Taxonomic and distributional notes on Spongilla-flies (Neuroptera: Sisyridae) from Southeastern Brazil with first interactive key to the species of the country.[Pubmed: 28610263]

Based on adults collected from Espírito Santo, Southeastern Brazil, we present the first reports of Sisyridae from the state, expanding the known distributional range of five species of Climacia McLachlan and Sisyra Burmeister. Adults were collected throughout two basins, Rio Doce and São Mateus, and its tributaries in the north of the state with Pennsylvania light trap. Two species are reported for the first time from Southeastern Brazil. Furthermore, we describe the male of Climacia basalis Banks and compare it with the male of its junior synonym, C. desordenata Monserrat. In addition, traditional and interactive keys are proposed for the identification of all the species of Sisyridae reported from Brazil.

SEM-EDS and X-ray micro computed tomography studies of skeletal surface pattern and body structure in the freshwater sponge Spongilla lacustris collected from Goczalkowice reservoir habit (Southern Poland).[Pubmed: 25679287]

Freshwater sponges are common animals of most aquatic ecosystems. They feed by filtering small particles from the water, and so are thought to be sensitive indicators of pollution. Sponges are strongly associated with the abiotic environment and are therefore used as bioindicators for monitoring of water quality in water habitats. Among the freshwater sponges, Spongilla lacustris is one of the classic models used to study evolution, gene regulation, development, physiology and structural biology in animal water systems. It is also important in diagnostic of aquatic environments. The aim of this study was to characterize and visualize three-dimensional architecture of sponge body and measure skeleton elements of S. lacustris from Goczalkowice reservoir for identification purposes.

A new species of Spongilla-fly from Western Africa (Neuroptera: Sisyridae).[Pubmed: 25543749]

A new species of spongilla-fly (Neuropterida, Neuroptera, Sisyridae: Sisyra) is described from Western Africa (Guinea and Ivory Coast). This new Sisyra species differs from all other known African species both in its morphology and genitalia, and it seems to be most closely related to a species in Thailand.

Identification and first insights into the structure and biosynthesis of chitin from the freshwater sponge Spongilla lacustris.[Pubmed: 23831449]

This work demonstrates that chitin is an important structural component within the skeletal fibers of the freshwater sponge Spongilla lacustris. Using a variety of analytical techniques ((13)C solid state NMR, FT-IR, Raman, NEXAFS, ESI-MS, Morgan-Elson assay and Calcofluor White Staining); we show that this sponge chitin is much closer to α-chitin, known to be present in other animals, than to β-chitin. Genetic analysis confirmed the presence of chitin synthases, which are described for the first time in a sponge. The presence of chitin in both marine (demosponges and hexactinellids) and freshwater sponges indicates that this important structural biopolymer was already present in their common ancestor.

The study on effects and safety of Spongilla lacustris in 3% hydrogen peroxide solution on rat skin.[Pubmed: 23513460]

To study the effects and safety of Spongilla lacustris (SL) in 3% hydrogen peroxide (H2O) on rat skin.

[Freshwater sponge silicateins: comparison of sequences and exon-intron structure of genes].[Pubmed: 21954593]

Siliceous sponge spicules contain silicateins--proteins taking part in biogenic silica precipitation and determination of the spicule morphological features. The exon-intron structure of four silicatein-alpha isoforms: -alpha1,-alpha2, -alpha3 and -alpha4 from endemic baikalian sponge Lubomirskia baicalensis was studied. For eight sponge species, including both cosmopolitan (Spongilla lacustris, Ephydatia muelleri, E. fluviatilis) and Baikal endemic (L. baicalensis, L. incrustans, Baikalospongia intermedia, B. fungiformis, Sw. papyracea) species, seventeen gene fragment sequences of different silicatein isoforms were determined. It was shown that cosmopolitan and endemic Baikalian sponges differ from each other by gene structure (have different length ofintrons). Among Baikalian sponges silicatein-alpha1 has the most variable intron length, and silicatein-alpha4 is the most conservative. Phylogenetic analysis of amino-acid silicatein sequences allow identify different silicatein isoforms, which authentically differ form four clusters on phylogenetic tree. Phylogenetic analysis of exon-intron sequences gives the possibility to separate different sponge species in the clusters.

Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 December 2009-31 January 2010.[Pubmed: 21565062]

This article documents the addition of 220 microsatellite marker loci to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Allanblackia floribunda, Amblyraja radiata, Bactrocera cucurbitae, Brachycaudus helichrysi, Calopogonium mucunoides, Dissodactylus primitivus, Elodea canadensis, Ephydatia fluviatilis, Galapaganus howdenae howdenae, Hoplostethus atlanticus, Ischnura elegans, Larimichthys polyactis, Opheodrys vernalis, Pelteobagrus fulvidraco, Phragmidium violaceum, Pistacia vera, and Thunnus thynnus. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Allanblackia gabonensis, Allanblackia stanerana, Neoceratitis cyanescens, Dacus ciliatus, Dacus demmerezi, Bactrocera zonata, Ceratitis capitata, Ceratitis rosa, Ceratits catoirii, Dacus punctatifrons, Ephydatia mülleri, Spongilla lacustris, Geodia cydonium, Axinella sp., Ischnura graellsii, Ischnura ramburii, Ischnura pumilio, Pistacia integerrima and Pistacia terebinthus.

[Phylogenetic position of sponges from Chagytaĭ and Tore-Khol' lakes].[Pubmed: 21434420]

Morphological and molecular genetic data for freshwater sponges from the lakes of Tuva Depression, Baikalospongia dzhegatajensis (Rezvo, 1936), forms Dzh05 and Dzh06, from Chagatai Lake, as well as forms TKhl and TKh2, from the Lake Tore-Khol, were obtained and examined. In the sponges examined, which on phylogenetic tree clustered together with the Ephydatia fluviatilis (Linneaus, 1758) sponge from the family Spongillidae, the ITS rDNA regions were sequenced. Comparison of highly variable interal spacer regions of the mitochondrial genome was performed using corresponding sequences of three sponges from the family Spongillidae (E. fluviatilis, E. muelleri and Spongilla lacustris), sponges from the Chagatai and Tore-Khol lakes (Dzh06 and TKh2) with an unknown status, and sponges from the Baikalian family Lubomirskiidae. Minimum genetic differences were observed between E. fluviatilis, Dzh06, and TKh2 (from 0.003 to 0.01% of nucleotide substitutions), while maximum differences were found between the species of Lubomirskiidae and Spongillidae (from 0.928 to 2.06%). The data obtained indicated that sponges from Chagatai and Tore-Khol lakes were most close to E. fluviatilis.

The systematics of Zoochlorella revisited employing an integrative approach.[Pubmed: 20874732]

Symbiosis of green algae with protozoa and invertebrates has been studied for more than 100 years. Endosymbiotic green algae are widely distributed in ciliates (e.g. Paramecium, Stentor, Climacostomum, Coleps, Euplotes), heliozoa (e.g. Acanthocystis) and invertebrates (e.g. Hydra, Spongilla), and have traditionally been identified as named or unnamed species of Chlorella Beij. or Zoochlorella K. Brandt or referred to as Chlorella-like algae or zoochlorellae. We studied 17 strains of endosymbionts isolated from various hosts and geographical localities using an integrative approach (nuclear encoded small subunit and internal transcribed spacer regions of rRNA gene sequences including their secondary structures, morphology, physiology and virus sensitivity). Phylogenetic analyses have revealed them to be polyphyletic. The strains examined belong to five independent clades within the Trebouxiophyceae (Choricystis-, Elliptochloris-, Auxenochlorella- and Chlorella-clades) and Chlorophyceae (Scenedesmus-clade). The most studied host organism, Paramecium bursaria, harbours endosymbionts representing at least five different species. On the basis of our results, we propose a taxonomic revision of endosymbiotic 'Chlorella'-like green algae. Zoochlorella conductrix K. Brandt is transferred to Micractinium Fresen. and Zoochlorella parasitica K. Brandt to Choricystis (Skuja) Fott. It was shown that Choricystis minor (Skuja) Fott, the generitype, is a later heterotypic synonym of Choricystis parasitica (K. Brandt) comb. nov. A new species, Chlorella heliozoae, is proposed to accommodate the endosymbiont of Acanthocystis turfacea.