A Review of Marine Viruses in Coral Ecosystem

Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse biological systems on earth. Corals are classified as marine invertebrates and filter the surrounding food and other particles in seawater, including pathogens such as viruses. Viruses act as both pathogen and symbiont for metazoans. Marine viruses that are abundant in the ocean are mostly single-, double stranded DNA and single-, double stranded RNA viruses. These discoveries were made via advanced identification methods which have detected their presence in coral reef ecosystems including PCR analyses, metagenomic analyses, transcriptomic analyses and electron microscopy. This review discusses the discovery of viruses in the marine environment and their hosts, viral diversity in corals, presence of virus in corallivorous fish communities in reef ecosystems, detection methods, and occurrence of marine viral communities in marine sponges.

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Hydroxyapatite-Mediated Separation of Double-Stranded DNA, Single-Stranded DNA, and RNA Genomes from Natural Viral Assemblages

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.00204-10 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 76 (15) ◽

pp. 5039-5045 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Cynthia Andrews-Pfannkoch ◽

Douglas W. Fadrosh ◽

Joyce Thorpe ◽

Shannon J. Williamson

Keyword(s):

Nucleic Acid ◽

Significant Similarity ◽

Metagenomic Sequence ◽

Single Stranded Dna ◽

Dna And Rna ◽

Double Stranded Dna ◽

Marine Viruses ◽

Viral Communities ◽

Environmental Sequences ◽

Dsdna Viruses

ABSTRACT Metagenomics can be used to determine the diversity of complex, often unculturable, viral communities with various nucleic acid compositions. Here, we report the use of hydroxyapatite chromatography to efficiently fractionate double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), dsRNA, and ssRNA genomes from known bacteriophages. Linker-amplified shotgun libraries were constructed to generate sequencing reads from each hydroxyapatite fraction. Greater than 90% of the reads displayed significant similarity to the expected genomes at the nucleotide level. These methods were applied to marine viruses collected from the Chesapeake Bay and the Dry Tortugas National Park. Isolated nucleic acids were fractionated using hydroxyapatite chromatography followed by linker-amplified shotgun library construction and sequencing. Taxonomic analysis demonstrated that the majority of environmental sequences, regardless of their source nucleic acid, were most similar to dsDNA viruses, reflecting the bias of viral metagenomic sequence databases.

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Cytotoxic activity of marine sponge extracts from the sub-Antarctic Islands and the Southern Ocean

South African Journal of Science ◽

10.17159/sajs.2016/20160202 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol Volume 112 (Number 11/12) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Elisabeth K. Olsen ◽

Christopher K. de Cerf ◽

Godwin A. Dziwornu ◽

Eleonora Puccinelli ◽

Isabelle J. Ansorge ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural Products ◽

Southern Ocean ◽

Cytotoxic Activity ◽

Marine Invertebrates ◽

Cold Water ◽

Research Effort ◽

Benthic Invertebrate ◽

Marine Sponges ◽

Bioactive Natural Products ◽

Prince Edward Islands

Abstract Over the past 50 years, marine invertebrates, especially sponges, have proven to be a valuable source of new and/or bioactive natural products that have the potential to be further developed as lead compounds for pharmaceutical applications. Although marine benthic invertebrate communities occurring off the coast of South Africa have been explored for their biomedicinal potential, the natural product investigation of marine sponges from the sub-Antarctic Islands in the Southern Ocean for the presence of bioactive secondary metabolites has been relatively unexplored thus far. We report here the results for the biological screening of both aqueous and organic extracts prepared from nine specimens of eight species of marine sponges, collected from around Marion Island and the Prince Edward Islands in the Southern Ocean, for their cytotoxic activity against three cancer cell lines. The results obtained through this multidisciplinary collaborative research effort by exclusively South African institutions has provided an exciting opportunity to discover cytotoxic compounds from sub-Antarctic sponges, whilst contributing to our understanding of the biodiversity and geographic distributions of these cold-water invertebrates. Therefore, we acknowledge here the various contributions of the diverse scientific disciplines that played a pivotal role in providing the necessary platform for the future natural products chemistry investigation of these marine sponges from the sub- Antarctic Islands and the Southern Ocean.

