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Diversity
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Diversity of Marine Invertebrate and Seaweed Symbiotic Bacteria
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Diversity of Marine Invertebrate and Seaweed Symbiotic Bacteria

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbial Diversity and Culture Collections".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2018) | Viewed by 53576

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ipek Kurtboke

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD 4558, Australia
Interests: microbial ecology and diversity; microbial systematics; biodiscovery; microbial biotechnology applied; environmental and industrial microbiology; marine microbiology; biological control; actinomycetology; bacteriophages
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The diverse range of marine bioactive compounds, especially those from marine-symbiotic bacteria, has been utilized for variety of industrial and environmental applications. However, to maximize the stream of bioactive compounds from these symbiotic bacteria, sound understanding on the taxonomical and functional diversity of these symbionts has to be increased. Correlating such understanding with the rationale of symbiont-aided host bioactive metabolite production can then improve prospects of generating drug leads from sponge sources. The composition of host-associated microflora is naturally influenced by environmental factors present at the geographical location; however, thus far, in-depth information on the environmental conditions and stress factors surrounding the host, which define this specific interaction, has been limited. To provide reliable information on the true symbiotic associations, many factors, such as the current directions, continental overflows, presence or absence of pollutants, as well as the characteristics of the sediments or reefs at the sponge sampling sites, have to be known. All these factors can define the response of host sponges to such surrounding factors and their selective acquisition of the microflora during the filter feeding activity. In the absence of such knowledge determination of the existence of the true symbiotic associations between the host and the microorganisms render difficult. This Special Issue, entitled “Diversity of Marine Invertebrate and Seaweed Symbiotic Bacteria”, is designed to generate such information, to improve the understanding on the existence of true symbiotic relationships between the host and symbiotic bacteria, which, in turn, will aid towards utilization of such bacteria for biodiscovery and biotechnology.

Dr. Ipek Kurtboke
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Marine microbial diversity
  • Eco-functional diversity of marine symbiotic bacteria
  • Marine-symbiotic microbial metabolic diversity
  • Marine microbial ecosystems
  • Marine microbial systematics
  • Marine ecosystem mining for bioactive symbiotic bacteria
  • Marine environment and symbiosis
  • Marine pollution and symbiosis

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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4050 KiB  
Article
Taxonomic and Metabolite Diversity of Actinomycetes Associated with Three Australian Ascidians
by Larissa Buedenbender, Anthony R. Carroll, Merrick Ekins and D. İpek Kurtböke
Diversity 2017, 9(4), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/d9040053 - 20 Nov 2017
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 7515
Abstract
Actinomycetes are known to be the most prolific producers of biologically active metabolites. Here, we investigated the host species-specificity and the related secondary metabolites of actinomycetes that are associated with three different Australian ascidians, namely Symplegma rubra, Aplidium solidum, and Polyclinum [...] Read more.
Actinomycetes are known to be the most prolific producers of biologically active metabolites. Here, we investigated the host species-specificity and the related secondary metabolites of actinomycetes that are associated with three different Australian ascidians, namely Symplegma rubra, Aplidium solidum, and Polyclinum vasculosum. Results indicated that while isolates from the genera Streptomyces and Micromonospora were highly diverse in the ascidian samples, only two culturable actinomycete Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) overlapped between all of the ascidians, pointing to some degree of host species-specificity of the isolates and selective acquisition of microbial associates by the host from the surrounding environment. LC-MS/MS profiling of extracts obtained from the ascidians and their actinomycete associates revealed many overlapping ions between hosts and actinomycetes, indicating that these compounds were likely to be synthesised by the microbial associates. Laboratory cultures of the actinomycetes displayed even more diverse metabolomes than those of their ascidian hosts; thus, making ascidian-associated actinomycetes an excellent target for natural product drug discovery and biotechnology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Marine Invertebrate and Seaweed Symbiotic Bacteria)
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2572 KiB  
Article
Diversity and Bioactivity of Marine Bacteria Associated with the Sponges Candidaspongia flabellata and Rhopaloeides odorabile from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
by Candice M. Brinkmann, Philip S. Kearns, Elizabeth Evans-Illidge and D. İpek Kurtbӧke
Diversity 2017, 9(3), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/d9030039 - 18 Sep 2017
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6651
Abstract
Sponges and their associated microbial communities have sparked much interest in recent decades due on the abundant production of chemically diverse metabolites that in nature serve as functional compounds required by the marine sponge host. These compounds were found to carry therapeutic importance [...] Read more.
Sponges and their associated microbial communities have sparked much interest in recent decades due on the abundant production of chemically diverse metabolites that in nature serve as functional compounds required by the marine sponge host. These compounds were found to carry therapeutic importance for medicinal applications. In the presented study, 123 bacterial isolates from the culture collection of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) previously isolated from two different sponge species, namely Candidaspongia flabellata and Rhopaloeides odorabile, originating from different locations on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia, were thus studied for their bioactivity. The symbiotic bacterial isolates were first identified using 16S rRNA gene analysis and they were found to belong to five different dominating classes of Domain Bacteria, namely Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Flavobacteria, Bacilli and Actinobacteria. Following their taxonomical categorization, the isolates were screened for their antimicrobial activity against human pathogenic microbial reference strains: Escherichia coli (ATCC® BAA-196™), E. coli (ATCC® 13706™), E. coli (ATCC® 25922™), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC® BAA-1705™), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC® 51575™), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC® 19659™), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC® 29247™), Candida albicans (ATCC® 10231™) and Aspergillus niger (ATCC® 16888™). Over 50% of the isolates displayed antimicrobial activity against one or more of the reference strains tested. The subset of these bioactive bacterial isolates was further investigated to identify their biosynthetic genes such as polyketide synthase (PKS) type I and non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) genes. This was done using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with degenerate primers that have been previously used to amplify PKS-I and NRPS genes. These specific genes have been reported to be possibly involved in bacterial secondary metabolite production. In 47% of the bacterial isolates investigated, the PKS and NRPS genes were located. Some of the bacterial isolates were found to possess both gene types, which agrees with the previous reported biosynthetic ability of certain sponge-symbiotic bacteria such as the Actinobacteria or Gammaproteobacteria to produce secondary metabolites with antimicrobial activity. All these reported activities further confirm that sponge-symbiotic bacteria hold significant bioactivity with medicinal and biotechnological importance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Marine Invertebrate and Seaweed Symbiotic Bacteria)
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Review

