Taxonomia de Beania (Bryozoa, Flustrina) de Arraial do Cabo, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Five species of Beania Johnston, 1840 (Bryozoa: Flustrina) were previously reported from Brazil, but only one, identified incorrectly in the literature as B. intermedia (Hincks, 1881), was reported from Rio de Janeiro State. In this study, we describe three species of Beania from Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro State: Beania klugei Cook, 1968 (=B. intermedia sensu Marcus, 1937), Beania mirabilis Johnston, 1840, and Beania maxilladentata sp.nov. Beania mirabilis is a new record for Rio de Janeiro State. It is characterized by a long basal cauda, approximately as long as the rest of the autozooid, two pairs of oral spines, and usually five pairs of short marginal spines overarching the frontal membrane. Beania klugei is characterized by the absence of both oral and marginal spines, and by its large autozooids and small avicularia. Beania maxilladentata sp.nov. has autozooids with up to three pairs of marginal spines directed outwards; the distal end of the autozooid never overlaps the proximal end of the next zooid in series; and the avicularia are as long as wide, with mandibles with accessory tips. Our study raises the number of species of Beania known in Rio de Janeiro State from one to three, and along the Brazilian coast from five to six.Cinco espécies de Beania Johnston, 1840 (Bryozoa: Flustrina) são conhecidas do Brasil, mas somente uma, identificada incorretamente na literatura como B. intermedia (Hincks 1881), é conhecida do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Neste estudo, descrevemos três espécies de Beania de Arraial do Cabo, Estado do Rio de Janeiro: Beania klugei Cook, 1968 (=B. intermedia sensu Marcus, 1937), Beania mirabilis Johnston, 1840 e Beania maxilladentata sp.nov. Beania mirabilis Johnston, 1840 é um novo registro para a costa do Rio de Janeiro; é caracterizada por apresentar uma longa cauda basal, aproximadamente tão longa quanto o resto do autozoóide, um par de espinhos orais e usualmente cinco pares de curtos espinhos marginais arqueados sobre a membrana frontal. Beania klugei é caracterizada pela ausência de espinhos orais e marginais, por seus autozoóides grandes e pequenas aviculárias. Beania maxilladentata sp.nov. é caracterizada por autozoóides com até três pares de espinhos marginais dirigidos para o exterior; a extremidade distal do autozoóide nunca recobre o autozoóide subseqüente; a aviculária é tão longa quanto larga e a mandíbula tem pontas acessórias. O número de espécies de Beania conhecidas aumentou de uma para três no Estado do Rio de Janeiro e de cinco para seis na costa brasileira

New records of Catenicella de Blainville, 1830 (Catenicellidae: Cheilostomata: Ascophora) in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Although there are six species of Catenicellidae recorded in Brazil, the three Catenicella species described here are the first mention of the genus in the state of Rio de Janeiro, enlarging their distribution along the Brazilian coast. Previously, C. contei was recorded in Pernambuco and São Paulo, while C. elegans was recorded in the states of Alagoas and São Paulo. The recent identification of these species in the state of Rio de Janeiro suggests two possibilities: it is difficult to find them due to small size and cryptic habitat, and/or they represent introduced species

Distribuição das Esponjas (Porifera) na Reserva Biológica do Atol das Rocas, Nordeste do Brasil

