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Suberites inti sp. nov. (Figure 10) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 6E3BA176-EC86-4F5B-A9A3-5D87B25EC660 Holotype. MNRJ 12869, San Gallán Island, Paracas, Ica (13°50′19.20′′S 76°28′19.20′′W), 17.5 m depth, coll. Y. Hooker & F. Azevedo, 14.XII.2008. Type locality. San Gallán Island, Paracas, Ica, Peru. Diagnosis. Massive-subhemispheric and light orange Suberites with skeleton exclusively composed of straight tylostyles in two size categories (I: 235–457 x 5–11 μm; II: 423–661 x 8–13 μm), organised in ectosomal bouquets and apparent choanosomal multispicular sub(tylostyles) tracts. Description. Massive, occasionally centrally compressed (2 x 6 cm, Fig. 10A). Oscula small (diam. Colour. Light orange-yellowish in life (Fig. 10A, B) and dirty white in ethanol. Skeleton. Ectosomal, a dense field of bouquets composed of small tylostyles (Fig. 10C, D). Choanosomal, loose multispicular tracts of tylostyles, further obscured by many spicules strewn in confusion (Fig. 10E). Spicules. Megascleres. Tylostyles I, small, ectosomal, straight and with sharp acerate apex (Fig. 10F), 235–321.5(±54.9)–457 x 5–7.7(±1.6)–11 μm. Tylostyles II, large, choanosomal, straight, and with sharp acerate apex (Fig. 10G), 423–515.9(±62.3)–661 x 8–10.8(±1.4)–13 μm. Tyles are pronounced and can be subterminal (subtylostyles) (I: 9–13 μm; II: 11–17 μm) Etymology. From inti =sun in Quechua (indigenous Peruvian language) because of its resemblance to the sun in colour (light orange to yellow). Ecology. This species was attached to rocky substrate, and it was found associated with ophiuroids, crabs, bryozoans, and red algae. Geographical and bathymetrical distributions. Provisionally endemic to the south coast of Peru (San Gallán Island). MEOW in Peru: Humboldtian ecoregion (Spalding et al. 2007). Subtidal: 18 m. Remarks. Suberites includes 79 species distributed worldwide (de Voogd et al. 2022), frequently found in cold temperate waters and inhabiting both shallow and deep waters (van Soest et al. 2002; Samaai et al. 2017). Among the eight Suberites recorded from the Eastern Pacific, S. cranium, S. lambei Austin, Ott, Reiswig, Romagosa & McDaniel, 2014 and S. latus resemble Suberites inti sp. nov. more closely. But despite similarities in skeletal composition (tylostyles), there are notable differences among all, which are detailed below. Although S. cranium and Suberites inti sp. nov. present similar external morphology, the former has a noticeable ectosomal palisade, whereas the latter presents bouquets in this region. The choanosomal skeleton of S. cranium is mostly confused, lacking clear tracts or fibres; while, in the new species, it is composed of multispicular tracts with some disoriented spicules. Regarding the tylostyles, both species present straight and sharply pointed tylostyles with well-marked tyles, but slightly different size categories. Suberites cranium has shorter tylostyles I (120–288 x 1.6–15 μm) and somewhat larger tylostyles II (296–720 x 4.8–16 μm) compared to Suberites inti sp. nov. (I: 235–457 x 5–11 μm; II: 423–661 x 8–13 μm). Like S. cranium, S. lambei also possesses an ectosomal palisade and a confused choanoskeleton with moderate spongin and tylostyles without orientation, which diverges with the skeletal structure of Suberites inti sp. nov. Additionally, the Peruvian species has two marked categories of straight (sub)tylostyles, while S. lambei possesses only one spicule category, which can also include sinuous tylostyles. Moreover, the tylostyle shaft in S. lambei can reach 30 μm, but in Suberites inti sp. nov., it does not exceed 13 μm. Another contrasting feature is that S. lambei is cushion-shaped, while Suberites inti sp. nov. is massive and subspherical. Suberites latus and Suberites inti sp. nov. bear ectosomal bouquets and a confused choanosomal with irregularly distributed multispicular tracts. Nonetheless, they differ in spicule categories. Both tylostyle categories of S. latus can be curved or sinuous and are much smaller (see Table 9) than those of Suberites inti sp. nov. (I: 235–457 x 5–11 μm; II: 423–661 x 8–13 μm), which are always straight. Besides, the skeleton of S. latus can also include microscleres, which are absent in the new Peruvian species. Suberites inti sp. nov. can be distinguished by the presence of bouquets on the ectosome and multispicular tracts on the choanosome, and the dimensions of its two categories of straight tylostyles., Published as part of Cóndor-Luján, Báslavi, Arteaga, Alvaro, Polo, Christian, Arroyo, Yessenia, Willenz, Philippe & Hajdu, Eduardo, 2023, Shallow Suberitida (Porifera, Demospongiae) from Peru, pp. 451-489 in Zootaxa 5264 (4) on pages 479-481, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5264.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7836930, {"references":["Spalding, M. D., Fox, H. E., Allen, G. R., Davidson, N., Ferdana, Z. A., Finlayson, M., Halpern, B. S., Jorge, M. A., Lombana, A., Lourie, S. A., Martin, K. D., McManus, E., Molnar, J., Recchia, C. A. & Robertson, J. (2007) Marine ecoregions of the world: a bioregionalization of coastal and shelf areas. BioScience, 57 (7), 573 - 583. https: // doi. org / 10.1641 / B 570707","de Voogd, N. J., Alvarez, B., Boury-Esnault, N., Carballo, J. L., Cardenas, P., Diaz, M. - C., Dohrmann, M., Downey, R., Hajdu, E., Hooper, J. N. A., Kelly, M., Klautau, M., Manconi, R., Morrow, C. C., Pisera, A. B., Rios, P., Rtzler, K., Sch ˆ nberg, C., Vacelet, J. & van Soest, R. W. M. (2022) World Porifera Database. Available from: http: // www. marinespecies. org / porifera (accessed 27 February 2022)","Samaai, T., Maduray, S., Janson, L., Gibbons, M. J., Ngwakum, B. & Teske, P. R. (2017) A new species of habitat - forming Suberites (Porifera, Demospongiae, Suberitida) in the Benguela upwelling region (South Africa). Zootaxa, 4254 (1), 49 - 81. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4254.1.3","Austin, W. C., Ott, B. S., Reiswig, H. M., Romagosa, P. & McDaniel, N. G. (2014) Taxonomic review of Hadromerida (Porifera, Demospongiae) from British Columbia, Canada, and adjacent waters, with the description of nine new species. Zootaxa, 3823 (1), 1 - 84. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3823.1.1"]}

Suberites aff. latus Lambe, 1893 (Figure 8, Figure 9, Table 8, Table 9) Type locality. North Coast of Vancouver Island, Canada (50°48′0″N 128°3′0″W). Material examined. Thirteen specimens. MNRJ 12882, Islote, Atenas Beach, Paracas, Ica (13°49′38.71′′S 76°18′07.41′′W), 1.8 m depth, coll. Y. Hooker, Ph. Willenz and & N. Mostajo, 13.XII.2008. MNRJ 13688, Bajo Norte, Foca Island, Piura (05°12′02.80″S 81°12′31.30″W), 14.3 m depth, coll. Y. Hooker, M. Rios & Ph. Willenz, 11.XII.2009. MNRJ 13697 and MNRJ 13698, Foca Island, Piura (05°11′43.70″S 81°12′57.80″W), 13.4 and 11.6 m depth, respectively, coll. Y. Hooker, M. Rios & Ph. Willenz, 13.XII.2009. MNRJ 14200, La Cabrillera, Foca Island, Piura (05°12′09.30″S 81°12′39.90″W), 10.7 m depth, coll. E. Hajdu and W. Vieira, 11.XII.2009. MNRJ 14202, Bajo Norte, Foca Island, Piura (05°12′02.80″S 81°12′31.30″W), 12 m depth, coll. E. Hajdu and W. Vieira, 11.XII.2009. UCSUR 07-000014, San Lorenzo Island 2, El Callao, Lima (12°05′23.07″S 77°11′45.24″W), 10 m depth, coll. L. Aguirre, XII. II.2010. UCSUR 07-000016, San Lorenzo Island 1, El Callao, Lima (12° 5′46.71″S 77°11′29.46″W), 5 m depth, coll. L. Aguirre, IX. XII.2009. UCSUR 07-000052, Atenas Beach, Paracas, Ica (13°49′13.16″S 76°18′2.81″W), 7 m depth, coll. K. Farfán, 01.II.2019. UCSUR 07-000054, Station P 06, Pachacamac Islands, Lima (12°17′40.49′′S 76°53′53.89′′W), 5 m depth, coll. B. Moreno, 04.III.2019. UCSUR 07-000068, La Vuelta, Pucusana, Lima (12°28′01.89′′S 76°47′55.36′′W), 10 m depth, coll. D. Cuba, 09. V.2019. UCSUR 07-000074, Island of Pucusana, Pucusana, Lima (12°28′41.64″S 76°47′54.96″W), intertidal, coll. G. de la Cruz, 05.X.2019. UCSUR 07-000077, Emisor de Sechura, Piura (05°42′19.27″S 80°51′27.44″W), 7 m of depth, coll. C. Gutierrez & L. Aguirre, 7.IX.2019. Description. Thin encrusting to massive (Fig. 8A, 9A), with rather small lobes (Fig. 9B). Largest specimen (UCSUR 07-000077) measures 8.8 x 4.1 x 5.9 cm (length x width x height). Notable and small oscula (≤ 3 mm), scattered on the surface or situated on top of the lobes (Fig. 8A, B, 9A, B). Slightly compressible texture and somewhat hispid surface, but soft to the touch. Colour. Orange in life (Fig. 8A, B, 9A, B), fading into light brown, light beige, light grey or dirty white in ethanol. Skeleton. Ectosomal, dense layer of small and large tylostyles arranged in tufts (Fig. 8C, D, 9C). Choanosomal skeleton formed by ascending multispicular tracts of large tylostyles towards the surface, surprisingly resembling a reticulated arrangement (Fig. 8D, 9C). These tracts form an erratic path, leaving polygonal meshes behind. Spicules. Megascleres. Tylostyles I, small, ectosomal, mostly curved and with sharp apex (70–203 x 2–8 μm, Fig. 8E, 9D, Table 8). Tylostyles II, large, ectosomal and choanosomal, slightly bent and with sharp apex (150–310 x 2–10 μm, Fig. 8F, 9E, Table 8). All tylostyles are thickest in the middle and bear well marked tyles (I: 3–8 μm; II: 5–10 μm, Fig. 8G, H, 9F, G). Microscleres. Centrotylote strongyles or oxeas, ectosomal and spined, common, rare, or absent (17–50 μm, Fig. 9H–K, Table 8). Ecology. This species was found attached to hard substrate (natural or artificial). Specimens from the southernmost localities (Paracas and Pucusana) were close to red algae, anemones (Anthotoe chilensis), mytillids and decapods. Specimens at Foca Island were found growing on barnacles and subject to strong currents, and one of them (UCSUR 07-000077) was collected associated with a small crab and amphipods. Previous reports indicate that S. latus was generally found on Pagurus hermit crabs or less frequently, on mollusc shells (Lambe 1893; de Laubenfels 1961; Lee et al. 2007; Austin et al. 2014). Geographical and bathymetrical distributions. Suberites latus has a wide distribution range in the NE Pacific, including British Columbia (Lambe 1893; Austin et al. 2014), Alaska (Lambe 1895; Austin et al. 2014), California (de Laubenfels 1932; Lee et al. 2007), Oregon (Long 1968) and Washington (de Laubenfels 1961; Long 1968) and has been reported down to 183 m depth (Lambe 1895; Lee et al. 2007; Austin et al. 2014). Suberites aff. latus occurs along the coasts of Peru in Foca Island (05°), San Lorenzo Island, Pachacamac Islands, Pucusana (12°) and Paracas (14°). MEOW in Peru: Guayaquil, Central Peru and Humboldtian ecoregions (Spalding et al. 2007). From intertidal to 14 m depth (this study). Remarks. Suberites latus was originally described by Lambe (1893) as a subhemispheric and broadly lobated sponge, with confused choanosomal structure, composed of two tylostyle categories (I: 170 x 9 μm; II: 294–524 x 13 μm), occurring in British Columbia. Briefly after, Lambe (1895) reviewed his previous specimens adding new ones from Alaska and found centrotylote strongyles (32 x 3–4.9 μm). Further descriptions of this species claimed to confirm these characteristics (Lambe 1895; Laubenfels 1961; Lee et al. 2007; Austin et al. 2014; Table 9). The Peruvian specimens mostly match the descriptions of Austin et al. (2014) from NE Pacific, mainly in the skeleton arrangement and spicule characteristics. In our analysed specimens, the tendency to form reticulated choanosomal meshes, the presence of ectosomal tufts of small and large tylostyles and the two categories of tylostyles and centrotylote strongyles/oxeas of similar sizes were also observed. Concerning the presence of microscleres, Austin et al. (2014) indicated that microspined centrotylote strongyles/oxeas could be common, rare, or absent among specimens, which is also observed in the specimens from Peru, without any notorious restriction by location. Despite this, there are some differences. While species of Austin et al. (2014) can have encrusting to massive amorphous form and brownish yellow to brownish red-orange colour in life, the Peruvian specimens are encrusting to massive but with rather small lobes and orange in life. Moreover, Austin et al. (2014) reported S. latus from deeper (150 m) subarctic waters (Alaska). *Misprint for 380 or 480 (Austin et al. 2014) The distance of the over 7,000 km existing between the occurrences of the Peruvian specimens and what was until now known as S. latus, besides the differences aforementioned, lead us to conclude that our Peruvian species should be better assigned as Suberites aff. latus. In previous descriptions of S. latus, there has been no mention of a reticulated skeleton, but rather a confused one (Lambe 1893; de Laubenfels 1932; Lee et al. 2007). In addition, S. latus is usually found associated with hermit crabs (Lambe 1893; de Laubenfels 1961; Lee et al. 2007; Austin et al. 2014), which was not observed in the specimens collected in Peru. Considering the species previously reported from the SE Pacific, namely Suberites cranium Hajdu, DesqueyrouxFaúndez, Carvalho, Lôbo-Hajdu & Willenz, 2013 from Chiloé Island (Chile), S. puncturatus Thiele, 1905 from Coquimbo (Chile) and S. ruber Thiele, 1905 from Almirantazgo Sound (Chile), clear differences can be highlighted when compared with the specimens from Peru. Suberites cranium presents nearly hemispheric habitus, ectosomal skeleton in palisade composed of tylostyles, mostly confused choanosomal skeleton and thicker tylostyles in both size categories (≤ 16 μm). Different from S. aff. latus, S. puncturatus presents tylostrongyles and S. ruber bears choanosomal tylostyles which are larger (≤ 700 μm), often sinuous and with heads irregularly shaped. Moreover, none of these species bears microscleres., Published as part of Cóndor-Luján, Báslavi, Arteaga, Alvaro, Polo, Christian, Arroyo, Yessenia, Willenz, Philippe & Hajdu, Eduardo, 2023, Shallow Suberitida (Porifera, Demospongiae) from Peru, pp. 451-489 in Zootaxa 5264 (4) on pages 474-479, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5264.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7836930, {"references":["Lambe, L. M. (1893) On some sponges from the Pacific coast of Canada and Behring Sea. Proceedings and Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, 1892, X (4), 67 - 78, pls. III - VI.","de Laubenfels, M. W. (1961) Porifera of Friday Harbor and vicinity. Pacific Science, 15, 192 - 202.","Lee, W., Elvin, D. W. & Reiswig, H. M. (2007) The sponges of California: a guide and key to the marine sponges of California. Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation, Monterey, California, 265 pp.","Austin, W. C., Ott, B. S., Reiswig, H. M., Romagosa, P. & McDaniel, N. G. (2014) Taxonomic review of Hadromerida (Porifera, Demospongiae) from British Columbia, Canada, and adjacent waters, with the description of nine new species. Zootaxa, 3823 (1), 1 - 84. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3823.1.1","Lambe, L. M. (1895) Sponges from the western coast of North America. Proceedings and Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, 1894, XII (4), 113 - 138, pls. II - IV.","de Laubenfels, M. W. (1932) The marine and fresh-water sponges of California. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 81 (2927), 1 - 140. https: // doi. org / 10.5479 / si. 00963801.81 - 2927.1","Long, E. R. (1968) The associates of four species of marine sponges of Oregon and Washington. Pacific Science, 22, 347 - 351.","Spalding, M. D., Fox, H. E., Allen, G. R., Davidson, N., Ferdana, Z. A., Finlayson, M., Halpern, B. S., Jorge, M. A., Lombana, A., Lourie, S. A., Martin, K. D., McManus, E., Molnar, J., Recchia, C. A. & Robertson, J. (2007) Marine ecoregions of the world: a bioregionalization of coastal and shelf areas. BioScience, 57 (7), 573 - 583. https: // doi. org / 10.1641 / B 570707","Thiele, J. (1905) Die Kiesel- und Hornschwamme der Sammlung Plate. Zoologische Jahrbucher, Supplement 6 (Fauna Chilensis III), 407 - 496."]}

