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AB 4:253-262 (2009)  -  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00110

Characterization of cues from natural multi-species biofilms that induce larval attachment of the polychaete Hydroides elegans

Oi Shing Hung1, On On Lee1, Vengatesen Thiyagarajan2, Hong-Ping He1, Ying Xu1, Hong Chun Chung1, Jian-Wen Qiu3, Pei-Yuan Qian1,*

1Department of Biology/Coastal Marine Laboratory, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
2School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
3Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
*Corresponding author. Email:

ABSTRACT: Multi-species natural microbial biofilms have been identified as sources of cues to induce larval attachment of a broad range of sessile marine invertebrates. However, the chemical identities of the cues originating from these films have not been fully characterized. In this study, we isolated and characterized 2 compounds from natural biofilms that induced the larval attachment of the polychaete Hydroides elegans. Biofilms were developed on Petri dishes in seawater in the field for 6 d, collected from the Petri dishes using cotton buds, and extracted using a combination of polar and non-polar solvents. The non-polar fraction was inductive to larval attachment and was thus further fractionated using HPLC. Bioassay-guided fractionation was used to locate the active compounds that were then structurally characterized by using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Two inductive compounds were identified, a hydrocarbon (6,9-heptadecadiene) and a fatty acid (12-octadecenoic acid), which are the first chemical cues inductive to larval attachment of marine invertebrates isolated from natural biofilms.


KEY WORDS: Inductive cues · Natural biofilms · Hydroides elegans · Fatty acid · Hydrocarbon


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Cite this article as: Hung OS, Lee OO, Thiyagarajan V, He HP and others (2009) Characterization of cues from natural multi-species biofilms that induce larval attachment of the polychaete Hydroides elegans. Aquat Biol 4:253-262. https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00110

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