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Sustainable Production of Bioactive Compounds by Sponges—Cell Culture and Gene Cluster Approach: A Review

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Abstract

Sponges (phylum Porifera) are sessile marine filter feeders that have developed efficient defense mechanisms against foreign attackers such as viruses, bacteria, or eukaryotic organisms. Protected by a highly complex immune system, as well as by the capacity to produce efficient antiviral compounds (e.g., nucleoside analogues), antimicrobial compounds (e.g., polyketides), and cytostatic compounds (e.g., avarol), they have not become extinct during the last 600 million years. It can be assumed that during this long period of time, bacteria and microorganisms coevolved with sponges, and thus acquired a complex common metabolism. It is suggested that (at least) some of the bioactive secondary metabolites isolated from sponges are produced by functional enzyme clusters, which originated from the sponges and their associated microorganisms. As a consequence, both the host cells and the microorganisms lost the ability to grow independently from each other. Therefore, it was—until recently—impossible to culture sponge cells in vitro. Also the predominant number of “symbiotic bacteria” proved to be nonculturable. In order to exploit the bioactive potential of both the sponge and the “symbionts,” a 3D-aggregate primmorph culture system was established; also it was proved that one bioactive compound, avarol/avarone, is produced by the sponge Dysidea avara. Another promising way to utilize the bioactive potential of the microorganisms is the cloning and heterologous expression of enzymes involved in secondary metabolism, such as the polyketide synthases.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (project: Center of Excellence BIOTEC-MARIN), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Mü 348/14-1), and the European Commission (“SPONGE”).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Abteilung Angewandte Molekularbiologie, Universität, Duesbergweg 6, D-55099 Mainz, Germany

    Werner E. G. Müller, Vladislav A. Grebenjuk, Gaël Le Pennec, Heinz- C. Schröder & Isabel M. Müller

  2. Biologisches Institut, Abteilung Zoologie, Pfaffenwaldring 57, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany

    Franz Brümmer

  3. Institut für Molekulare Infektionsbiologie, Universität Würzburg, Röntgenring 11, D-97070 Würzburg, Germany

    Ute Hentschel

  4. Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Universität, Duesbergweg 6, D-55099 Mainz, Germany

    Hans- J. Breter

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  1. Werner E. G. Müller
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  2. Vladislav A. Grebenjuk
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Correspondence to Werner E. G. Müller.

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Müller, W.E., Grebenjuk, V.A., Le Pennec, G. et al. Sustainable Production of Bioactive Compounds by Sponges—Cell Culture and Gene Cluster Approach: A Review . Mar. Biotechnol. 6, 105–117 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10126-002-0098-6

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