Search results for "Porifera"
showing 10 items of 196 documents
Microparticles derived from marine sponge collagen (SCMPs): preparation, characterization and suitability for dermal delivery of all-trans retinol.
2002
Abstract Collagen microparticles were prepared using marine sponge collagen. For this purpose a previous method by Rossler et al. (J. Microencapsul. 12 (1995) 49) of emulsification and cross-linking of native calf collagen was modified. The modified method for sponge collagen microparticles (SCMPs) achieved a yield of 10%. Scanning electromicroscopic photographs showed spherical particles with a diameter of 120–300 nm and photon correlation spectroscopic measurements indicated particle size range from 126 (±2.9) to 2179 (±342) nm. This broad size distribution was caused by some agglomerates that could not be destroyed by ultrasonication. The surface charge was measured as a function of pH. …
The Marine Sponge-Derived Inorganic Polymers, Biosilica and Polyphosphate, as Morphogenetically Active Matrices/Scaffolds for the Differentiation of …
2014
The two marine inorganic polymers, biosilica (BS), enzymatically synthesized from ortho-silicate, and polyphosphate (polyP), a likewise enzymatically synthesized polymer consisting of 10 to >100 phosphate residues linked by high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds, have previously been shown to display a morphogenetic effect on osteoblasts. In the present study, the effect of these polymers on the differential differentiation of human multipotent stromal cells (hMSC), mesenchymal stem cells, that had been encapsulated into beads of the biocompatible plant polymer alginate, was studied. The differentiation of the hMSCs in the alginate beads was directed either to the osteogenic cell lineage by …
Molecular evolution of the metazoan protein kinase C multigene family
1996
Protein kinases C (PKCs) comprise closely related Ser/Thr kinases, ubiquitously present in animal tissues ; they respond to second messengers, e.g., Ca2+ and/or diacylglycerol, to express their activities. Two PKCs have been sequenced from Geodia cydonium, a member of the lowest multicellular animals, the sponges (Porifera). One sponge G. cydonium PKC, GCPKC1, belongs to the ''novel'' (Ca2+-independent) PKC (nPKC) subfamily while the second one, GCPKC2, has the hall-marks of the ''conventional'' (Ca2+-dependent) PKC (cPKC) subfamily. The alignment of the Ser/Thr catalytic kinase domains, of the predicted aa sequences for these cDNAs with respective segments from previously reported sequence…
Superparamagnetic γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles with tailored functionality for protein separation
2007
Polymer coated superparamagnetic gamma-Fe(2)O(3) nanoparticles were derivatized with a synthetic double-stranded RNA [poly(IC)], a known allosteric activator of the latent (2-5)A synthetase, to separate a single 35 kDa protein from a crude extract which cross reacted with antibodies raised against the sponge enzyme.
Promoter and exon–intron structure of the protein kinase C gene from the marine sponge Geodia cydonium: evolutionary considerations and promoter acti…
1999
Abstract We report the gene structure of a key signaling molecule from a marine sponge, Geodia cydonium. The selected gene, which codes for a classical protein kinase C (cPKC), comprises 13 exons and 12 introns; the introns are, in contrast to those found in cPKC from higher Metazoa, small in size ranging from 93 nt to 359 nt. The complete gene has a length of 4229 nt and contains exons which encode the characteristic putative regulatory and catalytic domains of metazoan cPKCs. While in the regulatory domain only one intron is in phase 0, in the catalytic domain most introns are phase 0 introns, suggesting that the latter only rarely undergo module duplication. The 5′-flanking sequence of t…
A homolog of the putative tumor suppressor QM in the sponge Suberites domuncula: downregulation during the transition from immortal to mortal (apopto…
1999
Abstract The activation of components of the transcription factors such as AP-1 or c-jun is essential for a physiological response of metazoan cells during aging. The activity of such proto-oncoproteins is under enzymatic control. The function of c-jun is additionally modulated by the QM protein. Here, we studied the expression of the gene, encoding the QM-like protein in the sponge Suberites domuncula . These animals contain high levels of telomerase in their somatic cells. To understand the switch from telomerase-positive immortal cells to telomerase-negative mortal cells which undergo apoptosis, the expression of the QM-like gene was measured in this system. The cDNA, termed QMSD , encod…
Species-specific aggregation factor in sponges V. Influence on programmed syntheses
1976
Isolated cells from the siliceous sponge Geodia cydonium as well as small primary aggregates (diameter: 70 mum) consisting of them show no increase in rates of programmed syntheses and mitotic activity with time. After addition of a highly purified aggregation factor to a culture with primary aggregates which subsequently form secondary aggregates (diameter: larger than 1000 mum), a dramatic increase of DNA, RNA and protein synthesis occurs. Together with this increase, the cells show a high mitotic activity. The values for the mitotic coefficient reach a first maximum 8 h after the beginning of the secondary aggregation process. The stimulation of the mitotic activity of cells during the a…
Metazoan Circadian Rhythm: Toward an Understanding of a Light-Based Zeitgeber in Sponges
2013
In all eukaryotes, the 24-h periodicity in the environment contributed to the evolution of the molecular circadian clock. We studied some elements of a postulated circadian clock circuit in the lowest metazoans, the siliceous sponges. First, we identified in the demosponge Suberites domuncula the enzyme luciferase that generates photons. Then (most likely), the photons generated by luciferase are transmitted via the biosilica glass skeleton of the sponges and are finally harvested by cryptochrome in the same individual; hence, cryptochrome is acting as a photosensor. This information-transduction system, generation of light (luciferase), photon transmission (through the siliceous spicules),…
Ethylene modulates gene expression in cells of the marine sponge Suberites domuncula and reduces the degree of apoptosis.
1999
Sponges (phylum Porifera) live in an aqueous milieu that contains dissolved organic carbon. This is degraded photochemically by ultraviolet radiation to alkenes, particularly to ethylene. This study demonstrates that sponge cells (here the demosponge Suberites domuncula has been used), which have assembled to primmorphs, react to 5 microM ethylene with a significant up-regulation of intracellular Ca(2+) concentration and with a reduction of starvation-induced apoptosis. In primmorphs from S. domuncula the expression of two genes is up-regulated after exposure to ethylene. The cDNA of the first gene (SDERR) isolated from S. domuncula encodes a potential ethylene-responsive protein, termed ER…
Arthrinins A–D: Novel diterpenoids and further constituents from the sponge derived fungus Arthrinium sp.
2011
Bioassay-guided fractionation of a methanolic extract of the fungus Arthrinium sp., isolated from the Mediterranean sponge Geodia cydonium, afforded 10 natural products including five new diterpenoids, arthrinins A-D (1-4) and myrocin D (5). In addition, five known compounds were obtained, which included myrocin A (6), norlichexanthone (7), anomalin A (8), decarboxycitrinone (9) and 2,5-dimethyl-7-hydroxychromone (10). The structures of all isolated compounds were unambiguously elucidated based on extensive 1D and 2D NMR and HR-MS analyzes. The absolute configuration of arthrinins A-D (1-4) was established by the convenient Mosher method performed in NMR tubes and by interpretation of the R…