New epizooic symbioses between sponges of the genera Plakortis and Xestospongia in cryptic habitats of the Caribbean

Vicente, Jan; Zea, Sven; Powell, Ryan J.; Pawlik, Joseph R.; Hill, Russell T.

doi:10.1007/s00227-014-2546-z

Cited by 10 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Samples of a sponge consortium constituted by Plakortis halichondrioides and Xetospongia deweerdtae specimens from Puerto Rico were collected by members of our research team at a depth of 90–100 ft. 24 The crude extract of a small portion of the consortium containing mainly Plakortis halichondrioides was extracted with CHCl 3 –MeOH. After solvent removal, the dark gum obtained was suspended in H 2 O and extracted exhaustively with n -hexane and CHCl 3 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reassignment of the absolute configuration of plakinidone from the sponge consortium Plakortis halichondrioides–Xestospongia deweerdtae using a combination of synthesis and a chiroptical approach

Jiménez-Romero

Rode

Rodrı́guez

2016

Tetrahedron: Asymmetry

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Recent work by Wu et al. in connection with the first synthesis of the marine natural product plakinidone revealed that the most salient feature of its purported structure, a six-membered perlactone moiety, was in fact a five-membered lactone, i.e. a 3-methyl-4-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone or tetronic acid ring. With the planar structure of plakinidone confidently revised, we undertook a new investigation to unambiguously establish its absolute configuration. Upon preparing two stable derivatives 1 and 5 from a sample of naturally occurring plakinidone extracted from the sponge association Plakortis halichondriodes–Xetospongia deweerdtae, the absolute configuration was assigned by synthesis and vibrational and electronic circular dichroism (VCD and ECD) measurements in combination with density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ/PCM(CH3CN) level of theory. Our combined efforts and the agreement between the experimental and calculated VCD/ECD spectra of 1 revealed that the absolute configuration of plakinidone was in fact (11S,17R) and not the formerly reported (11S,17S) diastereomer assigned by Wu et al.. Therefore, we propose that natural plakinidone is accurately represented by structure 12.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…24 The organism was frozen and lyophilized prior to extraction. The dry specimens (395 g) were cut into small pieces and blended in a mixture of CHCl 3 –MeOH (1:1) (11 × 1 L).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reassignment of the absolute configuration of plakinidone from the sponge consortium Plakortis halichondrioides–Xestospongia deweerdtae using a combination of synthesis and a chiroptical approach

Jiménez-Romero

Rode

Rodrı́guez

2016

Tetrahedron: Asymmetry

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“…Previous studies have shown that spicule morphology can be influenced by hypersilicification as a result of high silica concentrations (Maldonado et al, 1999). Sponges can also produce smaller spicules by living in association with other sponges (Vicente et al, 2014). In this study, higher silica concentrations from terrestrial runoff in habitats closer to the continental shelfs are likely the cause of larger oxeas in both N. dendrocrevacea sp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular and morphological congruence of three new crypticNeopetrosiaspp. in the Caribbean

Vicente

Ríos

Zea

et al. 2019

PeerJ

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Neopetrosia proxima (Porifera: Demospongiae: Haplosclerida) is described as a morphologically variable sponge common on shallow reefs of the Caribbean. However, the range of morphological and reproductive variation within putative N. proxima led us to hypothesize that such variability may be indicative of cryptic species rather than plasticity. Using DNA sequences and morphological characters we confirmed the presence of three previously undescribed species of Neopetrosia. Morphological differences of each new congener were best resolved by partial gene sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 over nuclear ones (18S rRNA and 28S rRNA). Several new characters for Neopetrosia were revealed by each new species. For example, N. dendrocrevacea sp. nov. and N. cristata sp. nov. showed the presence of grooves on the surface of the sponge body that converge at the oscula, and a more disorganized skeleton than previously defined for the genus. N. sigmafera sp. nov. adds the (1) presence of sigma microscleres, (2) significantly wider/longer oxeas (>200 μm), and (3) the presence of parenchymella larvae. Sampling of conspecifics throughout several locations in the Caribbean revealed larger spicules in habitats closer to the continental shelf than those in remote island locations. Our study highlights the importance of integrating molecular and morphological systematics for the discrimination of new Neopetrosia spp. despite belonging to one of several polyphyletic groups (families, genera) within the current definition of the order Haplosclerida.

