Marine Sponges and Natural Products

Temperature-induced shift in the rare microbiota of the sponge Haliclona

This study examines how ocean warming affects the microbiome of the sponge Haliclona sp., finding significant shifts in rare microbiota composition and potential acclimation through microbial symbionts.

Ocean depth modifies host-microbiome ecology and evolution

This study shows that ocean depth influences host-microbiome relationships, revealing different eco-evolutionary patterns in deep and shallow waters.

Deep-sea siliceous sponges harbor distinct and functionally diverse microbiomes

This study investigates the microbiomes of deep-sea siliceous sponges using shotgun metagenomics, revealing host phylogeny's influence on microbial community structure and metabolic capabilities.

Pseudocryptic diversity within the Phakellia robusta species complex: description of Phakellia pallida sp. nov. and Phakellia pusilla sp. nov.

This study describes two new species within the Phakellia robusta species complex using morphological and molecular data, revealing pseudocryptic diversity and suggesting reassessment of previous species distributions.

Genetic and Morphological Insights Reveal the Hidden and Colorful Diversity in Oscarella Sponges

The paper identifies four new Oscarella sponge species using genetic and morphological data, highlighting methodological limitations in current taxonomic approaches.

Symbiont biosynthetic output tracks host developmental stage in a marine sponge holobiont

The paper tracks how symbiont biosynthetic output aligns with host developmental stages in a marine sponge holobiont, showing transcriptional changes in symbionts correlate with host metabolic needs.

Novel "Candidatus Endobugula" hosts and distinct microbiomes in the bryozoans from the White Sea

The paper identifies new hosts for the gammaproteobacterial genus 'Candidatus Endobugula' and describes distinct microbial communities in three marine bryozoan species.

A partner-resolved marine sponge hologenome reveals that three bacterial symbionts disproportionately expand holobiont metabolism via enriched membrane transporter repertoires

The paper analyzes the hologenome of a marine sponge and its three symbionts, revealing that these symbionts disproportionately expand holobiont metabolism through enriched membrane transporter genes.

Elucidating biosynthetic pathways related to the synthesis of small halogenated peptidic natural products in marine sponge microbiomes

The paper identifies novel biosynthetic gene clusters in marine sponge microbiomes associated with brominated alkaloids.

The sponge Hymeniacidon perlevis is introduced and widespread in the Western Atlantic

The paper clarifies the taxonomy and biogeography of the marine sponge Hymeniacidon perlevis by comparing morphology and genetics across regions, revealing H. heliophila as a junior synonym and suggesting a European origin with introductions elsewhere.

Two Amazon freshwater sponges, Drulia brownii and Tubella paulula, share a resilient microbiome strongly shaped by seasonality and urbanization

This study characterizes the microbiomes of two Amazonian freshwater sponges, showing seasonality and urbanization shape their microbial communities.

The discovery of an external bacterial niche reconciles sequencing-based microbiomes in a freshwater sponge

This paper uses confocal imaging to show that freshwater sponge-associated bacteria reside in an external host-secreted matrix rather than the mesohyl, challenging previous sequencing-based conclusions about sponge microbiomes.

Systematic revision of the family Tetillidae (Porifera: Demospongiae) in the temperate Northeast Pacific

This study revises the sponge family Tetillidae in the Northeast Pacific, identifying new species and uncovering diversity and potential introduction events.

Systematic revision of the suborder Astrophorina (Porifera: Demospongiae) in the temperate Northeast Pacific

This study revises the suborder Astrophorina in the Northeast Pacific, reducing species counts, validating Geodia species, describing new species, and using molecular data to improve taxonomy and biogeography understanding.

Distinct taxonomic groups of sponge symbionts have the biosynthetic capacity for the production of ether lipids

This study identifies distinct taxonomic groups of sponge symbionts with biosynthetic capacity for ether lipid production, supported by metagenomic analysis and lipidome confirmation.