Genus Suberites Nardo, 1833 Type species. Suberites domuncula (Olivi, 1792) Type locality. Adriatic Sea, Italy (45°22′0″N 12°22′0″E) Diagnosis sensu van Soest (2002)., Published as part of Cóndor-Luján, Báslavi, Arteaga, Alvaro, Polo, Christian, Arroyo, Yessenia, Willenz, Philippe & Hajdu, Eduardo, 2023, Shallow Suberitida (Porifera, Demospongiae) from Peru, pp. 451-489 in Zootaxa 5264 (4) on page 474, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5264.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7836930, {"references":["Nardo, G. D. (1833) Auszug aus einem neuen System der Spongiarien, wonach bereits die Aufstellung in der Universitats - Sammlung zu Padua gemacht ist. In: Isis, oder Encyclopadische Zeitung Coll. Oken. Jena, pp. 519 - 523.","Olivi, G. (1792) Zoologia Adriatica. Ossia Catalogo ragionato degli Animali del Golfo e delle Lagune di Venezia. G. Remondini, Bassano, i-xxxii + 334 pp., 9 pls.","van Soest, R. W. M. (2002) Family Suberitidae Schmidt. In: Hooper, J. N. A. & van Soest, R. W. M. (Eds.), Systema Porifera. A guide to the classification of sponges. Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers, New York, Boston, Dordrecht, London and Moscow, pp. 227 - 244. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / 978 - 1 - 4615 - 0747 - 5 _ 25"]}

Ocean deoxygenation is one of the major consequences of climate change. In coastal waters, this process can be exacerbated by eutrophication, which is contributing to an alarming increase in the so-called "dead zones" globally. Despite its severity, the effect of reduced dissolved oxygen has only been studied for a very limited number of organisms, compared to other climate change impacts such as ocean acidification and warming. Here we experimentally assessed the response of sponges to moderate and severe simulated hypoxic events. We ran three laboratory experiments on four species from two different temperate oceans (NE Atlantic and SW Pacific). Sponges were exposed to a total of five hypoxic treatments, with increasing severity (3.3, 1.6, 0.5, 0.4 and 0.13 mg O2 L-1 , over 7-12-days). We found that sponges are generally very tolerant of hypoxia. All the sponges survived in the experimental conditions, except Polymastia crocea, which showed significant mortality at the lowest oxygen concentration (0.13 mg O2 L-1 , lethal median time: 286 h). In all species except Suberites carnosus, hypoxic conditions do not significantly affect respiration rate down to 0.4 mg O2 L-1 , showing that sponges can uptake oxygen at very low concentrations in the surrounding environment. Importantly, sponges displayed species-specific phenotypic modifications in response to the hypoxic treatments, including physiological, morphological, and behavioural changes. This phenotypic plasticity likely represents an adaptive strategy to live in reduced or low oxygen water. Our results also show that a single sponge species (i.e., Suberites australiensis) can display different strategies at different oxygen concentrations. Compared to other sessile organisms, sponges generally showed higher tolerance to hypoxia, suggesting that sponges could be favoured and survive in future deoxygenated oceans.

Objective: Structural elucidation of bioactive compounds from marine Sponge Suberites Carnosus (Johnston) by using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR) techniques with respect to its pharmacological and biomedical properties. Methods: The sponge Suberites carnosus (Johnston) was collected during low tides from West Coast of Mumbai. Crude extract was obtained by taking 10 gram of sponge sample in10 ml of methanol. The preparative TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography) was performed by using Toluene: Ethyl acetate: Diethylamine (7:2:1) (v/v). The isolated compounds were subjected to GC-MS and FTIR analysis. Results: From the GC-MS and FTIR analysis, total ten compounds were identified. The GC-MS spectra correlate to the mass spectra. The structures of those compounds are 6-Fluoro 2-trifluromethylbenzoic acid,2,3-dichlorophenyl ester, Eicosane 3-cyclohexyl, Phosphine imide, P,P,P,-tris (p-chlorophenyl)-N-phenyl-, Dimethylhyl hexavinyl octasilsesquioxane, Hexanoicacid, hexadecyl ester, Hexadecanoic acid,2-hydroxy1-(hydroxymethyl)ethyl ester, 9, 19-Cyclolanostan-3-ol, acetate, (3β), Tetracosane, 3-ethyl-, 11, 14-Eicosadienoic acid, methyl ester, Triacontane, 11,20-didecyl-respectively. Conclusion: The nature and biological properties of the said compounds were determined and it was found that some of them act as a skin irritant. Some of them have fatty, metabolite, and irritant property, whereas some are act as masking and perfuming agents. Some compounds are highly toxic property, whereas others have an effect on health and environmental hazard. Some are highly corrosive in nature, whereas others are Cholesterol and chemotaxonomic significance.

