Molecular phylogeny restores the supra-generic subdivision of homoscleromorph sponges (Porifera, Homoscleromorpha)

The Buds of Oscarella lobularis (Porifera, Homoscleromorpha): A New Convenient Model for Sponge Cell and Evolutionary Developmental Biology

The comparative study of the four non-bilaterian phyla (Cnidaria, Placozoa, Ctenophora, and Porifera) provides insights into the origin of bilaterian traits. To complete our knowledge of the cell biology and development of these animals, additional non-bilaterian models are needed. Given the developmental, histological, ecological, and genomic differences between the four sponge classes (Demospongiae, Calcarea, Homoscleromorpha, and Hexactinellida), we have been developing the Oscarella lobularis (Porifera, class Homoscleromorpha) model over the past 15 years. Here, we report a new step forward by inducing, producing, and maintaining in vitro thousands of clonal buds that now make possible various downstream applications. This study provides a full description of bud morphology, physiology, cells and tissues, from their formation to their development into juveniles, using adapted cell staining protocols. In addition, we show that buds have outstanding capabilities of regeneration after being injured and of re-epithelization after complete cell dissociation. Altogether, Oscarella buds constitute a relevant all-in-one sponge model to access a large set of biological processes, including somatic morphogenesis, epithelial morphogenesis, cell fate, body axes formation, nutrition, contraction, ciliary beating, and respiration.

Characterization of the Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Agelas nakamurai from the South China Sea

The Agelas genus sponges are widely distributed and provide shelter for organisms that inhabit reefs. However, there is a lack of research on the genetic diversity of the Agelas sponges. Additionally, only one Agelas mitochondrial genome has been documented, leaving the characteristics of the Agelas genus's mitogenome in need of further clarification. To address this research gap, we utilized Illumina HiSeq4000 sequencing and de novo assembly to ascertain the complete mitochondrial genome of Agelas sp. specimens, sourced from the South China Sea. Our analysis of the cox1 barcoding similarity and phylogenetic relationship reveals that taxonomically, the Agelas sp. corresponds to Agelas nakamurai. The mitogenome of Agelas nakamurai is 20,885 bp in length, encoding 14 protein-coding genes, 24 transfer RNA genes, and 2 ribosomal RNA genes. Through a comparison of the mitochondrial genes, we discovered that both Agelas nakamurai and Agelas schmidti have an identical gene arrangement. Furthermore, we observed a deletion in the trnD gene and duplication and remodeling of the trnL gene in the Agelas nakamurai's mitogenome. Our evolutionary analysis also identified lineage-specific positive selection sites in the nad3 and nad5 genes of the Agelas sponges' mitogenome. These findings shed light on the gene rearrangement events and positive selection sites in the mitogenome of Agelas nakamurai, providing valuable molecular insights into the evolutionary processes of this genus.

Phylomitogenomics bolsters the high-level classification of Demospongiae (phylum Porifera)

Class Demospongiae is the largest in the phylum Porifera (Sponges) and encompasses nearly 8,000 accepted species in three subclasses: Keratosa, Verongimorpha, and Heteroscleromorpha. Subclass Heteroscleromorpha contains ∼90% of demosponge species and is subdivided into 17 orders. The higher level classification of demosponges underwent major revision as the result of nearly three decades of molecular studies. However, because most of the previous molecular work only utilized partial data from a small number of nuclear and mitochondrial (mt) genes, this classification scheme needs to be tested by larger datasets. Here we compiled a mt dataset for 136 demosponge species-including 64 complete or nearly complete and six partial mt-genome sequences determined or assembled for this study-and used it to test phylogenetic relationships among Demospongiae in general and Heteroscleromorpha in particular. We also investigated the phylogenetic position of Myceliospongia araneosa, a highly unusual demosponge without spicules and spongin fibers, currently classified as Demospongiae incertae sedis, for which molecular data were not available. Our results support the previously inferred sister-group relationship between Heteroscleromorpha and Keratosa + Verongimorpha and suggest five main clades within Heteroscleromorpha: Clade C0 composed of order Haplosclerida; Clade C1 composed of Scopalinida, Sphaerocladina, and Spongillida; Clade C2 composed of Axinellida, Biemnida, Bubarida; Clade C3 composed of Tetractinellida; and Clade C4 composed of Agelasida, Clionaida, Desmacellida, Merliida, Suberitida, Poecilosclerida, Polymastiida, and Tethyida. The inferred relationships among these clades were (C0(C1(C2(C3+C4)))). Analysis of molecular data from M. araneosa placed it in the C3 clade as a sister taxon to the highly skeletonized tetractinellids Microscleroderma sp. and Leiodermatium sp. Molecular clock analysis dated divergences among the major clades in Heteroscleromorpha from the Cambrian to the Early Silurian, the origins of most heteroscleromorph orders in the middle Paleozoic, and the most basal splits within these orders around the Paleozoic to Mesozoic transition. Overall, the results of this study are mostly congruent with the accepted classification of Heteroscleromorpha, but add temporal perspective and new resolution to phylogenetic relationships within this subclass.

