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AME 49:157-163 (2007)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/ame01134

Bacteria with antimicrobial properties isolated from the Mediterranean sponges Chondrilla nucula and Petrosia ficiformis

Elisabetta Chelossi1,*, Raffaella Pantile2, Roberto Pronzato2, Martina Milanese2, Ute Hentschel3

1Institute of Marine Sciences – Section of Marine Technologies – CNR - Via De Marini 6, 16149 Genoa, Italy
2Dipartimento per lo Studio del Territorio e delle sue Risorse (DIP.TE.RIS.), University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy
3Research Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Würzburg, Rontgenring 11, 97070 Würzburg, Germany

ABSTRACT: Bacteria were isolated seasonally from the Mediterranean sponges Chondrilla nucula and Petrosia ficiformis and screened for antibacterial activities. Selected isolates were taxonomically identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A total of 416 different bacterial strains were isolated, 60 (14.4%) of which displayed variable degrees of antimicrobial activity. Of the bioactive strains, 58.3% were able to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus, 6.7% were active against Bacillus subtilis, 11.7% against both Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli, 38.3% against Pseudoalteromonas atlantica and 33.3% against Pseudomonas elongata. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that 2 isolates, 1 from seawater samples and 1 from P. ficiformis, were most closely related to Bacillus subtilis (99% similarity) and that another isolate from P. ficiformis was most closely related to a previously described sponge-associated Alphaproteobacterium NW001 (98% similarity). Two isolates from C. nucula were most closely related to Brachybacterium paraconglomeratum (99% similarity) and Shewanella algae (89% similarity). The high percentage of bioactive isolates derived from the 2 sponges suggests that marine microorganisms, whether animal-associated or planktonic, are promising sources for drug discovery.


KEY WORDS: Antimicrobial activity · Associated bacteria · Chondrilla nucula · Petrosia ficiformis · Porifera · 16S rRNA


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Cite this article as: Chelossi E, Pantile R, Pronzato R, Milanese M, Hentschel U (2007) Bacteria with antimicrobial properties isolated from the Mediterranean sponges Chondrilla nucula and Petrosia ficiformis. Aquat Microb Ecol 49:157-163. https://doi.org/10.3354/ame01134

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