Suberites aurantiacus (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 62A–B Synonymy and references: Terpios aurantiaca Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 99), and Muricy et al. (2011: 72); Laxosuberites zeteki de Laubenfels (1864: 99); Terpios zeteki Hechtel (1965: 59), and Rützler & Smith (1993: 390); Laxosuberites aurantiaca, Protosuberites aurantiaca, Protosuberites aurantiacus, Suberites aurantiaca: see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 72); Suberites aurantiacus: Hajdu et al. (2011: 102), Muricy et al. (2011: 72), Pérez et al. (2017: 12), and van Soest (2017: 192). Type locality. Saint Thomas. Material examined. CNPGG –1985 Chelem Lagoon (21.2631°N, 89.7063), coll. Diana Ugalde, 1 m depth 28 July 2017. Description. Massive habit, overall sponge size 12 × 7 × 4 cm. The surface is smooth in parts and rugose in others. Oscules scattered on the surface, no visible when is preserved. Color green in vivo, beige when is preserved. The consistency is firm, slightly compressible. Skeleton. Choanosomal skeleton consists of confused spicules densely packed; the ectosomal skeleton is a palisade-like continuum of bouquets of smaller tylostyles. The tylostyles slightly protruded outside the surface. Visible channels close to the surface (Figs. 62 A). Spicules. Megascleres: Two categories of tylostyles: Tylostyles I (Fig. 62B 1), straight and fusiform 180– 268 (71)–375/3– 4.6 (1.1)–7 µm, with globose tyle 5– 7.5 (1.1)–8 µm thick, some tyles with mucron; tylostyles II (Fig.62B 2), similar in shape to the previous category, 435– 617 (85.9)–719/6– 9 (2.7)–12 µm, tyle 6– 11 (3.1)–14 µm thick. Distribution. Mexico (Castellanos-Peréz et al. 2020; current records), Bermuda (de Laubenfels, 1950), other countries in the Caribbean Sea (Muricy et al. 2011), Brazil (Fortunato et al. 2020). Remarks. Suberites aurantiacus is a polymorphic species found with encrusting to massive, or subspherical shape, and orange or green color in vivo (Fortunato et al. 2020). These variations in color, bluish and red tones are reported by Hechtel (1965), and are also present in the studied specimens (Ugalde personal observation). Also, the head of tylostyles may be wrinkled or deformed, or be very well formed tyles (not wrinkled), which might be a consequence of mangrove habitats in the first case, and rocky coastal habitats, in the second (Hechtel 1965 as Terpios zeteki, Rützler & Smith 1993). However, this feature should not be treated as a pattern since the studied material lives in the estuarine habitat of a coastal lagoon, and it has smooth tyles. Tylostyle dimensions also vary widely: I, 140–386.4 x 2.4–12.2 (shaft) x 3.1–12.2 µm (tyle), and II, 376.2–830 x 4.9–20.7 (shaft) x 5.2–18.3 µm (tyle), in Brazilian specimens reported by Fortunato et al. (2020; Table 2); and 140–877 x 3–18 µm (overall micrometries) reported from Jamaica specimens by Hechtel (1965, as Terpios zeteki). Suberites aurantiacus is originally recorded from Saint Thomas, Caribbean Sea, however, Rützler & Smith (1993) and Carballo et al. (2004) have examined diverse material of S. aurantiacus confirming its presence in the Pacific coast of both Panama and Mexico, respectively. Recently, Castellanos-Perez et al. (2020) have recorded this species in the Terminos Lagoon in mangrove roots, this being the first record of the species for the SGoM. Order Tethyida Morrow & Cárdenas, 2015, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 67-69, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Hechtel, G. J. (1965) A systematic study of the Demospongiae of Port Royal, Jamaica. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 20, 1 - 103.","Rutzler, K. & Smith, K. P. (1993) The genus Terpios (Suberitidae) and new species in the \" Lobiceps \" complex. In: Uriz, M. J. & Rutzler, K. (Eds.), Recent Advances in Ecology and Systematics of Sponges. Scientia Marina, 57 (4), pp. 381 - 393.","Hajdu, E., Peixinho, S. & Fernandez, J. C. (2011) Esponjas marinhas da Bahia: guia de campo e laboratorio. Museu Nacional / UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 276 pp.","Perez, T., Diaz, M. C., Ruiz, C., Condor-Lujan, B., Klautau, M., Hajdu, E., Lobo-Hajdu, G., Zea, S., Pomponi, S. A., Thacker, R. W., Carteron, S., Tollu, G., Pouget-Cuvelier, A., Thelamon, P., Marechal, J. P., Thomas, O. P., Ereskovsky, A. V., Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (2017) How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12, e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","van Soest, R. W. M. (2017) Sponges of the Guyana Shelf. Zootaxa, 4217 (1), 1 - 225. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4217.1.1","Castellanos-Perez, P. D. E. J., Vazquez-Maldonado, L. E., Avila, E. & Cruz-Barraza, J. A. (2020) Diversity of mangrove rootdwelling sponges in a tropical coastal ecosystem in the Southern Gulf of Mexico region. Helgoland Marine Research, 74, 1 - 9. https: // doi. org / 10.1186 / s 10152 - 020 - 00545 - 6","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1950) The Porifera of the Bermuda Archipielago. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London, 27, 1 - 154. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1096 - 3642.1950. tb 00227. x","Fortunato, H. F. M., Perez, T. & Lobo-Hajdu, G. (2020) Morphological description of six species of Suberitida (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the unexplored north-eastern coast of Brazil, with emphasis on two new species. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 100, 389 - 400. https: // doi. org / 10.1017 / S 0025315420000296"]}

5. Suberites chujaensis n. sp. (Fig. 6) êöīfiƎḁḍ(ṳḋ) Type specimen. Holotype (NIBRIV0000879328), Korea: Chujado, Chuja-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, 9 Oct 2012, Kim HS, by SCUBA, depth 25 m, deposited in NIBR. Description. Thick, irregular elliptical mass sponge, size up to 13 × 6 × 2.5 cm. Surface with numerous protruding small bumps, not papillae. Oscules open on the surface, 1-2 mm in diameter. Color in life orange red. Texture firm and incompressible. Skeleton: Irregular arrangement of spicules mixed with dense collagen. Tylostyles, 500-700 μm and long tylostyles, partly curved or flexuous shape. Etymology. The species name, chujaensis, is named after the type locality of Chujado, Jeju-si, Jeju-do. Remarks. The plate-like shape of this new species is similar to Suberites hataedoensis Shim and Sim 2008, but differs in thickness of sponge body and roughness of surface. S. hataedoensis has numerous oscules at the surface and the body thickness is less than the new species.

6. Suberites rugosa n. sp. (Fig. 7) ēōīfiƎḁḍ(ṳḋ) Type specimen. Holotype (NIBRIV0000881727), Korea: Sasudo, Chuja-myeon, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, 2 Jun 2013, by SCUBA, depth 30-35 m, deposited in NIBR. Description. Round or cushion shape sponge, size up to 9 × 6 × 4 cm. Surface, not smooth due to thin wrinkles and bundle of spicules with spongin membrane. Oscules open on the top of the surface, 2-3 mm in diameter. Color in life grayish red. Texture firm. Skeleton: Large and small tylostyles are not easily differentiated. Spicules in choanosomal skeleton arranged irregularly. Sponge has heavy collagen and spicules are not easily separated. Large tylostyles, 650-800 × 5-10 μm and small tylostyles, 150-250-400 × 5 μm. Etymology. The species name, rugosa, is named after the shape of sponge with wrinkles on the surface. Remarks. This new species is similar to Suberites waedoensis Shim and Sim 2008 in sponge shape and spicules composition, but differs in surface, texture and color. This new species has grayish red color, and texture firm with extremely rough surface., Published as part of Kim, Young A & Sim, Chung Ja, 2021, Ten new species of families Suberitidae and Polymastiidae (Demospongia: Heteroscleromorpha) from Korea, pp. 168-183 in Journal of Species Research 10 (2) on page 175, DOI: 10.12651/JSR.2021.10.2.168, http://zenodo.org/record/8120015, {"references":["Shim, E. J. and C. J. Sim. 2008. Two new species of genus Suberites (Hadromerida: Suberitidae) from Korea. Kore- an Journal of Systematic Zoology 24 (2): 215 - 218."]}

4. Suberites hwasunensis n. sp. (Fig. 5) ṜżīfiƎḁḍ(ṳḋ) Type specimen. Holotype (NIBRIV0000881726), Korea: Hwasun Harbor, Andunk-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, 23 April 2005, by SCUBA, depth 45 m, deposited in NIBR. Description. Thickly ramose or irregularly flabellate sponge, size up to 10 × 4 cm. Thick branches, 1.5 cm in diameter. Surface smooth and velvety with numerous thin and short spicules. Oscules not distinct. Color in life orange red, yellowish beige in spirit. Texture firm but are easily cut off. A B Skeleton: Ectosomal, brush like skeletal structure (Fig. 5C, D). Large tylostyles, 800-1000 × 20-30 μm and small tylostyles, 450 × 10 μm. Etymology. The species name, hwasunensis, is named after type locality of Hwasun Harbor, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do. Remarks. This new species is similar to Suberites vergultosa in skeletal structure but differs in sponge shape and texture. This new species has no tylostrongyles or microscleres., Published as part of Kim, Young A & Sim, Chung Ja, 2021, Ten new species of families Suberitidae and Polymastiidae (Demospongia: Heteroscleromorpha) from Korea, pp. 168-183 in Journal of Species Research 10 (2) on pages 171-172, DOI: 10.12651/JSR.2021.10.2.168, http://zenodo.org/record/8120015

The Order Suberitida is defined as a group of marine sponges without an obvious cortex, a skeleton devoid of microscleres, and with a deletion of a small loop of 15 base pairs in the secondary structure of the 28S rDNA as a molecular synapomorphy. Suberitida comprises three families and 26 genera distributed worldwide, but mostly in temperate and polar waters. Twenty species were reported along the entire Brazilian coast, and although the north-eastern coast of Brazil seems to harbour a rich sponge fauna, our current knowledge is concentrated along the south-eastern Atlantic coast. A survey was implemented along the northern coast of Brazil, and the collection allowed the identification of six species belonging to the Order Suberitida. Two of them are considered new to science:Suberites purpurasp. nov.,Hymeniacidon upaonassusp. nov., and four,Halichondria(Halichondria)marianaeSantos, Nascimento & Pinheiro, 2018,Halichondria(H.)melanadociade Laubenfels, 1936,Suberites aurantiacus(Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864), andTerpios fugaxDuchassaing & Michelotti, 1864, are re-described. Taxonomic comparisons are made for Tropical Western Atlantic species and type species of the four genera. Finally, an identification key for the Western AtlanticSuberitesspecies is provided.

Following ecological and chemical screenings, the Antarctic sponge Phorbas areolatus was chemically investigated for the first time. Three new suberitane derivatives named isosuberitenone B, 19-episuberitenone B, and isoxaspirosuberitenone were identified together with the known compounds suberitenones A and B, and oxaspirosuberitenone after a thorough inspection of their NMR data. These compounds were found to exhibit moderate cytotoxic activity and their presence in this sponge rules out their use as a chemotaxonomic marker for Suberites sponges.

Previously, it was believed that the prokaryote communities of typical ‘low-microbial abundance’ (LMA) or ‘non-symbiont harboring’ sponges were merely subsets of the prokaryote plankton community. Recent research has, however, shown that these sponges are dominated by particular clades of Proteobacteria or Cyanobacteria. Here, we expand on this research and assess the composition and putative functional profiles of prokaryotic communities from LMA sponges collected in two ecosystems (coral reef and hydrothermal vent) from vicinal islands of Taiwan with distinct physicochemical conditions. Six sponge species identified as Acanthella cavernosa (Bubarida), Echinodictyum asperum, Ptilocaulis spiculifer (Axinellida), Jaspis splendens (Tetractinellida), Stylissa carteri (Scopalinida) and Suberites sp. (Suberitida) were sampled in coral reefs in the Penghu archipelago. One sponge species provisionally identified as Hymeniacidon novo spec. (Suberitida) was sampled in hydrothermal vent habitat. Each sponge was dominated by a limited set of operational taxonomic units which were similar to sequences from organisms previously obtained from other LMA sponges. There was a distinct bacterial community between sponges collected in coral reef and in hydrothermal vents. The putative functional profile revealed that the prokaryote community from sponges collected in hydrothermal vents was significantly enriched for pathways related to DNA replication and repair. published

Specimens were collected by SCUBA diving from 22 sites along the Antarctic Peninsula, spanning latitudes from Diomedea Island (62°12.185’S) to Jenny Island (67°43.325’S). The aims of the survey were to record the sponge biodiversity of the sublittoral and shallow-circalittoral and to provide information on in situ identification features. In total 24 sponge species were recorded, ranging from 0 to 12 species per site. The most widespread species were Dendrilla antarctica (10 sites), Sphaerotylus antarcticus (11 sites); and Mycale (Oxymycale) acerata (13 sites). Four species new to science were discovered and are described here: Megaciella cardenasi sp. nov., Crella (Crella) hennequinae sp. nov., Hymedesmia (Hymedesmia) noramaloneae sp. nov., Clathria (Clathria) priestleyae sp. nov. Suberites topsenti (Burton, 1929) is reassigned to Hemimycale topsenti (Burton, 1929) comb. nov. General habitat notes are provided for the survey sites, many of which were previously unsurveyed.

Sponges, which are in close contact with numerous bacteria in prey/predator, symbiotic and pathogenic relationships, must provide an appropriate response in such situations. This starts with a discriminating recognition of the partner either by a physical contact or through secreted molecules or both. We investigated the expression of the Toll-like receptor, Caspase 3/7, Tumor Necrosis Factor receptor-associated factor 6, Bcl-2 homology protein-2 and macrophage expressed genes of axenic sponge cells in the presence of a symbiotic bacterium (Endozoicomonas sp. Hex311), a pathogen bacterium (Pseudoalteromonas sp. 1A1), their exoproducts and lipopolysaccharides. The vast majority of answers are in line with what could be observed with the symbiotic bacterium. The pathogenic bacterium seems to profit from the eukaryotic cell: suppression of the production of the antibacterial compound, inhibition of the apoptosis caspase-dependent pathway, deregulation of bacterial recognition. This work contributes new scientific knowledge in the field of immunology and apoptosis in early branching metazoan harboring within its tissue and cells a large number of symbiotic bacteria.

