Microbially Mediated Cycling of Organohalides in Marine Sponges

微生物在海洋中的脱卤化过程有助于人类和生物来源的卤代有机化合物的全球循环，在天然产物化学和生物修复中都有应用。在这项研究中，罗格斯大学的研究人员将调查海绵动物体内的脱卤菌群，目的是了解内胚层微生物区系的作用和代谢活动。海绵(Porifera)含有大量的细菌，可占动物生物量的40%，尽管人们对与它们相关的细菌种群的具体作用知之甚少。众所周知，海绵会产生过多的次生代谢物，这些次生代谢物可能起到化学防御捕食者和生物污垢的作用。许多次生代谢物是有机卤素化合物，可能占某些物种动物干重的10%以上。海绵组织中丰富的卤化物和较高的细菌生物量表明，海绵相关微生物可能具有代谢有机卤化物的能力。海绵Aplysina Aerobia和Verongida目的相关物种被选为模式系统，因为溴化物的存在是这个分类组的特征，而且因为这个物种在实验上是容易驯化的。总体的工作假设是，脱卤菌在海绵中形成稳定的种群，在有机卤化物的循环中发挥作用。更广泛的影响：该项目将为研究生和本科生提供独特的研究机会。本科生将通过库克学院的暑期实习计划接受培训，并积极参与实验室分析，为他们提供实践研究经验和多学科主题的研究，以促进不同科学领域的职业发展和专业安置。该项目将与罗格斯大学新的微生物学本科课程相结合，并通过Rise@Rutgers计划雇用来自代表性不足的种族群体的学生。

ABSTRACTOCE-0451708Microbially-mediated dehalogenation processes in the ocean contribute to the global cycling of anthropogenic and biogenic halogenated organic compounds with applications in both natural products chemistry and in bioremediation. In this study, researchers at Rutgers University will investigate the dehalogenating bacterial populations within the sponge animal with the goal of understanding the roles and metabolic activities of the endomesohyl microbiota. Sponges (Porifera) harbor large numbers of bacteria that can amount to 40% of the biomass of the animal, although little is know about the specific roles of the bacterial populations associated with them. Sponges are known to produce a plethora of secondary metabolites that may function as chemical defense against predators and biofouling. Many secondary metabolites are organohalogen compounds that may constitute over 10% of the animal dry weight of some species. The abundance of halogenated compounds in sponge tissue and the high bacterial biomass implies that sponge-associated microorganisms may have the ability to metabolize the organohalide compounds. The sponge Aplysina aerophoba and related species of the order Verongida are chosen as a model system because the presence of brominated compounds is characteristic for this taxonomic group and because this species is experimentally tractable. The overall working hypothesis is that dehalogenating bacteria form stable populations within the sponge that function in the cycling of organohalide compounds. Broader impacts: This project will provide unique research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. Undergraduates will be trained through summer internship programs at Cook College and actively partake in the laboratory analysis, providing them with hands on research experience and study on a multidisciplinary topic to foster both career development and professional placement in diverse scientific fields. The project will integrate with the new Microbiology undergraduate curriculum at Rutgers University and employ students from under-represented ethnic groups through the RISE @ Rutgers program.