Temporal and Spatial Variations of Geodia cydonium (Jameson) (Porifera, Demospongiae) in the Mediterranean Confined Environments

Confined marine environments are particularly susceptible to climate change and anthropic pressures. Indeed, the long-term monitoring of benthic assemblages in these environments allows us to understand the direction of changes over time. The demosponge Geodia cydonium is a suitable study case, since it is widely represented in many Mediterranean environments, while being a long-living and important habitat-forming species. Here, we report the results of a descriptive study on temporal and spatial variations of this demosponge in three semi-enclosed environments along the Italian coast: Marsala Lagoon, Porto Cesareo Bay, and Mar Piccolo of Taranto. At Marsala and Porto Cesareo, the study compares the present data with those reported by the literature at the end of the 1990s. Caused by the modification of its preferential habitats, the data indicated the loss and a remarkable regression of this species at Porto Cesareo and Marsala, respectively. In addition, we hypothesized that the increase in severe weather phenomena in the small Bay of Porto Cesareo recorded during the last 20 years may have had a marked impact on water mass, thus affecting the sponge assemblages. At Taranto, despite a remarkable environmental degradation, G. cydonium has appeared stable and persistent in the last 45 years, thus representing one of the richest and most well-preserved populations in the Mediterranean Sea.

The structural basis of Bcl-2 mediated cell death regulation in hydra

Apoptosis is regulated by evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways to remove damaged, diseased or unwanted cells. Proteins homologous to the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins, the primary arbiters of mitochondrially mediated apoptosis, are encoded by the cnidarian Hydra vulgaris. We mapped interactions between pro-survival and pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins of H. vulgaris by affinity measurements between Hy-Bcl-2-4, the sole confirmed pro-survival Bcl-2 protein, with BH3 motif peptides of two Bcl-2 proteins from hydra that displayed pro-apoptotic activity, Hy-Bak1 and Hy-BH3-only-2, and the BH3 motif peptide of the predicted pro-apoptotic protein Hy-Bax. In addition to peptides from hydra encoded pro-apoptotic proteins, Hy-Bcl-2-4 also engaged BH3 motif peptides from multiple human pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins. Reciprocally, human pro-survival Bcl-2 proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bcl-w, Mcl-1 and A1/Bfl-1 bound to BH3 spanning peptides from hydra encoded pro-apoptotic Hy-Bak1, Hy-BH3-only and Hy-Bax. The molecular details of the interactions were determined from crystal structures of Hy-Bcl-2-4 complexes with BH3 motif peptides of Hy-Bak1 and Hy-Bax. Our findings suggest that the Bcl-2 family in hydra may function in a manner analogous to the Bcl-2 family in humans, and less like the worm Caenorhabditis elegans where evolutionary gene deletion has simplified the apoptotic program. Combined, our results demonstrate the powerful conservation of the interaction pattern between hydra and human Bcl-2 family members. Furthermore, our data reveal mechanistic differences in the mode of binding between hydra and sponges such as Geodia cydonium, with hydra encoded Bcl-2 resembling the more promiscuous pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 members found in mammals compared with its sponge counterpart.

Review Jurnal: Potensi Spons Laut Sebagai Anti Kanker Payudara

Angka kejadian dan kematian pada penderita kanker payudara terus mengalami peningkatan di setiap tahunnya. Prevalensi kejadian 8-9% wanita mengalami kanker payudara. Menurut data World Health Organization (WHO) tahun 2018 menyebutkan angka kejadian kanker payudara di Indonesia sebesar 42,1 per 100.000 penduduk dengan rata-rata angka kematian 17 per 100.000 penduduk. Kanker payudara adalah kanker invasif paling sering terjadi pada wanita di seluruh dunia dan penyebab kematian kanker tertinggi kedua, setelah kanker paru-paru. Kebanyakan wanita dengan kanker payudara akan menjalani beberapa jenis operasi. Pembedahan sering dikombinasikan dengan perawatan lain seperti terapi radiasi, kemoterapi, terapi hormon, dan/atau terapi yang ditargetkan. Studi tentang produk alami laut sebagai sumber kandidat obat masih jarang. Sumber daya laut telah menghasilkan sejumlah besar senyawa bioaktif baru. Spons mewakili salah satu sumber senyawa bioaktif laut yang paling menjanjikan terutama untuk bidang farmasi dalam pengobatan kanker payudara. Penulisan review jurnal ini menggunakan metode studi pustaka. Review jurnal ini membahas tentang beberapa spons laut dan aktivitas antikanker payudara. Dari hasil ulasan jurnal didapatkan bahwa beberapa spons laut dengan aktivitas antikanker payudara yaitu Monanchora viridis, Hyrtios erectus, Xestospongia, Psammaplysilla, Haliclona sp, Stylissa carteri, Aaptos sp, Callyspongia siphonella, Ancorina sp, Haliclona caerulea, Spongia pertusa Esper, Siphonochalina siphonella, Geodia cydonium, Manihinea lynbeazleyae, Theonella mirabilis, Spheciospongia vagabunda, Stryphuous ponderosus, dan Theonella sp, dengan berbagai macam aktivitas seperti antiproliferatif, proapoptotik, dan proinflamasi pada lini sel kanker payudara T11, SUM159PT, MCF-7, BT-474, MCF-7/adr, MDA MB 231, MDA MB 468, SKBR3, HCC-1954, T-47D, MCF7-Nanog, MCF-10A, dan SUM149.