Acanthella Schmidt, 1862 species are characterized by choanosomal skeleton of dendritic tracts cored by interwoven sinuously bent strongyles or strongyloxeas and echinated by straight styles, oxeas or anisoxeas (Van Soest et al . 2002). The genus Acanthella comprises 33 valid species, with six known from the Atlantic Ocean (Van Soest et al . 2018). Previously, the only record for Brazil was A. flagelliformis (Van Soest & Stentoft, 1988) (Muricy 2018) . Species of the genus include a transition from shrub like ‘ Axinellas ’ and herbaceous species similar to the genus Suberites Nardo, 1833 (Schmidt 1862; Vosmaer 1912). Due to its heterogeneous complex of species, Acanthella has been confused with other axinellids. Similarities were seen in genera such as Phakellia (Van Soest et al . 2002), which shares spicule complement and comparable choanosomal skeletons. In the present study, we describe a new species of Acanthella from oceanographic expeditions of the northeast region of Brazil. Two specimens of Acanthella sp. nov. were collected by dredging at Ceara and Pernambuco State, Brazil. All specimens were preserved in 92% ethanol and deposited in the Porifera Collections at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPEPOR). The taxonomic identification was carried out through analysis of spicules morphologies, using Light Microscopy (LM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), following methods described by Hajdu et al . (2011).

Suberites cebriones sp. nov. (Figure 9 (a – f)) Material examined The holotype was collected in the central part of the Laptev Sea (75.19°N, 128.46°E); it is deposited in the Edward Eversman Zoology Museum (identification number 2.2.8.441). Paratypes localities: one specimen from same locality as holotype (75.19°N, 128.46°E); two specimens from north of the New Siberian Islands (76.25°N, 139.05° E; 77.23°N, 137.06°E); one specimen from the central part of the Laptev Sea (76.05° N, 122.75°E). Description (Figure 9 (d – e)). Sponge cup shaped or club shaped (only small juvenile forms), up to 3.5 cm in height and 4 cm in width. The inner surface of cup-shaped sponge is covered with evenly scattered small pores (about 0.1 mm in diameter), forming a sieve. In the case of juvenile forms (which may easily be confused with corresponding forms of s. montalbidus) the single osculum is located on the top. Surface is smooth. The body is tolerably firm, only slightly compressible in consistency. Sometimes provided with weakly pronounced peduncle. Colour (in alcohol) is beige. Spicules Styles (tylo- and subtylostyles) straight, rather short-pointed (spicules with blunt apical end occasionally found), dimensions: 124.8 – 395.4 – 677 × 5.5 – 11.4 (n = 200) µm; microxea and microstrongyles centrotylote, spined, dimensions 21.3 – 41 – 67.4 (n = 60) µm and 9.87 – 19.37 – 28.22 (n = 60) µm, respectively. Etymology In Greek mythology, Cebriones was the illegitimate son of King Priam of Troy and participated in the Trojan War as charioteer for his half-brother Hector. Remarks In the examined materials, we observed that several specimens differed substantially in their outer morphology from the above-mentioned representatives of suberites montalbidus. However, the spicular analysis did not reveal any differences between them. The reason to allocate suberites cebriones sp. nov. as a new species is the uniqueness of its skeletal architecture; in the case of s. montalbidus, the microscleres are confined to the thin cortical layer, while in s. cebriones sp. nov., they are also distributed in large numbers throughout the interior (Figure 9 (a – b)).

Suberites montalbidus Carter, 1880 (Figure 8 (a ��� h)) suberites montalbidus Carter 1880, p. 256; Fristedt 1887, p. 428 ��� 429; Swartschewsky 1906, p. 318 ��� 319, pl. XIII, fig. 3 suberites sp.: Vosmaer 1882, p. 32 ��� 33; pl. I, figs 22 ��� 23; pl. IV, figs 140 ��� 144 suberites montalbidus: Lambe 1895 (?), p. 127 ��� 128; pl. III, fig. 6a ��� c suberites domuncula fi cus : Koltun 1959 (?), p. 95, figs 66 ��� 67; pl. XXXIV, figs 1 ��� 3; pl. XXXVI, figs 1 ��� 2 Description (Figure 8 (c ��� d)). Sponge elongated, pear shaped or conical, sometimes laterally flattened, up to 5.5 cm in height and 4.5 cm in width. Body slightly narrows downwards forming a short peduncle, by which the sponge attaches on stones or on polychaetes tubes. The surface is rugose, sometimes nearly smooth (only juvenile forms). The consistency is soft and elastic. The single osculum of roundish or slit-like form (about 2 mm in diameter) is placed at the summit and surrounded by the short (about 0.8 mm in height) spicular collar (not always). Colour (in alcohol) ash grey or pale pink. Six specimens examined. Skeleton (Figure 8 (a ��� b)). The main skeleton consists of a quite loose or diffuse network of spicule bundles and single spicules. Only near the surface, spicules (mostly small tylostyles) become more or less regularly arranged, and grouped in the radial bundles. The cortex is composed of a thin layer of microscleres. In the underlying tissues (choanosome) microscleres are absent. Only in rare exceptions were they found in the walls of the aquiferous system. Spicules (Figure 8 (e ��� h)). Styles (tylo- and subtylostyles) straight, rather short-pointed (spicules with blunt apical ends occasionally found), dimensions: 167.7 ��� 387.8 ��� 538.9 �� 5.4 ��� 11 (n = 200) ��m; microxea and microstrongyles centrotylote, spined, dimensions 16.7 ��� 38.29 ��� 62.9 (n = 60) ��m and 8.2 ��� 19.57 ��� 36 (n = 60) ��m, respectively. Distribution Bering Sea, West and East Greenland Shelf. Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Laptev Sea, Kara Sea, Barents Sea, White Sea, North Sea. Depth range: 5 ��� 113 m. Remarks Widespread circumpolar boreal-Arctic species. Quite polymorphic, and is represented by at least two morphologically close species. It is possible that some specimens of suberites montalbidus examined by Fristedt (1887), Lambe (1895) and Koltun (1959) are actually represented by a similar, newly allocated species, suberites cebriones sp. nov., Published as part of Morozov, Grigori, Sabirov, Rushan & Zimina, Olga, 2019, Sponge fauna of the New Siberian Shoal: biodiversity and some features of formation, pp. 2961-2992 in Journal of Natural History 52 (47) on pages 2961-2992, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2018.1554166, http://zenodo.org/record/3654165, {"references":["Carter HJ. 1880. Description of two new Sponges. Ann Mag Nat Hist. 5 (6): 253 - 277.","Fristedt K. 1887. Sponges from the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and the Behring Sea. Vega- Expeditionens Vetenskap Iakttagelser (Nordenskiold). 4: 401 - 471.","Swartschewsky BA. 1906. Beitrage zur Spongien-Fauna des Weissen Meeres. Mem Soci Nat Kiew. 20: 307 - 371. German.","Vosmaer GCJ. 1882. Report on the sponges dredged up in the Arctic Sea by the ' Willem Barents ' in the years 1878 and 1879. Niederlandisches Archiv fur Zoologie Supplement. 1 (3): 1 - 58.","Koltun VM. 1959. Kрiмнiрogovыi gubki (iviрныk i daльнivo (tocныk мoрiй CCCР [Siliceous horny sponges of the northern and fareastern seas of the U. S. S. R.]. In: Pavlovsky EN, editor. Identifiers of the USSR fauna issued by the Zoological Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Vol. 67 Russian. Moscow - Leningrad: Nauka, Academy of Sciences of the USSR; p. 1 - 263"]}

Germanium (Ge), in the form of germanic acid, at a Ge/Si molar ratio of 1.0 inhibits gemmule development and silica deposition in the marine demosponge Suberites domuncula. Lower Ge/Si ratios inhibit the growth in length of the silica spicules (tylostyles) producing short structures, but with relatively normal morphology and close to normal width; spherical protuberances occasionally occur on these spicules. A few of the short spicules possess completely round rather than pointed tips. Many of the latter develop when Ge is added (pulsed) to growing animals, thus inducing a change in spicule type. These results indicate that the growth in length of the axial filament is more sensitive to Ge inhibition than is silica deposition and that pointed spicule tips normally develop because the growth of the axial filament at the spicule tip is more rapid than silica deposition. Newly formed spicules initiate silica deposition at the spicule head but the absence of Ge-induced bulbs as in freshwater spicules (oxeas) leaves open the question of whether there is a silicification center(s) present in Suberites tylostyles. The morphogenesis of freshwater oxeas and of marine tyolstyles appears fundamentally different-bidirectional growth in the former and unidirectional growth in the latter. X-ray analysis demonstrate relatively uniform Ge incorporation into the silica spicules with considerable variation from spicule to spicule in the incorporated level. Increased silicic acid concentration induces the formation of siliceous spheres, suggesting that the axial filament becomes prematurely encased in silica.

Sponges (Porifera) represent one of the most basally branching animal clades with key relevance for evolutionary studies, stem cell biology, and development. Despite a long history of sponges as experimental model systems, however, functional molecular studies are still very difficult to perform in these animals. Here, we report the establishment of transgenic technology as a basic and versatile experimental tool for sponge research. We demonstrate that slice explants of the demosponge Suberites domuncula regenerate functional sponge tissue and can be cultured for extended periods of time, providing easy experimental access under controlled conditions. We further show that an engineered expression construct driving the enhanced green fluorescence protein (egfp) gene under control of the Suberites domuncula β-actin locus can be transfected into such tissue cultures, and that faithfully spliced transcripts are produced from such transfected DNA. Finally, by combining fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) with quantitative PCR, we validate that transfected cells can be specifically reisolated from tissue based on their fluorescence. Although the number of detected enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-expressing cells is still limited, our approach represents the first successful introduction and expression of exogenous DNA in a sponge. These results represent a significant advance for the use of transgenic technology in a cornerstone phylum, for instance for the use in lineage tracing experiments.

One of the major medical challenges of the twenty-first century is the treatment of incurable and fatal neurodegenerative disorders caused by misfolded prion proteins. Since the discovery of these diseases a number of studies have been conducted to identify small molecules for their treatment, however to date no curative treatment is available. These studies can be highly expensive and time consuming, but more recent experimental approaches indicate a significant application for yeast prions in these studies. We therefore used yeast prions to optimize previous high-throughput methods for the cheaper, easier and more rapid screening of natural extracts. Through this approach we aimed to identify natural yeast-prion inhibitors that could be useful in the development of novel treatment strategies for neurodegenerative disorders. We screened 500 marine invertebrate extracts from temperate waters in Australia allowing the identification of yeast-prion inhibiting extracts. Through the bioassay-driven chemical investigation of an active Suberites sponge extract, a group of bromotyrosine derivatives were identified as potent yeast-prion inhibitors. This study outlines the importance of natural products and yeast prions as a first-stage screen for the identification of new chemically diverse and bioactive compounds.

The mitogenome of Pseudosuberites sp. (Suberitida, Suberitidae) has been determined first in the genus Pseudosuberites. Assembled mitogenome was 23,502 bp in length, including 14 protein-coding genes, 25 transfer RNA, and 2 ribosomal RNA genes. The order and structure are the same as those of other species belonging to the same family Suberitidae. Pseudosuberites sp. was clustered with Suberites domucula within the family Suberitidae. The mitogenome of Pseudosuberites sp. will be valuable for inferring phylogenetic relationships among members of suberitids.

International audience; Marine sponges harbor a rich bacterioflora with which they maintain close relationships. However, the way these animals make the distinction between bacteria which are consumed to meet their metabolic needs and opportunistic and commensal bacteria which are hosted is not elucidated. Among the elements participating in this discrimination, bacterial cell wall components such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS) could play a role. In the present study, we investigated the LPS chemical structure of two bacteria associated with the sponge Suberites domuncula: a commensal Endozoicomonas sp. and an opportunistic Pseudoalteromonas sp. Electrophoretic patterns indicated different LPS structures for these bacteria. The immunomodulatory lipid A was isolated after mild acetic acid hydrolysis. The electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectra revealed monophosphorylated molecules corresponding to tetra-and pentaacylated structures with common structural features between the two strains. Despite peculiar structural characteristics, none of these two LPS influenced the expression of the macrophage-expressed gene S. domuncula unlike the Escherichia coli ones. Further research will have to include a larger number of genes to understand how this animal can distinguish between LPS with resembling structures and discriminate between bacteria associated with it.