Due to the richness and uniqueness of its fauna, Atol das Rocas harbours the first Marine Biological Reserve in Brazil, but only six species of sponges were previously recorded from the atoll. In the present study the structure of the sponge community in the Biological Reserve of Atol das Rocas is described through quali- and quantitative sampling in 18 collection sites. Thirty-six sponge species from 24 families were found, which summed with previous records makes a total of 39 species now known from the atoll. At least six species are new, and four (Plakortis sp.3, Clathrina sp., Holoxea violacea and Aplysina sp.) are provisionally endemic of Atol das Rocas. Total species diversity and evenness were moderately high (H=2.38, J=0.71), as well as total sponge abundance (14.2 ind.m-2). Spirastrella hartmani (5.4 ind.m-2) and Chondrilla aff. nucula (1.1 ind.m-2) were the most abundant sponge species in the atoll. Highest sponge diversity (H’= 2.13) and density (70.4 ind.m-2) were found at Fenda site, a cryptic environment with low water movement and 7m depth. The lowest diversity (H’= 0.22) and density (1.7 ind.m-2) were found at the shallow (10-30cm depth), exposed tide pools. Atol das Rocas shares several sponge species with Fernando de Noronha (13/39) and with the littoral of Pernambuco (12/39). The degree of endemism of the sponge community observed in the atoll was low (10%) if compared to New Caledonia reef for example (71%), but this number can increase with more collections and refinement of taxonomic studies.Devido à riqueza e à unicidade de sua fauna, o Atol das Rocas abriga a primeira Reserva Biológica Marinha do Brasil, mas apenas seis espécies de esponjas foram registradas anteriormente no local. Neste trabalho é descrita a estrutura da comunidade de Porifera da Reserva Biológica do Atol das Rocas, através de amostragens quali- e quantitativas em 18 estações de coleta. Foram encontradas 36 espécies de 24 famílias, que somadas aos registros anteriores perfazem 39 espécies conhecidas no atol. Provavelmente seis destas espécies são novas, e quatro (Plakortis sp.3, Clathrina sp., Holoxea violacea e Aplysina sp.) são provisoriamente endêmicas para o Atol das Rocas. A diversidade e a equitabilidade das espécies de esponjas foi moderadamente alta (H=2,38, J=0,71), assim como a abundância total de esponjas (14,2 ind.m-2). Spirastrella hartmani (5,4 ind.m-2) e Chondrilla aff. nucula (1,1 ind.m-2) são as espécies de Porifera mais abundantes na área. O local com a maior diversidade (H’= 2,2) e densidade (70,4 ind.m-2) de esponjas foi a Fenda, um ambiente críptico com baixo hidrodinamismo e 7m de profundidade. As Poças de Maré, rasas e expostas à luz e às ondas, apresentaram a menor diversidade (H’= 0,22) e densidade de esponjas (1,7 ind.m-2). O Atol das Rocas possui muitas espécies de esponjas em comum com Fernando de Noronha (13/39) e com o litoral pernambucano (12/39). O grau de endemismo de esponjas verificado no Atol das Rocas foi baixo (10%) quando comparado por exemplo com o Recife da Nova Caledônia (71%), mas esse número pode aumentar com mais coletas e o refinamento dos estudos taxonômicos

Antibiotic resistance genes detected in the marine sponge Petromica citrina from Brazilian coast

AbstractAlthough antibiotic-resistant pathogens pose a significant threat to human health, the environmental reservoirs of the resistance determinants are still poorly understood. This study reports the detection of resistance genes (ermB, mecA, mupA, qnrA, qnrB and tetL) to antibiotics among certain culturable and unculturable bacteria associated with the marine sponge Petromica citrina. The antimicrobial activities elicited by P. citrina and its associated bacteria are also described. The results indicate that the marine environment could play an important role in the development of antibiotic resistance and the dissemination of resistance genes among bacteria

Evaluation of Marine Brown Algae and Sponges from Brazil as Anticoagulant and Antiplatelet Products

The ischemic disorders, in which platelet aggregation and blood coagulation are involved, represent a major cause of disability and death worldwide. The antithrombotic therapy has unsatisfactory performance and may produce side effects. So, there is a need to seek molecules with antithrombotic properties. Marine organisms produce substances with different well defined ecological functions. Moreover, some of these molecules also exhibit pharmacological properties such as antiviral, anticancer, antiophidic and anticoagulant properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate, through in vitro tests, the effect of two extracts of brown algae and ten marine sponges from Brazil on platelet aggregation and blood coagulation. Our results revealed that most of the extracts were capable of inhibiting platelet aggregation and clotting measured by plasma recalcification tests, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and fibrinogenolytic activity. On the other hand, five of ten species of sponges induced platelet aggregation. Thus, the marine organisms studied here may have molecules with antithrombotic properties, presenting biotechnological potential to antithrombotic therapy. Further chemical investigation should be conducted on the active species to discover useful molecules for the development of new drugs to treat clotting disorders

Avaliação da atividade antimicrobiana da esponja marinha Ectyoplasia ferox de Fernando de Noronha / Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of Ectyoplasia ferox marine sponge from Fernando de Noronha

Os oceanos cobrem mais de 70% da superfície terrestre e por isso são reservatórios de inúmeras espécies e estruturas químicas que podem ser potencialmente bioativas. Nos últimos anos o ambiente marinho recebeu maior atenção das indústrias farmacêuticas e biotecnológicas devido à diversidade de novas substâncias que podem ser descobertas. Estudos já demostraram que esponjas marinhas possuem algum tipo de defesa contra infecções microbianas em seu habitat. Nesse sentido esses organismos são uma fonte promissora de substâncias com potencial antibiótico que devem ser investigadas como alternativas terapêuticas para a problemática da resistência aos fármacos atuais.  Nesse trabalho avaliamos a atividade antimicrobiana de amostras da esponja Ectyoplasia ferox coletadas em diferentes locais do arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha (PE/Brasil). O ensaio antimicrobiano dos seis extratos brutos obtidos foi realizado através do método de micro diluição em caldo para determinar a Concentração Inibitória Mínima (CIM) contra Staphylococcus aureus HU25, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228, e Escherichia coli ATCC 11775. Dois extratos demonstraram atividade moderada: FN98-009 coletada na região da Ressureta (S. aureus: CIM = 64 µg/mL; S. epidermidis: CIM = 128 µg/mL) e FN98-063 coletada na região de Pedras Secas (S. epidermidis: CIM = 128 µg/mL). A partição por gradiente de polaridade da amostra com menor CIM (FN98-009) forneceu uma fração butanólica com atividade menor que seu extrato bruto, levando à hipótese de sinergismo entre as substâncias das diferentes frações. Como estratégia para investigar o possível efeito sinérgico e restaurar a atividade, as quatro frações foram combinadas duas a duas, originando seis amostras. Nenhuma das combinações demonstrou atividade até 512 µg/mL. Dessa forma, acredita-se que a atividade observada no extrato bruto esteja relacionada ao conjunto da maioria de seus constituintes em um efeito sinérgico e que um fracionamento biomonitorado do extrato não permitirá identificar as substâncias mais ativas, mas o potencial do extrato deve ser considerado para maiores estudos

Environmental Shaping of Sponge Associated Archaeal Communities

Archaea are ubiquitous symbionts of marine sponges but their ecological roles and the influence of environmental factors on these associations are still poorly understood.We compared the diversity and composition of archaea associated with seawater and with the sponges Hymeniacidon heliophila, Paraleucilla magna and Petromica citrina in two distinct environments: Guanabara Bay, a highly impacted estuary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the nearby Cagarras Archipelago. For this we used metagenomic analyses of 16S rRNA and ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) gene libraries. Hymeniacidon heliophila was more abundant inside the bay, while P. magna was more abundant outside and P. citrina was only recorded at the Cagarras Archipelago. Principal Component Analysis plots (PCA) generated using pairwise unweighted UniFrac distances showed that the archaeal community structure of inner bay seawater and sponges was different from that of coastal Cagarras Archipelago. Rarefaction analyses showed that inner bay archaeaoplankton were more diverse than those from the Cagarras Archipelago. Only members of Crenarchaeota were found in sponge libraries, while in seawater both Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota were observed. Although most amoA archaeal genes detected in this study seem to be novel, some clones were affiliated to known ammonia oxidizers such as Nitrosopumilus maritimus and Cenarchaeum symbiosum.The composition and diversity of archaeal communities associated with pollution-tolerant sponge species can change in a range of few kilometers, probably influenced by eutrophication. The presence of archaeal amoA genes in Porifera suggests that Archaea are involved in the nitrogen cycle within the sponge holobiont, possibly increasing its resistance to anthropogenic impacts. The higher diversity of Crenarchaeota in the polluted area suggests that some marine sponges are able to change the composition of their associated archaeal communities, thereby improving their fitness in impacted environments