Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
Two Demosponges as Promising Bioremediators of a Potential Pathogenic Vibrio. |
| Authors: |
Aguilo-Arce, Joseba, Scrascia, Maria, Trani, Roberta, Pazzani, Carlo, Ferriol, Pere, Longo, Caterina |
| Source: |
Biology (2079-7737); Feb2025, Vol. 14 Issue 2, p140, 15p |
| Subject Terms: |
VIBRIO parahaemolyticus, MICROBIAL contamination, SPONGES (Invertebrates), DEMOSPONGIAE, DRUG resistance in microorganisms |
| Abstract: |
Simple Summary: Marine sponges, widespread across the world's oceans, are highly efficient filter feeders capable of retaining various organic particles, including bacteria. In this study, we evaluated the capacity of two common Mediterranean sponge species to filter and retain a multidrug-resistant strain of V. parahaemolyticus. Both sponges demonstrated high clearance and retention efficiencies, with no bacterial excretion observed after six days. The sponges remained healthy throughout the experimental period, showing no signs of infection. These findings highlight the sponges' resilience and effective filtering capabilities, emphasizing their potential role in impacted environments such as aquaculture systems by mitigating the spread of antimicrobial resistance—a growing global challenge. Marine sponges play a fundamental role in the proper functioning of the ecosystem by filtering organic matter and contributing to nutrient fluxes. These animals have been proposed as efficient bioremediators of microbiological contamination in various environmental conditions subjected by anthropogenic pressure. In the present study, the bioremediation potential of the demosponges Aplysina aerophoba and Geodia cydonium was analyzed ex situ. For this purpose, the viable count of an antibiotic-resistant bacterial strain belonging to the species Vibrio parahaemolyticus was assessed in presence of the selected sponge species. Although some sponge individuals showed closed oscula during the first hours of the experiment, A. aerophoba and G. cydonium reduced the bacterial load in the seawater up to five orders of magnitude in 72 h. In addition, they had high clearance rates and retention efficiencies, with almost complete removal of the tested bacteria. Low Vibrio concentrations were observed in all tanks after six days, suggesting no excretion of viable Vibrio from sponges. These results corroborate the usefulness of A. aerophoba and G. cydonium as bioremediators of bacteria and therefore appear to be ideal candidates for bioremediation purposes in anthropogenic environments, such as aquaculture facilities, where multidrug-resistant bacteria may play a role in the spread of antimicrobial resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: |
Complementary Index |