Finkel-Biskis-Reilly murine sarcoma virus (FBR- MuSV) ubiquitously expressed (FAU) gene is down-regulated in human prostate, breast and ovarian cancers. Moreover, its dysregulation is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. Sponges (Porifera) are animals without tissues which branched off first from the common ancestor of all metazoans. A large majority of genes implicated in human cancers have their homologues in the sponge genome. Our study suggests that FAU gene from the sponge Suberites domuncula reflects characteristics of the FAU gene from the metazoan ancestor, which have changed only slightly during the course of animal evolution. We found pro-apoptotic activity of sponge FAU protein. The same as its human homologue, sponge FAU increases apoptosis in human HEK293T cells. This indicates that the biological functions of FAU, usually associated with “higher” metazoans, particularly in cancer etiology, possess a biochemical background established early in metazoan evolution. The ancestor of all animals possibly possessed FAU protein with the structure and function similar to evolutionarily more recent versions of the protein, even before the appearance of true tissues and the origin of tumors and metastasis. It provides an opportunity to use pre-bilaterian animals as a simpler model for studying complex interactions in human cancerogenesis.

Background Laccases are copper-containing enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of a wide variety of phenolic substrates. Methods We describe the first poriferan laccase from the marine demosponge Suberites domuncula. Results This enzyme comprises three characteristic multicopper oxidase homologous domains. Immunohistological studies revealed that the highest expression of the laccase is in the surface zone of the animals. The expression level of the laccase gene is strongly upregulated after exposure of the animals to the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide. To allow the binding of the recombinant enzyme to ferromagnetic nanoparticles, a recombinant laccase was prepared which contained in addition to the His-tag, a Glu-tag at the N-terminus of the enzyme. The recombinant laccase was enzymatically active. The apparent Michaelis constant of the enzyme is 114 μM, using syringaldazine as substrate. Exposure of E. coli to the nanoparticles, coated with Glu-tagged laccase, and to the mediator 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) in the presence of lignin, as the oxidizable substrate, resulted in an almost complete inhibition of colony formation. Quantitative studies of the effect of the laccase-coated iron oxide nanoparticles were performed using E. coli grown in suspension in reaction tubes within a magnetic nanoparticle separator. Conclusions This newly designed magnetic nanoparticle separator allowed a removal of the nanoparticles after terminating the reaction. Using this system, a strong dose-dependent inhibition of the growth of E. coli by the laccase iron oxide nanoparticles was determined. General significance From our data we conclude that the sponge laccase is involved in the anti-bacterial defense of the sponge organism.

Suberites dandelenae sp. nov. (Figures 3; 11a–h; Table 2; Table 3; Table S1). Synonomy. Suberites tylobtusa sensu Uriz, 1988, pg 38 (Not Suberites tylobtusa Lévi, 1958); Suberites ficus sensu Samaai & Gibbons, 2005, pg. 28, figs. 3A, 21 a–e. Suberites carnosus sensu Samaai & Gibbons, 2005, pg. 27, figs. 2O, 20 a–d. Material examined. Holotype. SAMC –A088677 (cross ref. TS 1625), West coast, Station A29477 (30°26'0"S, 16°48'59"E), depth 180 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. Other Material examined Holotype MNHN DCL 1301, Suberites tylobtusa Lévi, 1958; Holotype BMNH 1847.9.7.51, Halichondria fícus Johnston, 1842. Paratypes. SAMC –A088678 (cross ref. TS 1815), West coast, Station A30349 (31°47'58"S, 17°54'29"E), depth 114 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. SAMC –A088679 (cross ref. TS 1592), West coast, Station A29471 (29°12'0"S, 15°59'0"E), depth 166 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1586, West coast, Station A29444 (30°58'0"S, 17°27'0"E), depth 134 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1587, West coast, Station A29442 (30°30'59"S, 17°19'0"E), depth 111 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1599, West coast, Station A29478 (30°19'0"S, 16°54'59"E), depth 154 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1602, West coast, Station A29482 (29°37'59"S, 16°20'0"E), depth 157 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1612, West coast, Station A29481 (29°40'59"S, 16°12'59"E), depth 166 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1614, West coast, Station A29480 (29°53'0"S, 16°18'0"E), depth 182 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1631, West coast, Station A29439 (30°50'0"S, 16°52'0"E), depth 198 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1633, West coast, Station A29479 (30°0'0"S, 16°20'59"E), depth 187 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1640, West coast, Station A27448 (32°0'24"S, 17°24'59"E), depth 160 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1783, West coast, Station A30328 (32°17'52"S, 16°53'53"E), depth 296 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1787, West coast, Station A30382 (29°32'13"S, 15°45'14"E), depth 175 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1794, West coast, Station A30389 (29°20'13"S, 16°0'58"E), depth 168 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1798, West coast, Station A30340 (31°58'46"S, 16°52'10"E), depth 282 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1830, West coast, Station A31415 (31°22'5"S, 17°30'56"E), depth 147 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1836, West coast, Station A31460 (29°20'11"S, 16°1'1"E), depth 168 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2011. TS 1850, West coast, Station A31406 (32°7'32"S, 17°19'11"E), depth 184 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2011. TS 1859, West coast, Station A31417 (31°43'30"S, 17°1'30"E), depth 256 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2011. TS 1828, West coast, Station A30350 (31°34'58"S, 17°48'2"E), depth 118 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1876, West coast, Station A31405 (32°7'55"S, 17°12'7"E), depth 211 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2011. TS 1807, West coast, Station A30351 (31°19'47"S, 17°35'8"E), depth 133 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1810, West coast, Station A30357 (30°42'58"S, 16°53'19"E), depth 191 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1816, West coast, Station A30403 (31°8'38"S, 17°41'41"E), depth 89 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. Other voucher specimens. TS 1584, West coast, Station A29490 (30°16'59"S, 15°43'59"E), depth 235 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1585, West coast, Station A29500 (31°29'0"S, 17°40'59"E), depth 125 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1589, West coast, Station A29443 (30°54'59"S, 17°20'0"E), depth 147 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1594, West coast, Station A29507 (33°22'0"S, 17°44'0"E), depth 183 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1601, West coast, Station A29501 (31°38'59"S, 17°47'59"E), depth 120 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1604, West coast, Station A29483 (29°29'59"S, 16°16'59"E), depth 155 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1611, West coast, Station A29502 (31°30'59"S, 17°58'0"E), depth 95 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1623, West coast, Station A29475 (30°22'59"S, 16°34'0"E), depth 208 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1628, West coast, Station A29461 (31°16'59"S, 17°12'59"E), depth 206 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1644, West coast, Station A29455 (32°18'59"S, 18°0'59"E), depth 103 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1784, West coast, Station A30359 (31°0'5"S, 16°0'52"E), depth 320 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1786, West coast, Station A30392 (29°8'33"S, 16°19'49"E), depth 138 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1789, West coast, Station A30341 (31°52'39"S, 17°7'3"E), depth 211 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1795, West coast, Station A30383 (29°36'57"S, 15°55'19"E), depth 178 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1797, West coast, Station A30392 (29°8'33"S, 16°19'49"E), depth 138 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1809, West coast, Station A30356 (30°49'35"S, 16°39'34"E), depth 239 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1813, West coast, Station A30385 (29°18'43"S, 16°33'41"E), depth 126 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1817, West coast, Station A30384 (29°46'46"S, 16°0'46"E), depth 185 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1819, West coast, Station A30395 (29°44'59"S, 16°29'17"E), depth 156 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1823, West coast, Station A30325 (32°48'44"S, 17°42'33"E), depth 142 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1826, West coast, Station A30352 (31°10'23"S, 17°20'33"E), depth 178 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1877, West coast, Station A31438 (30°38'19"S, 16°53'37"E), depth 186 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2011. TS 1621, West coast, Station A29470 (29°7'59"S, 16°5'59"E), depth 163 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2009. TS 1805, West coast, Station A30353 (30°54'52"S, 17°3'18"E), depth 197 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1806, West coast, Station A30399 (30°21'1"S, 16°48'2"E), depth 179 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1812, West coast, Station A30381 (29°24'13"S, 15°30'20"E), depth 181 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1814, West coast, Station A30391 (29°28'59"S, 16°20'25"E), depth 151 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2010. TS 1837, West coast, Station A31413 (31°38'59"S, 17°39'16"E), depth 130 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2011. TS 1840, West coast, Station A31446 (29°0'26"S, 16°15'34"E), depth 141 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2011. TS 1841, West coast, Station A31439 (30°38'23"S, 17°9'20"E), depth 150 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2011. TS 1848, West coast, Station A31440 (30°40'43"S, 17°25'5"E), depth 98 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2011. TS 1849, West coast, Station A31441 (30°23'34"S, 16°59'47"E), depth 150 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2011. TS 1862, West coast, Station A31462 (29°39'28"S, 16°2'58"E), depth 181 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2011. TS 1868, West coast, Station A31437 (30°33'26"S, 16°50'0"E), depth 186 m, collected by FRS Africana, January 2011. Other South African & Namibian material examined. SAM –H4898 (Ts 330), Elands Bay (32°20’S, 18°20’E), depth 2–5 m, collected by T. Samaai and M. J. Gibbons, 7 April 1997. Ts 343a, Elands Bay (32°20’S, 18°20’E), depth 2–5 m, collected by T. Samaai and M.J. Gibbons, 7 April 1997. Ts 344, Ts 346, Ts 348, Ts 355, St Helena Bay (32°40’S, 18°10’E), depth 2–5 m, collected by T. Samaai and M.J. Gibbons, 9 April 1997. Ts 412, Black Rock, Lüderitz, Namibia (24°50’S, 14°40’E), depth 12 m, collected by NSFRI, 20 March 1998. SAM – H4897 (Ts 540), Oranjemund (26°31’S, 15°01’E), depth 78 m, collected by A. Goosen, from ‘ Jago’ submersible, April 1999. Ts 541, Oranjemund (26°31’S, 15°01’E), depth 78 m, collected by A. Goosen, from ‘ Jago’ submersible, April 1999. Description of gross morphology. Massive sponge with rounded lobes and apical oscula (Figure 11 a). Two morphotypes are distinguishable: (a) globulous, widest at the base, with one large apical osculum terminally, and (b) elongate, with compressed base from where a few globular lobes rise, each widest in the middle and terminating in a small osculum. Varied size, up to 40 cm in diameter. Surface smooth, microscopically hirsute, not velvety. Oscules 1–2 cm in diameter on the apical end of the lobe; ostia 0.1 mm in diameter. Consistency spongy, soft, depending on the degree of contraction. Ectosome not discernable. Colour in life straw orange brown with some having tinges of yellow, choanosome orange–yellow internally; in preservative light brown or straw yellow to khaki. Mud encrusted specimens are greyish brown. Megascleres. Type I Tylostyles. Thin, long, straight or curved, with a sharp gradually tapering end, heads well rounded, distally fusiform, 505 (413–576) × 7 (7) µm, n = 10 (Figure 11 b–I). Type II Tylostyles. More robust, thickened and somewhat curved, head well defined and rounded, distally fusiform, 351 (307–413) × 19 (14–24) µm, n = 10 (Figure 11 b–II). Type III Tylostyles. Thick, straight, head well defined and rounded 465 (451–490) ×14 (9.6–19) µm, n = 10 (Figure 11 b–III). Large tylostrongyles (tylobtuse strongyles). Thick, variable size, head poorly defined, but round, often somewhat wider than opposite rounded end, 271 (240–307) × 24 (19–29) µm, n = 10 (Figure 11 c). Centrotylostrongyles. Thick, variable size, straight or slightly curved, with bulbous centre, end not fusiform but hastately rounded 307 (259–346) ×14 (9.6–19) µm, n = 10 (Figure 11 d). Centrotyloxeas. Thick, variable size, sinuous or slightly curved, with bulbous centre, end fusiform, but some forms are centrotylostrongyles, 414 (365–518) ×16 (14–19) µm, n = 10. Small tylostrongyles (tylobtuse strongyles). Thick, variable size, head well defined, and rounded, 163 (115–201) ×24 (19–29) µm, n = 10 (Figure 11 e). Small mutant tylostrongyles (kidney–shaped) also present with size approximately 86 (76–96) x 19 µm, n = 10 (Figure 11 f). Some specimens e.g. TS 1815 and TS 1592 lack the tylobtuse strongyles (see Figure 3). These megascleres are present in variable proportions in all the specimens examined. Microscleres. Microrhabds (microacanthostrongyles, usually centrotylote), rare in some specimens or even absent (e.g. Figure 3 —specimen TS 1592), 10–15 µm (Figure 11 g). The morphology of the microacanthostrongyles is similar to that found in S. ficus. It is present in variable proportions in all the specimens examined. Skeleton. Choanosomal skeleton consists of a subradiate, composed of a confused irregular reticulation of bundles of tylostyles, which meander vertically through the choanosome. Spicules radially arranged near the surface, and the internal skeleton confused, almost halichondroid (Figure 11 h). The ectosome consists of a distinct, compact, radially disposed layer of small dermal tylostyles, 200–400 µm wide. Distal ends of tylostyles project slightly beyond the ectosomal surface. DNA barcodes. Two unique cox1 haplotypes were identified among a total of 20 specimens. GenBank accession nos. KY463455 (haplotype 1) and KY463456 (haplotype 2). Etymology. Named after Ms Dandelene Reynolds, a technician in DEA, who passed away in 2010. Phenotypic variation. The species variability is limited to the sponge size with a uniform straw orange brown. Type locality. The type material was collected from the west coast of South Africa, from unconsolidated sediment in a region with seasonal cold-water upwelling. Distribution. South African and Namibian west coast (BCLME) (Figures 7 & 12) Ecology. Uriz (1988, 1990) proposed that S. tylobtusus (Red Sea sponge) was translocated by fisheries activities to the continental shelf off southern Africa between 1960 and 1984, as earlier surveys conducted over many decades had failed to detect it. These earlier surveys however, were not comprehensive or thorough, and focused their efforts around Cape Town, Saldanha Bay, Still Bay and Durban, all of which fall outside its distributional range. Suberites dandelenae sp. nov. is particularly abundant at depths ranging between 80–500 m, on the continental plateau of the west coast of South Africa and Namibia (Samaai & Gibbons 2005; Uriz 1988, 1990) (Figure 7 & 12) where it may dominate epibenthic communities in terms of biomass, forming “sponge beds or facies” (Uriz 1988, 1990). During various trawl surveys on the west coast of South Africa (with the Research Vessels Dr Fridjof Nansen and RV Africana), more than 6 tons /km2 of sponge material were obtained during several hauls within depths ranging 120– 275 m. The greatest mass of sponges collected was 18 tons /km2, from a depth near 138 m off Doring Bay (2006–Cruise 402, Station 1250). The three localities off Port Nolloth produced 3–3.5 tons /km2 of sponges collected on average, while 6 tons /km2 of sponges were obtained from one site at a depth of 195 m in the proposed Namaqualand MPA (Nansen Cruise 402, Station 1196, 2006) (Figure 13). The commercial trawler fleet generally fishes in water that is deeper (200–1000 m) than that of the sponge beds, but there is an overlap in the distribution of the sponge and diamond mining and oil and gas operations (Atkinson et al. 2011; Sink et al. 2012). The potential threats of these activities on the filter feeding sponge community have yet to be assessed. Suberites dandelenae sp. nov. is not a reef builder, but it can be habitat forming and occurs in soft sediment environments. The sponge beds constitute an ecologically important habitat of great complexity for fishes and both motile and sessile invertebrates, and they may play an important role in the ecology and diversity of the west coast region. Indeed, their presence could constitute a Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem (VME) or an Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA). Remarks. The identification of Suberites at the species level based on morphological features is difficult, because species of this genus are highly polymorphic and have a simple skeleton and spicular structures, which are more or less homogeneous (Solé– Cava & Thorpe 1986; Van Soest 2002). Having said that, it has been argued that the use of qualitative characters such as the presence or absence of microscleres (microstrongyles) is helpful in distinguishing species, e.g. S. ficus from S. domuncula (Hartman 1958; Hiscock et al. 1983). However, it is clear from the present results (Table S1) that although there are taxonomically useful spicule differences between specimens, these qualitative and quantitative differences can be misleading in defining a species. Suberites dandelenae sp. nov. specimens show considerable variation in the relative proportion or presence of different spicule types. Typically, S. dandelenae sp. nov. has three distinct types of megascleres, but some specimens (see Table 2) possess only tylobtuse strongyles and microstrongyles, or they lack tylobtuse strongyles but possess microstrongyles, and some specimens lack both tylobtuse strongyles and microstrongyles (see also Figure 3). This exemplifies the importance of studying a range of specimens to find phenotypic and histological characters that are useful in fitting the puzzle to correctly identify or separate species. Differences only become evident when the specimens are studied together (Tables 2 & Table S1). The new species exhibits a number of affinities with S. ficus (see Uriz 1988, 1990), both in terms of external morphology and in the structure of the centrotylote microscleres. It differs from S. domuncula, S. carnosus and S. tylobtusus in external morphology, having centrotylote microscleres and generally larger megaslere spicules (see Tables 3 & Table S1). The absence of centrotylote microscleres, tylostrongyle megascleres and the poorly developed tylostyle megascleres in some specimens of S. dandelenae sp. nov. illustrates that secondary loss of spicules can occur readily. Sponge taxonomy is largely based on spicule morphology, but spicules have already been shown to be potentially unreliable for phylogenetics due to their high level of morphological homoplasy (Fromont & Bergquist 1990; Manuel et al. 2003; Cárdenas et al. 2011), as well as for alpha–taxonomy due to intra–specific variation (Schönberg & Barthel 1998). Zea (1987) found that spicules, especially microscleres, can be present or absent in sponge specimens depending on their location, and that variations in megascleres are rare. Maldonando et al. (1999) showed that variation in spicule type and shape can also be explained by silicon limitation. Although there is considerable latitudinal variability in the frequency, intensity and seasonality of upwelling in the Benguela ecosystem, the region is not generally considered to be silicon–poor in deeper water. It is worth noting here that whilst surface waters may become stripped of silica by diatoms in upwelling areas, the same is not true of bottom waters where the sponges are found owing to remineralisation (Pitcher et al. 1992). Location and seawater chemistry are unlikely to be responsible for the considerable variation in spicule types found in S. dandelenae sp. nov. as samples collected from the same trawl often had different spicule complements (Figure 8). The magnitude between depth differences in concentration of dissolved silicate (and

