Exploring the links between natural products and bacterial assemblages in the sponge Aplysina aerophoba.

ABSTRACT: The sponge Aplysina aerophoba produces a large diversity of brominated alkaloids (BAs) and hosts a complex microbial assemblage. Although BAs are located within sponge cells, the enzymes that bind halogen elements to organic compounds have been exclusively described in algae, fungi, and bacteria. Bacterial communities within A. aerophoba could therefore be involved in the biosynthesis of these compounds. This study investigates whether changes in both the concentration of BAs and the bacterial assemblages are correlated in A. aerophoba. To do so, we quantified major natural products using high-performance liquid chromatography and analyzed bacterial assemblages using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis on the 16S rRNA gene. We identified multiple associations between bacteria and natur

SUBMITTER: Sacristan-Soriano O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3028720 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature