Molecular characterization and expression analysis of the first Porifera tumor necrosis factor superfamily member and of its putative receptor in the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis.

Here we report the molecular cloning and characterization of the first Tumor Necrosis Factor homologous and of its putative receptor in the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis: chTNF and chTNFR, respectively. The deduced chTNF amino acid sequence is a type II transmembrane protein containing the typical TNFSF domain. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that chTNF is more related to Chordata TNFs rather than to other invertebrates.

Pichia pastoris production of a prolyl 4-hydroxylase derived from Chondrosia reniformis sponge: A new biotechnological tool for the recombinant production of marine collagen.

Prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4H) is a α2β2 tetramer catalyzing the post-translational hydroxylation of prolines in collagen. Its recombinant production is mainly pursued to realize biotechnological tools able to generate animal contaminant-free hydroxylated collagen. One promising candidate for biomedical applications is the collagen extracted from the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis, because of its biocompatibility and because is devoid of the health risks associated with bovine and porcine collagens.

Molecular Cloning, Characterization, and Expression Analysis of a Prolyl 4-Hydroxylase from the Marine Sponge Chondrosia reniformis.

Prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4H) catalyzes the hydroxylation of proline residues in collagen. P4H has two functional subunits, α and β. Here, we report the cDNA cloning, characterization, and expression analysis of the α and β subunits of the P4H derived from the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis.

Carbonic anhydrase: a key regulatory and detoxifying enzyme for Karst plants.

Karstification is a rapid process during which calcidic stones/limestones undergo dissolution with the consequence of a desertification of karst regions. A slow-down of those dissolution processes of Ca-carbonate can be approached by a reforestation program using karst-resistant plants that can resist alkaline pH and higher bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) concentrations in the soil. Carbonic anhydrases (CA) are enzymes that mediate a rapid and reversible interconversion of CO₂ and HCO₃⁻.

Primmorphs cryopreservation: a new method for long-time storage of sponge cells.

The possibility to cryopreserve cells allows for wide opportunities of flexible handling of cell cultures from different sponge species. Primmorphs model, a multicellular 3D aggregate formed by dissociated sponge cells, is considered one of the best approaches to establish sponge cell culture but, in spite of the available protocols for freezing sponge cells, there is no information regarding the ability of the latter to form primmorphs after thawing. In the present work, we demonstrate that, after a freezing and thawing cycle using dissociated Petrosia ficiformis cells as a model, cells viability was high but it was not possible to obtain primmorphs.

Molecular characterization of a nonfibrillar collagen from the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis Nardo 1847 and positive effects of soluble silicates on its expression.

We report here the complete cDNA sequence of a nonfibrillar collagen (COLch) isolated from the marine sponge Chondrosia reniformis, Nardo 1847 using a PCR approach. COLch cDNA consists of 2,563 nucleotides and includes a 5' untranslated region (UTR) of 136 nucleotides, a 3' UTR of 198 nucleotides, and an open reading frame encoding for a protein of 743 amino acids with an estimated M (r) of 72.12 kDa.

Primary structure and post-translational modifications of silicatein beta from the marine sponge Petrosia ficiformis (Poiret, 1789).

Biosilica is an amazing example of natural order and complexity. Siliceous sponge spicules, in particular, are characterized by a large variety of dimensions and shapes, with an ultrastructure based on silica nanoparticles strictly packaged around an axial filament constituted by a family of proteins called silicateins. These peculiar proteins have a high sequence homology with cathepsins and they play a double role of enzyme and template in the control of biosilica precipitation.