Suberites ficus (Johnson, 1842) (Figure 10 a���d; Table 2; Table S1) Original description. Suberites ficus (Johnson, 1842); see also van Soest & Hooper 2002, pg. 242. Synonomy. Alcyonium ficus sensu Linnaeus, 1767, pg. 1295; Ficulina ficus Linnaeus, 1767, pg. 1295 (see Uriz 1984, pg. 58); Alcyonium bulbosum Esper, 1806, pg. 235; Halichondria ficus Johnston, 1842, pg. 144; Suberites domuncula von Lendenfeld, 1888, pg. 65 (not Suberites domuncula Olivi, 1792, pg. 241); Suberites ficus Ackers et al., 1992, pg. 68. Material examined. Lectotype BMNH 1847.9.7.51, Halichondria ficus Johnson, 1842. Description of gross morphology. Bulbous, or pear���shaped, sometimes bulging from a narrow stalk, 2.5���8 cm in length (Figure 10 a). Van Soest (2002) described the species as lobate, occasionally cylindrical and may include specimens enveloping gastropod shells and encrusting scallops, 10���40 cm in length. Surface smooth with a velvety appearance with one or more conspicuous, large oscules. Consistency firm and incompressible. Colour in life russet red; in dried state cream/white. Megascleres. Styles, two types (Figure 10 b). Type I, slightly curved, heads rounded and having a slight bump. Distally fusiform, sometimes mucronate, 288���345 ��m x 7 ��m (Van Soest, 2002, measurements 350���500 ��m x 10 ��m). Type II, very thin, sinuous, heads rounded having a slight bump. Distally fusiform, 153���268 ��m x 2 ��m (Van Soest, 2002, measurements 100���250 ��m x 5 ��m) (please refer to Table 2 for comparative measurements). Microscleres. Microrhabds (Figure 10 c)���microspined microstrongyles, usually centrotylote, common, 16���28 ��m. Smooth microstrongyles, usually centrotylote (Figure 10 d), common, 24���48 ��m. Skeleton. The skeletal architecture is confused, almost halichondroid, being radial near the surface. The ectosomal skeleton is made up of smaller tylostyles arranged pendicularly forming a dense palisade at the surface. Type locality. Scarborough, England, North Atlantic. Habitat. Deep water., Published as part of Samaai, Toufiek, Maduray, Seshnee, Janson, Liesl & Ngwakum, Benedicta, 2017, A new species of habitat ��� forming Suberites (Porifera, Demospongiae, Suberitida) in the Benguela upwelling region (South Africa), pp. 49-81 in Zootaxa 4254 (1) on pages 69-70, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4254.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/545704, {"references":["Johnston, G. (1842) A History of British Sponges and Lithophytes. W. H. Lizars, Edinburgh, i - xii, 1 - 264, pls. I - XXV.","Soest, R. W. M. van (2002) Family Suberitidae. In: Hooper, J. N. A & van Soest, R. W. M. (Eds.), Systema Porifera, a guide to the classification of the sponges. Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers, New York, pp. 227 - 244.","Linnaeus, C. (1767) Systema naturae sive regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Fol. 1. Part 2. 12 th Edition. Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae, 795 pp. [pp. 533 - 1327]","Uriz, M. J. (1984 b) Descripcion de nuevas esponjas del litoral de Namibia (sudoeste de Africa). Resultados Expediciones Cientificas, 12, 107 - 116.","Esper, E. J. C. (1806) Fortsetzungen der Pflanzenthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Farben erleuchtet nebst Beschreibungen. Zweyter Theil. Raspe, Nurnberg, pp. 25 - 48, pls. LXV - LXX.","Lendenfeld, R. Von (1888) Descriptive Catalogue of the Sponges in the Australian Museum, Sidney. Taylor & Francis, London, I - xiv, 1 - 260, pls 1 - 12.","Olivi, G. (1792) Alcyonium and Spongia. Zoologia Adriatica, 1792, 235 - 254 & 262 - 273.","Ackers, R. G., Moss, D. & Picton. B. E. (1992) Sponges of the British Isles (\" Sponges F \"): A colour guide and working document. Marine Conservation Society, Ross on Wye, 175 pp."]}

