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Phylogenetically Diverse Cultivable Fungal Community and Polyketide Synthase (PKS), Non-ribosomal Peptide Synthase (NRPS) Genes Associated with the South China Sea Sponges

  • Invertebrate Microbiology
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Abstract

Compared with sponge-associated bacteria, the phylogenetic diversity of fungi in sponge and the association of sponge fungi remain largely unknown. Meanwhile, no detection of polyketide synthase (PKS) or non-ribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS) genes in sponge-associated fungi has been attempted. In this study, diverse and novel cultivable fungi including 10 genera (Aspergillus, Ascomycete, Fusarium, Isaria, Penicillium, Plectosphaerella, Pseudonectria, Simplicillium, Trichoderma, and Volutella) in four orders (Eurotiales, Hypocreales, Microascales, and Phyllachorales) of phylum Ascomycota were isolated from 10 species marine sponges in the South China Sea. Eurotiales and Hypocreales fungi were suggested as sponge generalists. The predominant isolates were Penicillium and Aspergillus in Eurotiales followed by Volutella in Hypocreales. Based on the conserved Beta-ketosynthase of PKS and A domain of NRPS, 15 polyketide synthases, and four non-ribosomal peptides synthesis genes, including non-reducing and reducing PKSs and hybrid PKS–NRPS, were detected in these fungal isolates. A lateral gene transfer event was indicated in the comparison between the phylogenetic diversity of 18S rRNA genes and β-ketoacyl synthase domain sequences. Some fungi, especially those with PKS or NRPS genes, showed antimicrobial activity against P. fluorescens, S. aureus and B. subtilis. It was the first time to investigate PKS and NRPS genes in sponge-associated fungi. Based on the detected antibiotics biosynthesis-related PKS and NRPS genes and antimicrobial activity, the potential ecological role of sponge-associated fungi in the chemical defense for sponge host was suggested. This study extended our knowledge of sponge-associated fungal phylogenetic diversity and their potential roles in the chemical defense.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the High-Tech Research and Development Program of China (2011AA09070203), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (41076077, 30821005). The authors are grateful for the supply of sponges by Prof. Houwen Lin at Second Military Medical University, P. R. China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Biotechnology Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People’s Republic of China

    Kang Zhou, Xia Zhang, Fengli Zhang & Zhiyong Li

  2. School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, People’s Republic of China

    Kang Zhou, Xia Zhang, Fengli Zhang & Zhiyong Li

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  1. Kang Zhou
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Correspondence to Zhiyong Li.

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Table 1

Composition of medium used for fungal isolation from marine sponges (DOC 71 kb)

Table 2

Primer used for PKS gene screening (DOC 44 kb)

Table 3

Primer used for NRPS gene screening (DOC 37 kb)

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Zhou, K., Zhang, X., Zhang, F. et al. Phylogenetically Diverse Cultivable Fungal Community and Polyketide Synthase (PKS), Non-ribosomal Peptide Synthase (NRPS) Genes Associated with the South China Sea Sponges. Microb Ecol 62, 644–654 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-011-9859-y

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