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19 pages, 2047 KiB  
Review
Bacteria Associated with Marine Benthic Invertebrates from Polar Environments: Unexplored Frontiers for Biodiscovery?
by Angelina Lo Giudice and Carmen Rizzo
Diversity 2018, 10(3), 80; https://doi.org/10.3390/d10030080 - 2 Aug 2018
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 6652
Abstract
The ecological function of bacteria-invertebrate interactions in Polar areas remains poorly understood, despite increasing evidence that microbial metabolites may play pivotal roles in host-associated chemical defense and in shaping the symbiotic community structure. The metabolic and physiological changes that these organisms undergo in [...] Read more.
The ecological function of bacteria-invertebrate interactions in Polar areas remains poorly understood, despite increasing evidence that microbial metabolites may play pivotal roles in host-associated chemical defense and in shaping the symbiotic community structure. The metabolic and physiological changes that these organisms undergo in response to adapting to extreme conditions result in the production of structurally and functionally novel biologically active molecules. Deepening our knowledge on the interactions between bacteria and their invertebrate host would be highly helpful in providing the rationale for why (e.g., competition or cooperative purpose) and which (whether secondary metabolites, enzymes, or proteins) bioactive compounds are produced. To date, cold-adapted bacteria associated with marine invertebrates from the Arctic and Antarctica have not been given the attention they deserve and the versatility of their natural products remains virtually unexplored, even if they could represent a new attractive frontier in the search for novel natural compounds. This review is aimed at showcasing the diversity of cold-adapted bacteria associated with benthic invertebrates from Polar marine areas, highlighting the yet unexplored treasure they represent for biodiscovery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Marine Invertebrate and Seaweed Symbiotic Bacteria)
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36 pages, 1376 KiB  
Review
Marine Invertebrates: Underexplored Sources of Bacteria Producing Biologically Active Molecules
by Carmen Rizzo and Angelina Lo Giudice
Diversity 2018, 10(3), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/d10030052 - 27 Jun 2018
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 8270
Abstract
The marine bioprospecting could be considered as a new phenomenon, and already potentially more promising than terrestrial one in terms of possible discovery of new compounds. The secondary metabolites produced by associated-bacteria are actually studied for their remarkable role in several fields, including [...] Read more.
The marine bioprospecting could be considered as a new phenomenon, and already potentially more promising than terrestrial one in terms of possible discovery of new compounds. The secondary metabolites produced by associated-bacteria are actually studied for their remarkable role in several fields, including agricultural, industrial, medical, and bioremediation strategies against different contaminants. The use of such renewable sources could be helpful in the streamlining of the patenting process for natural compounds of good quality, produced with lower energy costs and less impact on the environment. Anyway, more improvements in the research and application of bioactive compounds as alternative to the synthetic counterparts have to be carried out for the costs reduction and the large-scale production upgrading. The use of marine invertebrates could help to overcome these difficulties, as hotspots of microbial diversity and favorable matrix for the development of conditions stimulating the production of substances with special activities. This review will deal with the current accepted definitions and recent advances concerning: (i) the marine symbiotic relationships in which microorganisms and invertebrates are involved; (ii) the principal taxa of marine invertebrates that establish interactions with microorganisms, the biodiversity of these latter, and their role in the symbiosis; (iii) we address the state of current literature and knowledge about the bacterial associated communities specialized in biosurfactants (BSs) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) production; and, (iv) their potential biotechnological applications reported still now. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Marine Invertebrate and Seaweed Symbiotic Bacteria)