Suberites crispolobatus sp. nov. Figures 120 a–c Material examined. Holotype RMNH Por. 9863, Suriname, ‘ Snellius O.C.P.S. ’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station F40, 7.0033°N 56.4417°W, depth 59 m, bottom sand, 6 May 1966. Paratypes RMNH Por. 9738, Guyana, ‘Luymes’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station 103, 7.9°N 57.5167°W, depth 85 m, triangular dredge, 4 September 1970 (1 specimen); RMNH Por. 9775, Suriname, ‘ Luymes O.C.P.S. II’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station I115, 7.21°N 54.8617°W, depth 81 m, triangular dredge, 24 April 1969 (1 specimen); RMNH Por. 9814, Guyana, ‘Luymes’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station 68, 7.4167°N 57.1333°W, depth 51 m, muddy sand bottom, 31 August 1970; RMNH Por. 9840, Guyana, ‘Luymes’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station 85, 7.65°N 57.25°W, depth 69 m, bottom sand and shells, 2 September 1970 (1 specimen); RMNH Por. 9879, 9964, Suriname, ‘ Snellius O.C.P.S. ’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station G56, 7.26°N 56.6667°W, depth 67–68 m, Agassiz trawl, 10 May 1966 (4 specimens); RMNH Por. 9891, Guyana, ‘ Snellius O.C.P.S. ’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station H58, 7.4233°N 56.9067°W, depth 66–69 m, bottom coarse sand, 11 May 1966 (1 specimen); RMNH Por. 9899, 9960, 9985, 10503, 10548, Suriname, ‘ Snellius O.C.P.S. ’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station F40, 7.0033°N 56.4417°W, depth 59 m, bottom sand, 6 May 1966 (23 specimens); RMNH Por. 9932, Guyana, ‘Luymes’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station 63, 7.5833°N 57.0667°W, depth 71 m, sandy bottom, 31 August 1970 (1 specimen). Description. Erect rounded branches, often with club-shaped endings, and with small side lobes along their length; branches usually divided, but only a few times. The holotype RMNH Por. 9863 consists of a curled branch (Fig. 120 a), similar to other such branches of e.g. paratype RMNH Por. 10548 (Fig. 120 a1), but there are also wedge-shaped lobes, e.g. paratypes RMNH Por. 9985 (Fig. 120 a2). Surface smooth but with irregular folds (possibly deflated as an after-collection artifact, as is often the case in larger Suberites species. There does not seem to be a massive basal body, individual branches have a pointed or thinner stalk-like basis. Sizes quite variable, up to 25 cm long, up to 1–3 cm in diameter. No apparent oscules but these are likely contracted. Color beige in alcohol. Consistency firm. Skeleton. Typically Suberites -like, with bouquets of smaller tylostyles at the surface and more or less confused choanosomal skeleton. The center of the longer branches is more organized with tylostyles aligned lengthwise. Spicules. (Figs 120 b–c) Tylostyles only. Tylostyles with prominent rounded heads, without obvious lobes except for thin growth stages which may have tuberculate heads; very variable in size, divisible into two size classes with some overlap, (1) larger (Figs 120 b,b1), 456– 724 –858 x 9 – 11.4 –14 µm, and (2) smaller (Figs 120 c,c1), 186– 266 –396 x 3 – 5.9 –10 µm. Distribution and ecology. Guyana Shelf, muddy sandy bottom at 51–85 m depth. Etymology. Crispus (L.) = curly, lobatus (L.) = having lobes, referring to the curled branches with lobes found in this species, at least in the preserved specimens. Remarks. At first I assumed these specimens could be excessively ramose Suberites aurantiacus (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (p. 99, as Terpios) or a similar species, like Suberites lobatus (Wilson, 1902) (p. 399, as Phakellia lobata, slides of the holotype USNM 7684 examined), because spicule sizes are more or less the same of these two species. However, Dr Klaus Rützler (in litteris) convinced me that these have a massive base, and do not form such excessive long branches (see also Rützler & Smith 1993). Possibly, some deeper water records of these two species may conform to the present new species., Published as part of Van, Rob W. M., 2017, Sponges of the Guyana Shelf, pp. 1-225 in Zootaxa 1 on pages 190-192, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.272951, {"references":["Wilson, H. V. (1902) [1900] The sponges collected in Porto Rico in 1899 by the U. S. Fish Commission Steamer Fish Hawk. Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission, 2, 375 - 411."]}

Genus Suberites Nardo, 1833 Restricted synonomy. Suberites Nardo, 1833, pg. 523. Ficulina Gray, 1867, pg. 523. Suberanthus Lendenfeld, 1898, pg. 144. Suberella Thiele, 1905, pg. 416. [Suberella] Burton, 1929, pg. 446. Carnleia Burton, 1930a, pg. 519; Laxosuberella Burton, 1930b, pg. 675. Type species. Alcyonium domuncula Olivi, 1792 (by original description). Diagnosis (from van Soest 2002). Massive, compact, usually with velvety smooth surface caused by dense ectosomal arrangement of tylostyles oriented perpendicularly to the sponge surface, points outward; peripheral choanosomal skeleton consists of closely packed strands of tylostyles distinctly larger than ectosomal ones, with interior skeleton of densely packed tylostyles in confusion. Centrotylote, minutely spined microstrongyles may be present in a few species and if so are concentrated at the surface. Approximately 80 species have been described (obvious synonyms and invalid genus assignments omitted). The genus is cosmopolitan in distribution but is most common in cold or temperate waters., Published as part of Samaai, Toufiek, Maduray, Seshnee, Janson, Liesl & Ngwakum, Benedicta, 2017, A new species of habitat ��� forming Suberites (Porifera, Demospongiae, Suberitida) in the Benguela upwelling region (South Africa), pp. 49-81 in Zootaxa 4254 (1) on page 68, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4254.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/545704, {"references":["Nardo, G. D. (1833) Auszug aus einem neuen System der Spongiarien, wonach bereits die Aufstellung in der Universitats- Sammlung zu Padua gemacht ist. In: Isis. Oder Encyclopadische Zeitung Coll. Oken, Jena, pp. 519 - 523.","Gray, J. E. (1867) Notes on the arrangement of sponges, with the descriptions of some new Genera. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1867 (2), 492 - 558, pls. XXVII - XXVIII.","Lendenfeld, R. von (1898) Die Clavulina der Adria. Nova acta Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino Carolinae germanicae naturaecuriosorum, 69, 1 - 251, pls. I - XII. page (s), 144.","Thiele, J. (1905) Die Kiesel-und Hornschwamme der Sammlung Plate. Zoologische Jahrbucher Supplement 6 (Fauna Chilensis III), 407 - 496, pls. 27 - 33.","Burton, M. (1929) Porifera. Part II. Antarctic sponges. British Antarctic (' Terra Nova') Expedition, 1910. Natural History Report, London, British Museum (Natural History), Zoology, 6 (4), 393 - 458, pls. I - V.","Burton, M. (1930 a) Norwegian Sponges from the Norman Collection. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1930 (2), 487 - 546, pls. I - II.","Burton, M. (1930 b) Additions to the sponge fauna of the Gulf of Manaar. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 10, 5 (30), 665 - 676.","Olivi, G. (1792) Alcyonium and Spongia. Zoologia Adriatica, 1792, 235 - 254 & 262 - 273.","Soest, R. W. M. van (2002) Family Suberitidae. In: Hooper, J. N. A & van Soest, R. W. M. (Eds.), Systema Porifera, a guide to the classification of the sponges. Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers, New York, pp. 227 - 244."]}

Suberites tylobtusus L��vi, 1958 (Figure 9 a���f; Table 2; Table S1) Original description. Suberites tylobtusus L��vi, 1958. Synonymy. Suberites tylobtusa L��vi, 1958, pg. 24, fig. 20; Suberites tylobtusa Uriz, 1988, pg. 38, fig. 15. Material examined. Holotype MNHN DCL 1301, Suberites tylobtusa L��vi, 1958. Description of gross morphology. Small fragments of type material (Figure 9 a). L��vi (1958) however, described the sponge as massive with rounded lobes. Surface smooth, irregular and velvety to the touch. Oscules not visible. Consistency soft and fleshy. Colour in life bright orange. Megascleres. Megascleres are tylostyles and tylostrongyles in one size catogory. Tylostyles 1, smooth, slightly curved sometimes polytylote; head either well rounded or pear shaped, or reduced to resemble styles. Distally fusiform, or with mucronate or rounded ends. One size category (440���556 ��m x 15 ��m) (maximum length 600 ��m x 15���25 ��m) (Figure 9 b, c, d). Tylostyles 2, more slender than the previous ones in length, gently curved with well formed heads, sometimes slightly fusiform, 350���450 ��m x 10���11 ��m thick. Tylostrongyles short and stocky 182��� 297 ��m x 8 ��m (maximum length 450 ��m x 15) (Figure 9 e) (please refer to Table 2 for comparative measurements). Microscleres. Absent. Skeleton. The skeletal architecture is irregular and includes packages of radial megasclere pointing in every direction and separated by more slender spicules (Figure 9 f). There is no recognisable ectosome. Ectosomal skeleton consists of densly packed tylostyles Type locality. Abu Latt Island, Red Sea. Habitat. Coral reefs., Published as part of Samaai, Toufiek, Maduray, Seshnee, Janson, Liesl & Ngwakum, Benedicta, 2017, A new species of habitat ��� forming Suberites (Porifera, Demospongiae, Suberitida) in the Benguela upwelling region (South Africa), pp. 49-81 in Zootaxa 4254 (1) on page 68, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4254.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/545704, {"references":["Levi, C. (1958) Resultats scientifiques des Campagnes de la ' Calypso'. Campagne 1951 - 1952 en Mer Rouge (suite). 11. Spongiaires de Mer Rouge recueillis par la ' Calypso' (1951 - 1952). Annales de l'Institut oceanographique, 34 (3), 3 - 46.","Uriz, M. J. (1988) Deep-water sponges from the continental shelf and slope off Namibia (Southwest Africa): Classses Hexactinellida and Demospongia. Monografias de Zoologia Marina, 3, 9 - 157."]}

Organosiloxanes are components in a huge variety of consumer products and play a major role in the synthesis of fine chemicals. However, their synthetic manipulation primarily relies on the use of chlorosilanes, which are energy-intensive to produce and environmentally undesirable. Synthetic routes that operate under ambient conditions and circumvent the need for chlorinated feedstocks would therefore offer a more sustainable route for producing this class of compounds. Here, a systematic survey is reported for the silicatein enzyme, which is able to catalyze the hydrolysis, condensation, and exchange of the silicon–oxygen bond in a variety of organosiloxanes under environmentally benign conditions. These results suggest that silicatein is a promising candidate for development of selective and efficient biocatalysts for organosiloxane chemistry.

In search of alternative and safer sources of collagen for biomedical applications, the marine demosponges Axinella cannabina and Suberites carnosus, collected from the Aegean and the Ionian Seas, respectively, were comparatively studied for their insoluble collagen, intercellular collagen, and spongin-like collagen content. The isolated collagenous materials were morphologically, physicochemically, and biophysically characterized. Using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy the fibrous morphology of the isolated collagens was confirmed, whereas the amino acid analysis, in conjunction with infrared spectroscopy studies, verified the characteristic for the collagen amino acid profile and its secondary structure. Furthermore, the isoelectric point and thermal behavior were determined by titration and differential scanning calorimetry, in combination with circular dichroism spectroscopic studies, respectively.

The mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) belongs to a recently discovered family of neurotrophic factors. MANF can be secreted but is generally resident within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in neuronal and non-neuronal cells, where it is involved in the ER stress response with pro-survival effects. Here we report the discovery of the MANF homolog SDMANF in the sponge Suberites domuncula. The basal positioning of sponges (phylum Porifera) in the animal tree of life offers a unique vantage point on the early evolution of the metazoan-specific genetic toolkit and molecular pathways. Since sponges lack a conventional nervous system, SDMANF presents an enticing opportunity to investigate the evolutionary ancient role of these neurotrophic factors. SDMANF shares considerable sequence similarity with its metazoan homologs. It also comprises a putative protein binding domain with sequence similarities to the Bcl-2 family of apoptotic regulators. In Suberites, SDMANF is expressed in the vicinity of bacteriocytes, where it co-localizes with the toll-like receptor SDTLR. In transfected human cells, SDMANF was detected in both the organelle protein fraction and the cell culture medium. The intracellular SDMANF protein level was up-regulated in response to both a Golgi/ER transport inhibitor and bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Upon LPS challenge, transfected cells revealed a decreased caspase-3 activity and increased cell viability with no inducible Bax expression compared to the wild type. These results suggest a deep evolutionary original cytoprotective role of MANF, at the crossroads of innate immune and apoptotic pathways, of which a neurotrophic function might have arisen later in metazoan evolution., Highlights • Identification of the MANF homolog SDMANF in the ancestral-like clade Porifera (sponges). • Co-localization of SDMANF in bacteriocytes of sponge tissue with a toll-like receptor. • Up-regulation of the intracellular SDMANF protein level but not BAX in LPS-challenged SDMANF-transfected human cells. • Enhanced viability, reduced caspase activity of LPS-challenged SDMANF-transfected human cells. • An evolutionary ancient cytoprotective role of SDMANF at the crossroads of innate immune and apoptotic pathways is proposed.