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ISOLASI BAKTERI YANG BERSIMBION DENGAN ASCIDIAN Herdmania momus YANG MEMILIKI AKTIVITAS ANTIBAKTERI

JURNAL PESISIR DAN LAUT TROPIS ◽

10.35800/jplt.8.2.2020.28766 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 20

Author(s):

Silvia E Koyongian ◽

Deiske A Sumilat ◽

Rosita A J Lintang ◽

Stenly Wullur ◽

Sandra O Tilaar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Escherichia Coli ◽

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Marine Invertebrates ◽

Nutrient Agar ◽

Symbiotic Bacteria ◽

Bacterial Isolates ◽

Marine Broth ◽

Antibacterial Screening ◽

Coral Reef Ecosystems ◽

And Staphylococcus Aureus

Ascidian is marine invertebrates in coral reef ecosystems that produce many bioactive compounds for pharmacology. The presence of symbiotic bacteria with marine organisms is protected the host biota by producing secondary metabolites. The purpose of this study is to obtain symbiotic bacterial isolates with Herdmania momus ascidian, then to observe the antibacterial activity of these bacterial isolates against Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Isolation and culture of the symbiotic bacteria were made on Nutrient Agar and Zobell Marine Broth media. The antibacterial screening showed that the Herdmania momus symbiotic bacteria were able to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.Keywords: ascidians, Herdmania momus, bacteria, isolation, antibacterialAbstak Ascidian adalah avetebrata laut di ekosistem terumbu karang yang banyak menghasilkan senyawa bioaktif untuk bidang farmakologi. Keberadaan bakteri yang bersimbion dengan organisme laut pada umumnya untuk melindungi biota yang ditumpanginya dan dirinya dengan cara menghasilkan senyawa metabolit sekunder. Tujuan dari penelitian ini yaitu untuk mendapatkan isolat bakteri yang bersimbion dengan ascidian Herdmania momus, kemudian mengamati aktivitas antibakteri dari isolat bakteri tersebut terhadap Escherichia coli, dan Staphylococcus aureus. Isolasi dan kultur bakteri yang bersimbion dengan ascidian dibuat pada media Nutrient Agar dan Zobell Marine Broth. Skrining aktivitas antibakteri menunjukkan isolat bakteri yang bersimbion dengan ascidian Herdmania momus mampu menghambat pertumbuhan organisme uji Staphylococcus aureus dan Escherichia coli.Kata kunci: ascidian, Herdmania momus, bakteri, isolasi, antibakteri

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Fecal Viral Diversity of Captive and Wild Tasmanian Devils Characterized Using Virion-Enriched Metagenomics and Metatranscriptomics

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.00205-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 93 (11) ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Rowena Chong ◽

Mang Shi ◽

Catherine E. Grueber ◽

Edward C. Holmes ◽

Carolyn J. Hogg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endangered Species ◽

