriottAbstract:Marine sponges harbor dense and highly diverse bacterial communities, and some percentage of the microflora appears to be specialized for the sponge habitat. Bacterial diversity was examined in Chondrilla nucula Schmidt to test the hypothesis that some subset of sponge symbiont communities is highly similar regardless of the species of host or habitat requirements of the host. C. nucula was collected from a mangrove channel on Lower Matcumbe Key in the Florida Keys (25°53′N; 80°42′W) in August 1999. Domain-specific universal bacterial primers were used to amplify the 16S rDNA gene from genomic DNA that had been extracted from sponges and the surrounding water. An RFLP technique was used to assess diversity of sponge-associated and environmental bacterial communities. The clone library from C. nucula contained 21 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). None of the 53 OTUs from adjacent water samples were found in the C. nucula library indicating that a distinct community was present in the sponge. Sequence analysis indicated that C. nucula harbors a microbial community as diverse as the microbes from other sponges in different habitats around the world. Phylogenetic analysis placed several C. nucula clones in clades dominated by bacteria that appear to be sponge specialists (e.g., Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria). Proportional representation of major bacterial taxonomic groups represented in symbiont communities was compared as a function of geographic location of sponge hosts. This study supports the hypothesis that sponges from different oceans existing in dissimilar habitats harbor closely related bacteria that are distinct from other bacterial lineages and appear specialized for residing within sponges.