Sponges and their symbionts are important players in the biogeochemical cycles of marine environments. As a unique habitat within marine ecosystems, cold seeps have received considerable interest in recent years. This study explores the lifestyle of a new symbiotic SOB in a cold seep sponge. The results demonstrate that both this sponge symbiont and endosymbionts in deep-sea clams employ similar strategies of genome reduction. However, this bacterium has retained unique functions for immunity and defense. Thus, the functional features are determined by both the symbiotic relationship and host type. Moreover, analyses of the genome of an AOA suggest that microbes play different roles in biochemical cycles in the sponge body. Our findings provide new insights into invertebrate-associated bacteria in cold seep environments., As the most ancient metazoan, sponges have established close relationships with particular microbial symbionts. However, the characteristics and physiology of thioautotrophic symbionts in deep-sea sponges are largely unknown. Using a tailored “differential coverage binning” method on 22-Gb metagenomic sequences, we recovered the nearly complete genome of a sulfur-oxidizing bacterium (SOB) that dominates the microbiota of the cold seep sponge Suberites sp. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that this bacterium (an unclassified gammaproteobacterium termed “Gsub”) may represent a new deep-sea SOB group. Microscopic observations suggest that Gsub is probably an extracellular symbiont. Gsub has complete sulfide oxidation and carbon fixation pathways, suggesting a chemoautotrophic lifestyle. Comparative genomics with other sponge-associated SOB and free-living SOB revealed significant genome reduction in Gsub, characterized by the loss of genes for carbohydrate metabolism, motility, DNA repair, and osmotic stress response. Intriguingly, this scenario of genome reduction is highly similar to those of the endosymbionts in deep-sea clams. However, Gsub has retained genes for phage defense and protein secretion, with the latter potentially playing a role in interactions with the sponge host. In addition, we recovered the genome of an ammonia-oxidizing archaeon (AOA), which may carry out ammonia oxidation and carbon fixation within the sponge body. IMPORTANCE Sponges and their symbionts are important players in the biogeochemical cycles of marine environments. As a unique habitat within marine ecosystems, cold seeps have received considerable interest in recent years. This study explores the lifestyle of a new symbiotic SOB in a cold seep sponge. The results demonstrate that both this sponge symbiont and endosymbionts in deep-sea clams employ similar strategies of genome reduction. However, this bacterium has retained unique functions for immunity and defense. Thus, the functional features are determined by both the symbiotic relationship and host type. Moreover, analyses of the genome of an AOA suggest that microbes play different roles in biochemical cycles in the sponge body. Our findings provide new insights into invertebrate-associated bacteria in cold seep environments.

Suberites domuncula is a marine demosponge harbouring a large bacterioflora, including commensal, opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria, among which, species of the Gram-negative genus Pseudoalteromonas were identified. The sponge-bacteria interaction mechanisms are still not fully understood. As the main component of the Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) may play a role in such a crucial relationship. Moreover, the LPS is known to be the most versatile bioactive macromolecule of Gram-negative bacteria and its lipid A structure is responsible for the immunological activity of the whole LPS on eukaryotic host cells. Here it is reported the structural characterisation of the LPS lipid A moiety isolated from the S. domuncula-associated commensal bacterium, Pseudoalteromonas sp. 2A. Chemical and MALDI mass spectrometry analyses, performed on both the LPS and the isolated lipid A as well as on the intact bacterial cells, highlighted a complex family of penta-acylated lipid A species carrying two phosphate units on the disaccharide backbone.

Tubulin polymerization promoting proteins (TPPPs) constitute a eukaryotic protein family. There are three TPPP paralogs in the human genome, denoted as TPPP1–TPPP3. TPPP1 and TPPP3 are intrinsically unstructured proteins (IUPs) that bind and polymerize tubulin and stabilize microtubules, but TPPP2 does not. Vertebrate TPPPs originated from the ancient invertebrate TPPP by two-round whole- genome duplication ; thus, whether the tubulin/microtubule binding function of TPPP1 and TPPP3 is a newly acquired property or was present in the invertebrate orthologs (generally one TPPP per species) has been an open question. To answer this question, we investigated a TPPP from a simple and early branching animal, the sponge Suberites domuncula. Bioinformatics, biochemical, immunochemical, spectroscopic, and electron microscopic data showed that the properties of the sponge protein correspond to those of TPPP1 ; namely, it is an IUP that strongly binds tubulin and induces its polymerization, proving that these features of animal TPPPs have been evolutionarily conserved.

To be effective sentinels, organisms must be able to be readily translocated to contamination hotspots. The authors sought to assess metal accumulation in genetically identical explants of a relatively common estuarine sponge, Suberites cf. diversicolor. Explants were transplanted to 7 locations across a metal contamination gradient in a large coastal estuary in southeastern Australia to establish, first, that explants of this species could be successfully translocated; second, that explants accumulated metals (cadmium, copper, lead, selenium, and zinc) sufficiently rapidly to be effective sentinels; third, that rates of metal accumulation in explants were in agreement with metal concentrations within sediments (

Iron, as inorganic ion or as oxide, is widely used by biological systems in a myriad of biological functions (e.g., enzymatic, gene activation and/or regulation). In particular, marine organisms containing silica structures—diatoms and sponges—grow preferentially in the presence of iron. Using primary sponge cell culture from S. domuncula–primmorphs—as an in vitro model to study the Demospongiae spiculogenesis, we found the presence of agglomerates 50 nm in diameter exclusively inside sponge specialized cells called sclerocytes. A clear phase/material separation is observed between the agglomerates and the initial stages of intracellular spicule formation. STEM-HRTEM-EDX analysis of the agglomerates (30–100 nm) showed that they are composed of pseudohexagonal nanoparticles between 5 and 15 nm in size, displaying lattice parameters corresponding to hematite (Fe2O3) and mixed iron oxide phases typically attributed to ferritin. Further analysis, using western blotting, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), sequence alignment analysis, immunostaining and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), of mature spicule filaments confirm the presence of ferritin within these organic structures. We suggest that S. domuncula can be classified as a dual biomineralizating organism, i.e., within the same cellular structure two distinct biomineralizing processes can occur as a result of the same cellular/metabolic function, spiculogenesis.

Ca-phosphate/hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals constitute the mineral matrix of vertebrate bones, while Ca-carbonate is the predominant mineral of many invertebrates, like mollusks. Recent results suggest that CaCO3 is also synthesized during early bone formation. We demonstrate that carbonic anhydrase-driven CaCO3 formation in vitro is activated by organic extracts from the demosponge Suberites domuncula as well as by quinolinic acid, one component isolated from these extracts. Further results revealed that the stimulatory effect of bicarbonate (HCO3 −) ions on mineralization of osteoblast-like SaOS-2 cells is strongly enhanced if the cells are exposed to inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), a linear polymer of phosphate linked by energy-rich phosphodiester bonds. The effect of polyP, administered as polyP (Ca2+ salt), on HA formation was found to be amplified by addition of the carbonic anhydrase-activating sponge extract or quinolinic acid. Our results support the assumption that CaCO3 deposits, acting as bio-seeds for Ca-carbonated phosphate formation, are formed as an intermediate during HA mineralization and that the carbonic anhydrase-mediated formation of those deposits is under a positive–negative feedback control by bone alkaline phosphatase-dependent polyP metabolism, offering new targets for therapy of bone diseases/defects.

Background The distinguished property of the siliceous sponge spicules is their enzyme (silicatein)-catalyzed biosilica formation. The enzymatically formed, non-structured biosilica product undergoes a molding, syneresis, and hardening process to form the species-specifically shaped, hard structured skeletal spicules. Besides of silicatein, a silicatein-associated protein, silintaphin-2, is assumed to be involved in the process of biosilica formation in vivo. Methods Biosilica has been synthesized enzymatically and determined quantitatively. In addition, the subsequent hardening/aging steps have been followed by spectroscopic and electron microscopic analyses. Results The young spicules, newly formed in sponge cell aggregates, comprise high concentrations of sodium (~ 1 w/w %) and potassium (0.3%). During aging the two alkali metals are removed from the spicules by 80%. In parallel, water is withdrawn from the biosilica deposits. A protein, the silicatein-α interactor silintaphin-2, comprises clusters rich in the anionic amino acids aspartic acid [D] and glutamic acid [E]. The very acidic peptide was found to significantly enhance silica polymerization. This peptide also caused a strong aggregation of silicatein/biosilica particles. Conclusions The observations are explained by sodium ion removal from the initially formed biosilica deposits to the acidic amino acids in silintaphin-2. The crucial amino acids facilitating/forcing the silicatein-mediated biosilica reaction are D and E. General significance The data presented here provide a reaction mechanism that at neutral pH the extent of biosilica formation can be strongly intensified by the removal of cations. The results contribute to an understanding of the structuring process taking place during the formation of the solid spicule rods.

Marine lakes are unique ecosystems that contain isolated populations of marine organisms. Isolated from the surrounding marine habitat, many lakes house numerous endemic species. In this study, microbial communities of sponges inhabiting these lakes were investigated for the first time using barcoded pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Our main goals were to compare the bacterial richness and composition of two sponge species (Suberites diversicolor and Cinachyrella australiensis) inhabiting both marine lakes and adjacent open coastal systems. Host species and habitat explained almost 59% of the variation in bacterial composition. There was a significant difference in composition between both host species. Within S. diversicolor, there was little discernible difference between bacterial communities inside and outside lakes. The bacterial community of this species was, furthermore, dominated (63% of all sequences) by three very closely related alphaproteobacterial taxa identified as belonging to the recently described order Kiloniellales. Cinachyrella australiensis, in contrast, hosted markedly different bacterial communities inside and outside lakes with very few shared abundant taxa. Cinachyrella australiensis in open habitat only shared 9.4% of OTUs with C. australiensis in lake habitat. Bacteria were thus both highly species specific and, in the case of C. australiensis, habitat specific. Research was funded by Project LESS CORAL – FCOMP01-0124-FEDER013994, refª PTDC/AAC-AMB/115304/ 2009, Project PEst-C/MAR/LA0017/2011, cofunded by both the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and COMPETE (POFC) and The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (ALW #817.01.008, Rubicon #825.12.007). The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (PPO-LIPI) and the Indonesian State Ministry of Research and Technology (RISTEK) provided the research permits in Indonesia. published

The skeletal system of Demospongiae consists of siliceous spicules, which are composed of an axial channel containing an organic axial filament (AF) surrounded by a compact layer of hydrated amorphous silica. Here we report the ultrastructural investigations of the AF of siliceous spicules from two Demospongiae: Suberites domuncula and Tethya aurantium . Electron microscopy, electron diffraction and elemental mapping analyses on both longitudinal and transversal cross-sections yield that spicules’s AF consist of a three-dimensional crystal lattice of six-fold symmetry. Its structure, which is the result of a biological growth process, is a crystalline assembly characterized by a lattice of organic cages (periodicity in the range of 6 nm) filled with enzymatically-produced silica. In general, the six-fold lattice symmetry is reflected by the morphology of the AF, which is characterized by six-fold facets. This seems to be the result of a lattice energy minimization process similar to the situation found during the growth of inorganic crystals. Our structural exploitation of three-dimensional organic lattices generated by biological systems is expected to contribute for explaining the relation between axial filament’s ultrastructure and spicule’s ultimate morphology.

The major structural and enzymatically active protein in spicules from siliceous sponges, e.g., for Suberites domuncula studied here, is silicatein. Silicatein has been established to be the key enzyme that catalyzes the formation of biosilica, a polymer that represents the inorganic scaffold for the spicule. In the present study, it is shown, by application of high-resolution transmission and scanning transmission electron microscopy that, during the initial phase of spicule synthesis, nanofibrils with a diameter of around 10 nm are formed that comprise bundles of between 10 and 20 nanofibrils. In intracellular vacuoles, silicasomes, the nanofibrils form polar structures with a pointed tip and a blunt end. In a time-dependent manner, these nanofibrillar bundles become embedded into a Si-rich matrix, indicative for the formation of biosilica via silicatein molecules that form the nanofibrils. These biosilicified nanofibrillar bundles become extruded from the intracellular space, where they are located in the silicasomes, to the extracellular environment by an evagination process, during which a cellular protrusion forms the axial canal in the growing spicule. The nanofibrillar bundles condense and progressively form the axial filament that becomes localized in the extracellular space. It is concluded that the silicatein-composing nanofibrils act not only as enzymatic silica bio-condensing platforms but also as a structure-giving guidance for the growing spicule.

The structures of seven new secondary metabolites isolated from an Okinawan marine sponge Suberites sp., nakijinamines A (1), B (2), and F–I (3–6) and 6-bromoconicamin (7), have been elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, chemical conversion, and conformational analysis. These analyses disclosed that 1–6 were heteroaromatic alkaloids having the hybrid structures of an aaptamine-type alkaloid and an indole alkaloid, while 7 was a bromoindole alkaloid. Nakijinamine I (6) is the first example of an aaptamine-type alkaloid possessing a 1,4-dioxane ring. Antimicrobial activities of 1–7 were evaluated.