Population Decline ◽

Significant Risk ◽

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus ◽

Viral Diversity ◽

Hemorrhagic Disease ◽

Tasmanian Devil ◽

Dna Viruses ◽

Viral Communities ◽

Devil Facial Tumor Disease

ABSTRACT The Tasmanian devil is an endangered carnivorous marsupial threatened by devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). While research on DFTD has been extensive, little is known about viruses in devils and whether any are of potential conservation relevance for this endangered species. Using both metagenomics based on virion enrichment and sequence-independent amplification (virion-enriched metagenomics) and metatranscriptomics based on bulk RNA sequencing, we characterized and compared the fecal viromes of captive and wild devils. A total of 54 fecal samples collected from two captive and four wild populations were processed for virome characterization using both approaches. In total, 24 novel marsupial-related viruses, comprising a sapelovirus, astroviruses, rotaviruses, picobirnaviruses, parvoviruses, papillomaviruses, polyomaviruses, and a gammaherpesvirus, were identified, as well as known mammalian pathogens such as rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2. Captive devils showed significantly lower viral diversity than wild devils. Comparison of the two virus discovery approaches revealed substantial differences in the number and types of viruses detected, with metatranscriptomics better suited for RNA viruses and virion-enriched metagenomics largely identifying more DNA viruses. Thus, the viral communities revealed by virion-enriched metagenomics and metatranscriptomics were not interchangeable and neither approach was able to detect all viruses present. An integrated approach using both virion-enriched metagenomics and metatranscriptomics constitutes a powerful tool for obtaining a complete overview of both the taxonomic and functional profiles of viral communities within a sample. IMPORTANCE The Tasmanian devil is an iconic Australian marsupial that has suffered an 80% population decline due to a contagious cancer, devil facial tumor disease, along with other threats. Until now, viral discovery in this species has been confined to one gammaherpesvirus (dasyurid herpesvirus 2 [DaHV-2]), for which captivity was identified as a significant risk factor. Our discovery of 24 novel marsupial-associated RNA and DNA viruses, and that viral diversity is lower in captive than in wild devils, has greatly expanded our knowledge of gut-associated viruses in devils and provides important baseline information that will contribute to the conservation and captive management of this endangered species. Our results also revealed that a combination of virion-enriched metagenomics and metatranscriptomics may be a more comprehensive approach for virome characterization than either method alone. Our results thus provide a springboard for continuous improvements in the way we study complex viral communities.

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Characterization of Marine Temperate Phage-Host Systems Isolated from Mamala Bay, Oahu, Hawaii

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.64.2.535-542.1998 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 64 (2) ◽

pp. 535-542 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Sunny C. Jiang ◽

Christina A. Kellogg ◽

John H. Paul

Keyword(s):

Water Samples ◽

Blot Hybridization ◽

Temperate Phage ◽

Dot Blot ◽

Dot Blot Hybridization ◽

Double Stranded Dna ◽

The Family ◽

Marine Viruses

ABSTRACT To understand the ecological and genetic role of viruses in the marine environment, it is critical to know the infectivity of viruses and the types of interactions that occur between marine viruses and their hosts. We isolated four marine phages from turbid plaques by using four indigenous bacterial hosts obtained from concentrated water samples from Mamala Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. Two of the rod-shaped bacterial hosts were identified as Sphingomonas paucimobilis andFlavobacterium sp. All of the phage isolates were tailed phages and contained double-stranded DNA. Two of the phage isolates had morphologies typical of the family Siphoviridae, while the other two belonged to the families Myoviridae andPodoviridae. The head diameters of these viruses ranged from 47 to 70.7 nm, and the tail lengths ranged from 12 to 146 nm. The burst sizes ranged from 7.8 to 240 phage/bacterial cell, and the genome sizes, as determined by restriction digestion, ranged from 36 to 112 kb. The members of the Siphoviridae, T-φHSIC, and T-φD0, and the member of the Myoviridae, T-φD1B, were found to form lysogenic associations with their bacterial hosts, which were isolated from the same water samples. Hybridization of phage T-φHSIC probe with lysogenic host genomic DNA was observed in dot blot hybridization experiments, indicating that prophage T-φHSIC was integrated within the host genome. These phage-host systems are available for use in studies of marine lysogeny and transduction.

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Secondary metabolites from marine microorganisms

Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências ◽

10.1590/s0001-37652002000100012 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 74 (1) ◽

pp. 151-170 ◽

Cited By ~ 98

Author(s):

ALPHONSE KELECOM

Keyword(s):

Secondary Metabolites ◽

Cyclic Peptides ◽

Marine Invertebrates ◽

Indole Alkaloids ◽

Marine Sponges ◽

Annual Reports ◽

Marine Microorganisms ◽

Mature Field ◽

Bacteria And Fungi ◽

New Metabolites

After 40 years of intensive research, chemistry of marine natural products has become a mature field. Since 1995, there are signals of decreased interest in the search of new metabolites from traditional sources such as macroalgae and octocorals, and the number of annual reports on marine sponges stabilized. On the contrary, metabolites from microorganisms is a rapidly growing field, due, at least in part, to the suspicion that a number of metabolites obtained from algae and invertebrates may be produced by associated microorganisms. Studies are concerned with bacteria and fungi, isolated from seawater, sediments, algae, fish and mainly from marine invertebrates such as sponges, mollusks, tunicates, coelenterates and crustaceans. Although it is still to early to define tendencies, it may be stated that the metabolites from microorganisms are in most cases quite different from those produced by the invertebrate hosts. Nitrogenated metabolites predominate over acetate derivatives, and terpenes are uncommon. Among the latter, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes and carotenes have been isolated; among nitrogenated metabolites, amides, cyclic peptides and indole alkaloids predominate.

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Raw Sewage Harbors Diverse Viral Populations

mBio ◽

10.1128/mbio.00180-11 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 171

Author(s):

Paul G. Cantalupo ◽

Byron Calgua ◽

Guoyan Zhao ◽

Ayalkibet Hundesa ◽

Adam D. Wier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Material ◽

Viral Diversity ◽

Emerging Pathogens ◽

Viral Genomes ◽

Untreated Wastewater ◽

Virus Diversity ◽

Double Stranded Dna ◽

Large Numbers ◽

Ideal System ◽

Species Specific

ABSTRACTAt this time, about 3,000 different viruses are recognized, but metagenomic studies suggest that these viruses are a small fraction of the viruses that exist in nature. We have explored viral diversity by deep sequencing nucleic acids obtained from virion populations enriched from raw sewage. We identified 234 known viruses, including 17 that infect humans. Plant, insect, and algal viruses as well as bacteriophages were also present. These viruses represented 26 taxonomic families and included viruses with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), positive-sense ssRNA [ssRNA(+)], and dsRNA genomes. Novel viruses that could be placed in specific taxa represented 51 different families, making untreated wastewater the most diverse viral metagenome (genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples) examined thus far. However, the vast majority of sequence reads bore little or no sequence relation to known viruses and thus could not be placed into specific taxa. These results show that the vast majority of the viruses on Earth have not yet been characterized. Untreated wastewater provides a rich matrix for identifying novel viruses and for studying virus diversity.IMPORTANCEAt this time, virology is focused on the study of a relatively small number of viral species. Specific viruses are studied either because they are easily propagated in the laboratory or because they are associated with disease. The lack of knowledge of the size and characteristics of the viral universe and the diversity of viral genomes is a roadblock to understanding important issues, such as the origin of emerging pathogens and the extent of gene exchange among viruses. Untreated wastewater is an ideal system for assessing viral diversity because virion populations from large numbers of individuals are deposited and because raw sewage itself provides a rich environment for the growth of diverse host species and thus their viruses. These studies suggest that the viral universe is far more vast and diverse than previously suspected.

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Metagenomic Analysis of the Viral Communities in Fermented Foods

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.01859-10 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 77 (4) ◽

pp. 1284-1291 ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

Eun-Jin Park ◽

Kyoung-Ho Kim ◽

Guy C. J. Abell ◽

Min-Soo Kim ◽

Seong Woon Roh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

16S Rrna Gene Sequencing ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Fermented Foods ◽

Human Feces ◽

Viral Genomes ◽

Double Stranded Dna ◽

Viral Communities ◽

Rrna Gene Sequencing ◽

Viral Sequences ◽

Homology Comparison

ABSTRACTViruses are recognized as the most abundant biological components on Earth, and they regulate the structure of microbial communities in many environments. In soil and marine environments, microorganism-infecting phages are the most common type of virus. Although several types of bacteriophage have been isolated from fermented foods, little is known about the overall viral assemblages (viromes) of these environments. In this study, metagenomic analyses were performed on the uncultivated viral communities from three fermented foods, fermented shrimp, kimchi, and sauerkraut. Using a high-throughput pyrosequencing technique, a total of 81,831, 70,591 and 69,464 viral sequences were obtained from fermented shrimp, kimchi and sauerkraut, respectively. Moreover, 37 to 50% of these sequences showed no significant hit against sequences in public databases. There were some discrepancies between the prediction of bacteriophages hosts via homology comparison and bacterial distribution, as determined from 16S rRNA gene sequencing. These discrepancies likely reflect the fact that the viral genomes of fermented foods are poorly represented in public databases. Double-stranded DNA viral communities were amplified from fermented foods by using a linker-amplified shotgun library. These communities were dominated by bacteriophages belonging to the viral orderCaudovirales(i.e.,Myoviridae,Podoviridae, andSiphoviridae). This study indicates that fermented foods contain less complex viral communities than many other environmental habitats, such as seawater, human feces, marine sediment, and soil.

