Project description:Ephydatia muelleri is a cosmopolitan freshwater demosponge, with potential to become a model system. We have participated in a large collaborative project to sequence the genome (PRJNA579531), methylome, transcriptome for this species, aiming to better understand the biology of this sponge species. In terms of DNA methylation, it presents relatively low methylation levels compared to the methylomes of other sponges (A. queenslandica and S. ciliatum), suggesting quite a lot of varation within the sponge phylum.
Project description:Sponges (Porifera) are early-branching Metazoa who do not posess muscles or neurons, however are able to undergo a whole-body movement that involves the closure of their canal system and collapse of an epithelial tent. In this study we profile proteomic responses of the freshwater sponge Spongilla lacustris during agitation induced movements to elucidate the early evolution of coordination. Results from Thermal Proteome Profiling (TPP) experiments of agitated sponges suggest active secretion during the movement. Here, we use tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling-based quantification of proteins in the medium to systematically measure quantitative differences of secretion before and after agitation induced movement. In total, 146 proteins were detected in the medium, 47 of which were significantly upregulated during the movement.
Project description:Sponges (Porifera) are early-branching Metazoa who do not possess muscles or neurons, however are able to undergo a whole-body movement that involves the closure of their canal system and collapse of an epithelial tent. In this study we profile the proteomic responses of the freshwater sponge Spongilla lacustris during nitric oxide (NO) and agitation induced movements to elucidate the early evolution of coordination in animals. Specifically, we used tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling-based quantification of enriched phosphopeptides to systematically measure quantitative differences in protein phosphorylation. We identified and quantified 12165 unique phosphopeptides in the sponge. NO treatment resulted in quantitative changes of phosphorylation levels on 390 unique phosphopeptides mapping to 270 unique proteins. In turn, agitation led to quantitative changes of phosphorylation levels on 303 unique phosphopeptides (229 proteins).
Project description:In the seabed, chemical defences mediate inter- and intraspecific interactions and may determine organisms’ success, shaping the diversity and function of benthic communities. Sponges represent a prominent example of chemically-defended marine organisms with great ecological success. The ecological factors controlling the production of their defensive compounds and the evolutionary forces that select for these defences remain little understood. Each sponge species produces a specific and diverse chemical arsenal with fish-deterrent, antifouling and antimicrobial properties. However, some small animals (mesograzers), mainly sea slugs, have specialized in living and feeding on sponges. Feeding on chemically-defended organisms provides a strategy to avoid predators, albeit the poor nutritional value of sponges. In order to investigate the mechanisms that control sponge chemical defence, with particular focus on the response to specialist grazers, we investigated the interaction between the sponge Aplysina aerophoba and the sea slug Tylodina perversa. Here we performed controlled experiments and collected sponge samples at different time points (3h, 1d and 6d after treatment). To further elucidate if the sponge response is specific to grazing by T. perversa, we also included a treatment in which sponges were mechanically damaged with a scalpel. We compared gene expression between treatments based on RNA-Seq data.
Project description:Sponges (Porifera) are early-branching Metazoa who do not possess muscles or neurons, however are able to undergo a whole-body movement that involves the closure of their canal system and collapse of an epithelial tent. In this study we profile proteomic responses of the freshwater sponge Spongilla lacustris during nitric oxide (NO) and agitation induced movements to elucidate the early evolution of coordination. Specifically, we measure condition-dependent changes in protein thermal stability and abundance using Thermal proteome profiling (TPP). These changes are the result of proteins undergoing stabilizing or destabilizing conformational changes broadly caused by e.g. the binding or dissociation of small molecules to the proteins, the formation or loss of protein-protein interactions or a change in post-translational modifications.
Project description:Tropical lagoon-inhabiting organisms live in highly irradiated ecosystems and are particularly susceptible to thermal stress resulting from climate change. However, despite living close to their thermal maxima, stress response mechanisms found in these organisms are poorly understood. We used a novel physiological-proteomic approach for sponges to describe the stress response mechanisms of the lagoon-inhabiting sponge Amphimedon navalis, when exposed to elevated seawater temperatures of +2 oC and +4 oC relative to a 26 oC ambient temperature for four weeks. After four weeks of thermal exposure, the buoyant weight of the sponge experienced a significant decline, while its pumping rates and oxygen consumption rates significantly increased. Proteome dynamics revealed 50 differentially abundant proteins in sponges exposed to elevated temperature, suggesting that shifts in the sponge proteome were potential drivers of physiological dysfunction. Thermal stress promoted an increase in detoxification proteins, such as catalase and glutathione-S-transferase, suggesting that an excess of reactive oxygen species in sponge cells were likely responsible for the significant increase in oxygen consumption. Elevated temperature also disrupted cellular growth and cell proliferation, promoting the loss of sponge biomass, and the high abundance of multiple alpha-tubulin chain proteins also indicated an increase in cytoskeletal activities within sponge cells, which may have induced the increase in sponge pumping rate. Our results show that sustained thermal exposure in susceptible lagoonal sponges may induce significant disruption of cellular homeostasis leading to physiological dysfunction, and that a combined physiological-proteomic approach may provide new insights into physiological functions and cellular processes occurring in sponges.
Project description:In order to compare sponge and eumetazoan (higher animal) body plans, we identified and studied expression of a broad range of eumetazoan developmental regulatory genes in Sycon ciliatum (Calcispongiae). In this species, embryonic development is semi-synchronous within a population, synchronous within individuals, and oocytes and embryos occupy a significant fraction of the volume of the sponges during the reproductive period. RNASeq libraries representing non-reproductive (somatic) tissue slices along the body axis, as well as oocytes, embryos and free swimming larvae were generated from material obtained by sampling throughout the life cycle.
Project description:This work reveals the deeply conserved gene repertoire of animal stem cells, from sponges to mammals. mRNA profiles totipotent stem cells (archeocytes), choanocytes, other differentiated cell types in a freshwater sponge and were mapped on the reference transcriptome generated in the same study
Project description:In order to compare sponge and eumetazoan (higher animal) body plans, we identified and studied expression of a broad range of eumetazoan developmental regulatory genes in Sycon ciliatum (Calcispongiae). In this species, embryonic development is semi-synchronous within a population, synchronous within individuals, and oocytes and embryos occupy a significant fraction of the volume of the sponges during the reproductive period. RNASeq libraries representing non-reproductive (somatic) tissue slices along the body axis, as well as oocytes, embryos and free swimming larvae were generated from material obtained by sampling throughout the life cycle.
Project description:This dataset contains several sponge-derived bacteria, along with data from the sponges to enable the assignation of the biosynthetic source of detected metabolite features. Media controls and solvent blanks are also included. Please see metadata for the bacterial source sponge.