Sponges: A Reservoir of Genes Implicated in Human Cancer

Abstract

Recently, it was shown that the majority of genes linked to human diseases, such as cancer genes, evolved in two major evolutionary transitions—the emergence of unicellular organisms and the transition to multicellularity. Therefore, it has been widely accepted that the majority of disease-related genes has already been present in species distantly related to humans. An original way of studying human diseases relies on analyzing genes and proteins that cause a certain disease using model organisms that belong to the evolutionary level at which these genes have emerged. This kind of approach is supported by the simplicity of the genome/proteome, body plan, and physiology of such model organisms. It has been established for quite some time that sponges are an ideal model system for such studies, having a vast variety of genes known to be engaged in sophisticated processes and signalling pathways associated with higher animals. Sponges are considered to be the simplest multicellular animals and have changed little during evolution. Therefore, they provide an insight into the metazoan ancestor genome/proteome features. This review compiles current knowledge of cancer-related genes/proteins in marine sponges.

Briarenols Q–T: Briaranes from A Cultured Octocoral Briareum stechei (Kükenthal, 1908)

“…The IR spectrum showed the presence of hydroxy (νmax 3408 cm -1 ), γlactone (νmax 1783 cm -1 ), and ester carbonyl (νmax 1733 cm -1 ) groups. The 1 H, 13 C, and heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) spectra indicated the presence of seven methyls, two sp 3 methylenes, six sp 3 methines, three sp 3 quaternary carbons, two sp 2 methines, two quaternary olefinic carbons, and five ester-equivalents (Tables 1 and 2), accounting for all carbons and 33 of the 34…”

“…Since 1950, the nucleoside spongothymidine, which is obtained from the Caribbean sponge Cryptotethia [ 1 ], and the derivative of this nucleoside 1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (Ara-C) have been approved as the first marine-origin clinical medications used in treatment of leukemia in 1969. Marine natural products (MNPs) from marine invertebrates, such as Porifera and Cnidaria, played important roles in drug discovery due to their complex structures and interesting bioactivities [ 2 , 3 ]. Most of the pharmaceutical coral reef organisms are claimed to be endangered species.…”

An Evolutionary Perspective of Neoplastic Diseases in the Universe

“…However, the occurrence of cancer is also observed in a number of invertebrate species distantly related to humans. For instance, cancer-related genes have been identified in a number of species of marine bivalve mollusks (e.g., oysters) [3], and members of the phylum Porifera (e.g., sponges) [4]. Therefore, it is now widely accepted that a significant number of disease-related genes evolved in invertebrate taxa long before the appearance of the vertebrate body plan approximately 530 million years ago [5].…”

Rho Family of Ras-Like GTPases in Early-Branching Animals

“…In contrast to their simple morphology, sponges have strikingly complex genomes and many of their genes are highly similar to their vertebrate homologs [ 38 ]. Therefore, they provide the best possible insight into the metazoan last common ancestors’ genome and proteome features [ 38 , 55 , 56 ]. The main poriferan evolutionary developmental biology models are the demosponge A. queenslandica and the calcarean Sycon ciliatum in which several steps of development have been investigated and genomes and transcriptomes sequenced [ 34 ].…”