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Resistance of Aerosolized Bacterial Viruses to Relative Humidity and Temperature

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.02484-15 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 81 (20) ◽

pp. 7305-7311 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Daniel Verreault ◽

Mélissa Marcoux-Voiselle ◽

Nathalie Turgeon ◽

Sylvain Moineau ◽

Caroline Duchaine

Keyword(s):

Relative Humidity ◽

Uv Radiation ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Double Stranded Rna ◽

Double Stranded Dna ◽

Viral Particles ◽

Bacterial Viruses ◽

Low Levels ◽

Viral Components ◽

Uvc Radiation

ABSTRACTThe use of aerosolized bacteriophages as surrogates for hazardous viruses might simplify and accelerate the discovery of links between viral components and their persistence in the airborne state under diverse environmental conditions. In this study, four structurally distinct lytic phages, MS2 (single-stranded RNA [ssRNA]), ϕ6 (double-stranded RNA [dsRNA]), ϕX174 (single-stranded DNA [ssDNA]), and PR772 (double-stranded DNA [dsDNA]), were nebulized into a rotating chamber and exposed to various levels of relative humidity (RH) and temperature as well as to germicidal UV radiation. The aerosolized viral particles were allowed to remain airborne for up to 14 h before being sampled for analysis by plaque assays and quantitative PCRs. Phages ϕ6 and MS2 were the most resistant at low levels of relative humidity, while ϕX174 was more resistant at 80% RH. Phage ϕ6 lost its infectivity immediately after exposure to 30°C and 80% RH. The infectivity of all tested phages rapidly declined as a function of the exposure time to UVC radiation, phage MS2 being the most resistant. Taken altogether, our data indicate that these aerosolized phages behave differently under various environmental conditions and highlight the necessity of carefully selecting viral simulants in bioaerosol studies.

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Seasonal Variation in Antimicrobial Activity of Crude Extracts of Psammaplysilla sp. 1 from Phillips Reef, South Africa

International Journal of Microbiology ◽

10.1155/2021/7568493 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Wasswa Cuthbert Kibungu ◽

Justine Fri ◽

Anna-Maria Clarke ◽

Anthony Otigbu ◽

Henry Akum Njom

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Antimicrobial Activity ◽

South African ◽

Marine Invertebrates ◽

Marine Sponges ◽

Biologically Active ◽

Antimicrobial Potential ◽

Crude Extracts ◽

Four Seasons ◽

Agar Well Diffusion Assay

Marine invertebrates constitute a diverse group of marine organisms beneficial to humanity due to their therapeutic significance. The marine sponge species Psammaplysilla sp. 1 was collected from Philips Reef, South Africa, over a four-season period and assayed for antimicrobial potential. The physicochemical parameters of the collection site were also recorded. The sponge crude extracts’ antimicrobial activity was evaluated using an agar well diffusion assay against 5 pathogens. Phytochemical screening was conducted to identify the presence of 7 critical phytochemical groups. During the four seasons, the mean water temperature was 17.35°C ± 2.06, with autumn recording the highest (20°C) temperature. Antifungal activity was observed by Psammaplysilla sp. 1 (30 mm) against C. albicans, and this was higher than that showed by standard drugs ICZ-10 µg (15 ± 0.1 mm), FLU-15 µg (21 ± 0.2 mm), and VCZ-5 µg (17 ± 0.1 mm), respectively. Similar bioactivities were observed seasonally with Psammaplysilla sp. 1 (22 mm and 24 mm) during autumn and spring, respectively, against C. difficile while only crude extracts collected in spring showed bioactivity against C. albicans. Psammaplysilla sp. crude extracts showed broad-spectrum bioactivity against all test pathogens. DCM : ME crude extracts tested positive for the presence of 2/7 of the phytochemicals (terpenoids and flavonoids). GC-MS revealed several previously reported biologically active compounds such bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,3,5-trien-7-ol and phenol, 2,6-dibromo, some of which have been found in plants. This study revealed that sponge bioactivity is dependent on the season and further validated the antimicrobial potential of South African marine sponges.

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