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“…argue that the symbiosis is life-long and does not cause mortality through smothering [23]. Biogeographic surveys have identified young recruits of P .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A more peculiar example of sponge-sponge epizoism is the symbiosis between Xestospongia deweerdtae and one of two possible basibionts: Plakortis deweerdtaephila or Plakortis symbiotica [ 23 , 24 ]. Sponges in the genus Plakortis are rich in cytotoxic secondary metabolites [ 25 – 29 ] and have been shown to swiftly kill neighboring organisms (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sponge symbioses between Xestospongia deweerdtae and Plakortis spp. are not motivated by shared chemical defense against predators

et al. 2017

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The recently described epizoic sponge-sponge symbioses between Xestospongia deweerdtae and two species of Plakortis present an unusual series of sponge interactions. Sponges from the genus Plakortis are fierce allelopathic competitors, rich in cytotoxic secondary metabolites, and yet X. deweerdtae flourishes as an epizoic encrustation on Plakortis deweerdtaephila and Plakortis symbiotica. Our objective in this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that X. deweerdtae grows epizoic to these two species of Plakortis due to a shared chemical defense against predators. We collected free-living individuals of X. deweerdtae and symbiotic pairs from a wide geographical range to generate crude organic extracts and a series of polarity fractions from sponge extract. We tested the deterrency of these extracts against three common coral reef predators: the bluehead wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum, the Caribbean sharpnose puffer, Canthigaster rostrata, and the white spotwrist hermit crab, Pagurus criniticornis. While the chemical defenses of P. deweerdtaephila and P. symbiotica are more potent than those of X. deweerdtae, all of the sponge species we tested significantly deterred feeding in all three generalist predators. The free-living form of X. deweerdtae is mostly defended across the region, with a few exceptions. The associated form of X. deweerdtae is always defended, and both species of Plakortis are very strongly defended, with puffers refusing to consume extract-treated pellets until the extract was diluted to 1/256× concentration. Using diode-array high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-MS/IT-TOF), we found two secondary metabolites from P. deweerdtaephila, probably the cyclic endoperoxides plakinic acid I and plakinic acid K, in low concentrations in the associated—but not the free-living—form of X. deweerdtae, suggesting a possible translocation of defensive chemicals from the basibiont to the epibiont. Comparing the immense deterrency of Plakortis spp. extracts to the extracts of X. deweerdtae gives the impression that there may be some sharing of chemical defenses: one partner in the symbiosis is clearly more defended than the other and a small amount of its defensive chemistry may translocate to the partner. However, X. deweerdtae effectively deters predators with its own defensive chemistry. Multiple lines of evidence provide no support for the shared chemical defense hypothesis. Given the diversity of other potential food resources available to predators on coral reefs, it is improbable that the evolution of these specialized sponge-sponge symbioses has been driven by predation pressure.

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New epizooic symbioses between sponges of the genera Plakortis and Xestospongia in cryptic habitats of the Caribbean

Cited by 10 publications

References 46 publications

Reassignment of the absolute configuration of plakinidone from the sponge consortium Plakortis halichondrioides–Xestospongia deweerdtae using a combination of synthesis and a chiroptical approach

Reassignment of the absolute configuration of plakinidone from the sponge consortium Plakortis halichondrioides–Xestospongia deweerdtae using a combination of synthesis and a chiroptical approach

Molecular and morphological congruence of three new crypticNeopetrosiaspp. in the Caribbean

Sponge symbioses between Xestospongia deweerdtae and Plakortis spp. are not motivated by shared chemical defense against predators

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