Annual community patterns in the Halichondria panicea sponge microbiome are characterized by seasonal switching between sponge-specific marine bacteria

This study examines seasonal changes in the microbiome of the marine sponge Halichondria panicea over 16 months, revealing stable host-specific communities despite environmental fluctuations.

A metagenomic exploration of the bacterial community composition of two deep-sea Pheronema carpenteri sponge aggregations from the North Atlantic; insights into ecosystem services

This study analyzes the bacterial communities of deep-sea Hexactinellid sponges using metagenomics to explore their microbiome composition and potential ecosystem services.

Barcoding-inferred biodiversity of shallow-water Indo-Pacific demosponges

This study uses DNA barcoding data to analyze shallow-water demosponge biodiversity in the Indo-Pacific, revealing patterns of connectivity, endemism, and distribution with higher resolution than previous morphology-based studies.

MALDI-FISH for co-localization of brominated metabolites and Pseudovibrio spp. in Aplysina tissue

The paper uses MALDI-FISH to co-localize brominated metabolites and Pseudovibrio spp. in sponge tissue, suggesting both sponge and microbe may be required for metabolite production.

Siderophore identification in microorganisms associated with marine sponges by LC-HRMS and a data analytic approach in R.

The paper identifies siderophores in marine sponge microbiomes using LC-HRMS and an R-based analytical workflow, confirming 41 potential siderophores.

Ecological Filtering is a Better Predictor of Microbiome Assembly than Coevolution in Marine Sponges

The paper shows ecological filtering, not coevolution, better predicts microbiome composition in marine sponges, using phylogenetic and trait-based analyses.

Host senescence and urbanized conditions drive bacterial communities of the freshwater sponge Spongilla lacustris

The paper examines how host senescence and urbanized environmental conditions shape the bacterial microbiome of the freshwater sponge Spongilla lacustris.

Early transcription factor activation distinguishes symbiotic from non-symbiotic bacteria during microbiome processing in a sponge

This study identifies early transcription factor activation as a regulatory checkpoint distinguishing symbiotic from non-symbiotic bacteria in sponges.

Taxonomically different symbiotic communities of sympatric Arctic sponge species show functional similarity with specialization at species level

The paper analyzes microbiomes of three sympatric Arctic sponge species, finding functional convergence and specialization within their symbiotic communities, with shifts linked to temperature changes.

A common garden of Halichondria sponges: taxonomic revision of Northeast Pacific Halichondriidae reveals many cryptic introduced species

The paper revises the taxonomy of Halichondria sponges in the Northeast Pacific, revealing many cryptic introduced species through DNA variation analysis.

Branched-chain amino acid assimilation promotes mixotrophy of ammonia-oxidizing archaeal sponge symbionts

This study shows sponge-associated ammonia-oxidizing archaea use branched-chain amino acids as a carbon and nitrogen source, revealing a mixotrophic lifestyle and a new nutritional interaction in sponge holobionts.

Characterization and Bioactivity Potential of Marine Sponges (Biemna fistulosa, Callyspongia diffusa, and Haliclona fascigera) from Kenyan Coastal Waters

This study characterizes three marine sponge species and evaluates their extracts for antimicrobial activity against human pathogens, identifying bioactive compounds with potential for drug development.

Combining 13C, 15N, and 2H to measure feeding and metabolic activity in marine, shallow-water sponges - A pilot study

This study measures feeding and metabolic activity in marine sponges using stable isotopes and finds that sponges incorporate 13C, 15N, and 2H into their tissue and PLFAs, with 2H uptake indicating metabolic activity.

Hidden in Plain Sight: A Novel Symbiotic Haplosclerid Sponge Species Revealed by its Mitochondrial Genome

The paper discovers a new symbiotic sponge species through mitochondrial genome analysis and phylogenetic studies, revealing a new clade within Haplosclerida.

Adaptive strategies of Caribbean sponge holobionts beyond the mesophotic zone

This study investigates adaptive strategies of Caribbean sponge holobionts across depth zones using multi-omics analyses, revealing distinct metabolic and microbial adaptations.