The Mediterranean sponges Aplysina aerophoba and A. cavernicola accumulate brominated isoxazoline alkaloids including aplysinamisin-1 (1), aerophobin-2 (2), isofistularin-3 (3) or aerothionin (4) at concentrations up to 10% of their respective dry weights. In laboratory feeding experiments employing the polyphagous Mediterranean fish Blennius sphinx crude extracts of both Aplysina sponges were ...

Sponges (Porifera) are among the earliest evolving metazoans. Their filter-feeding body plan based on choanocyte chambers organized into a complex aquiferous system is so unique among metazoans that it either reflects an early divergence from other animals prior to the evolution of features such as muscles and nerves, or that sponges lost these characters. Analyses of the Amphimedon and Oscarel...

The sponge Tetilla sp. (Tetractinomorpha: Tetillidae) is a common species in the eastern Mediterranean. This sponge inhabits four different habitat types differing in wave impact and irradiance levels. Two of these habitats (a shallow cave and deep water) are characterized by relatively calm water, whereas the other two (shallow exposed site and tide pools) are in turbulent water with high ener...

Fracture nonunion and delayed union continue to pose challenges for orthopedic surgeons. In the present study, we combined HMGB1 gelatin sponges with MSC sheets to promote bone healing after surgical treatment of rat tibial fractures. The HMGB1 gelatin sponge scaffolds supported the expansion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and promoted the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs and MSC sheets. Le...

We report the oldest fossil occurrence of freshwater potamolepid sponges (Demospongiae, Spongillina, Potamolepidae) to date, originating from middle Eocene lake sediments accumulated in the Giraffe kimberlite maar, northern Canada. Sponges are represented by strongyle spicules that are gemmuloscleres. These are described herein as belonging to a new species, Potamophloios canadensis. Because th...

Sponges are abundant, diverse and functionally important organisms of coral reef ecosystems. Sponge-associated microorganisms have been receiving greater attention because of their significant contribution to sponge biomass, biogeochemical cycles and biotechnological potentials. However, our understanding of the sponge microbiome is limited to a few species of sponges from restricted geographic...

Sponges are important sources of bioactive secondary metabolites. These compounds are frequently synthesized by bacterial symbionts, which may be recruited from the surrounding seawater or transferred to the sponge progeny by the parent. In this study, we investigated the bacterial communities associated with the sponge Tethya rubra Samaai and Gibbons 2005. Sponge specimens were collected from ...

Introduction. Gossypiboma or textiloma is used to describe a retained surgical swab in the body after an operation. Intraabdominal surgical sponge is an uncommon surgical error. The incidence of gossypiboma has been reported as high as 1 in 1000 to 15,000 intraabdominal operations. Gossypiboma may cause serious morbidity and may lead to mortality. Case presentation. Herein, we report a 24 years...