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678 KiB  
Review
Symbiotic Microbes from Marine Invertebrates: Driving a New Era of Natural Product Drug Discovery
by Alix Blockley, David R. Elliott, Adam P. Roberts and Michael Sweet
Diversity 2017, 9(4), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/d9040049 - 28 Oct 2017
Cited by 44 | Viewed by 9598
Abstract
Invertebrates account for more than 89% of all extant organisms in the marine environment, represented by over 174,600 species (recorded to date). Such diversity is mirrored in (or more likely increased by) the microbial symbionts associated with this group and in the marine [...] Read more.
Invertebrates account for more than 89% of all extant organisms in the marine environment, represented by over 174,600 species (recorded to date). Such diversity is mirrored in (or more likely increased by) the microbial symbionts associated with this group and in the marine natural products (or MNPs) that they produce. Since the early 1950s over 20,000 MNPs have been discovered, including compounds produced by symbiotic bacteria, and the chemical diversity of compounds produced from marine sources has led to them being referred to as "blue gold" in the search for new drugs. For example, 80% of novel antibiotics stemming from the marine environment have come from Actinomycetes, many of which can be found associated with marine sponges, and compounds with anti-tumorigenic and anti-diabetic potential have also been isolated from marine symbionts. In fact, it has been estimated that marine sources formed the basis of over 50% of FDA-approved drugs between 1981 and 2002. In this review, we explore the diversity of marine microbial symbionts by examining their use as the producers of novel pharmaceutical actives, together with a discussion of the opportunities and constraints offered by “blue gold” drug discovery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Marine Invertebrate and Seaweed Symbiotic Bacteria)
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2025 KiB  
Review
An Overview on Marine Sponge-Symbiotic Bacteria as Unexhausted Sources for Natural Product Discovery
by Candice M. Brinkmann, Amberlee Marker and D. İpek Kurtböke
Diversity 2017, 9(4), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/d9040040 - 21 Sep 2017
Cited by 87 | Viewed by 12997
Abstract
Microbial symbiotic communities of marine macro-organisms carry functional metabolic profiles different to the ones found terrestrially and within surrounding marine environments. These symbiotic bacteria have increasingly been a focus of microbiologists working in marine environments due to a wide array of reported bioactive [...] Read more.
Microbial symbiotic communities of marine macro-organisms carry functional metabolic profiles different to the ones found terrestrially and within surrounding marine environments. These symbiotic bacteria have increasingly been a focus of microbiologists working in marine environments due to a wide array of reported bioactive compounds of therapeutic importance resulting in various patent registrations. Revelations of symbiont-directed host specific functions and the true nature of host-symbiont interactions, combined with metagenomic advances detecting functional gene clusters, will inevitably open new avenues for identification and discovery of novel bioactive compounds of biotechnological value from marine resources. This review article provides an overview on bioactive marine symbiotic organisms with specific emphasis placed on the sponge-associated ones and invites the international scientific community to contribute towards establishment of in-depth information of the environmental parameters defining selection and acquisition of true symbionts by the host organisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Marine Invertebrate and Seaweed Symbiotic Bacteria)
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