Phylogenomics and the first higher taxonomy of Placozoa, an ancient and enigmatic animal phylum

Placozoa is an ancient phylum of extraordinarily unusual animals: miniscule, ameboid creatures that lack most fundamental animal features. Despite high genetic diversity, only recently have the second and third species been named. While prior genomic studies suffer from incomplete placozoan taxon sampling, we more than double the count with protein sequences from seven key genomes and produce the first nuclear phylogenomic reconstruction of all major placozoan lineages. This leads us to the first complete Linnaean taxonomic classification of Placozoa, over a century after its discovery: This may be the only time in the 21st century when an entire higher taxonomy for a whole animal phylum is formalized. Our classification establishes 2 new classes, 4 new orders, 3 new families, 1 new genus, and 1 new species, namely classes Polyplacotomia and Uniplacotomia; orders Polyplacotomea, Trichoplacea, Cladhexea, and Hoilungea; families Polyplacotomidae, Cladtertiidae, and Hoilungidae; and genus Cladtertia with species Cladtertia collaboinventa, nov. Our likelihood and gene content tree topologies refine the relationships determined in previous studies. Adding morphological data into our phylogenomic matrices suggests sponges (Porifera) as the sister to other animals, indicating that modest data addition shifts this node away from comb jellies (Ctenophora). Furthermore, by adding the first genomic protein data of the exceptionally distinct and branching Polyplacotoma mediterranea, we solidify its position as sister to all other placozoans; a divergence we estimate to be over 400 million years old. Yet even this deep split sits on a long branch to other animals, suggesting a bottleneck event followed by diversification. Ancestral state reconstructions indicate large shifts in gene content within Placozoa, with Hoilungia hongkongensis and its closest relatives having the most unique genetics.

Confirmation of the first intronic sequence in the bivalvian mitochondrial genome of Macoma balthica (Linnaeus, 1758)

In 2020, the first male-type mitochondrial genome from the clam Macoma balthica was published. Apart from the unusual doubly uniparental inheritance of mtDNA, scientists observed a unique (over 4k bp long) extension in the middle of the cox2 gene. We have attempted to replicate these data by NGS DNA sequencing and explore further the expression of the long cox2 gene. In our study, we report an even longer cox2 gene (over 5.5 kbp) with no stop codon separating conserved cox2 domains, as well as, based on the rtPCR, a lower relative gene expression pattern of the middle part of the gene (5' = 1; mid = 0.46; 3' = 0.89). Lastly, we sequenced the cox2 gene transcript proving the excision of the intronic sequence.

Factors affecting the isolation and diversity of marine sponge-associated bacteria

Marine sponges are an ideal source for isolating as yet undiscovered microorganisms with some sponges having about 50% of their biomass composed of microbial symbionts. This study used a variety of approaches to investigate the culturable diversity of the sponge-associated bacterial community from samples collected from the South Australian marine environment. Twelve sponge samples were selected from two sites and their bacterial population cultivated using seven different agar media at two temperatures and three oxygen levels over 3 months. These isolates were identified using microscopic, macroscopic, and 16S rRNA gene analysis. A total of 1234 bacterial colonies were isolated which consisted of four phyla: Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, containing 21 genera. The diversity of the bacterial population was demonstrated to be influenced by the type of isolation medium, length of the incubation period and temperature, sponge type, and oxygen level. The findings of this study showed that marine sponges of South Australia can yield considerable bacterial culturable diversity if a comprehensive isolation strategy is implemented. Two sponges, with the highest and the lowest diversity of culturable isolates, were examined using next-generation sequencing to better profile the bacterial population. A marked difference in terms of phyla and genera was observed using culture-based and culture-independent approaches. This observed variation displays the importance of utilizing both methods to reflect a more complete picture of the microbial population of marine sponges. KEY POINTS: Improved bacterial diversity due to long incubations, 2 temperatures, and 3 oxygen levels. Isolates identified by morphology, restriction digests, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. At least 70% of culturable genera were not revealed by NGS methods.

Staining and Tracking Methods for Studying Sponge Cell Dynamics

To better understand the origin of animal cell types, body plans, and other morphological features, further biological knowledge and understanding are needed from non-bilaterian phyla, namely, Placozoa, Ctenophora, and Porifera. This chapter describes recent cell staining approaches that have been developed in three phylogenetically distinct sponge species-the homoscleromorph Oscarella lobularis, and the demosponges Amphimedon queenslandica and Lycopodina hypogea-to enable analyses of cell death, proliferation, and migration. These methods allow for a more detailed understanding of cellular behaviors and fates, and morphogenetic processes in poriferans, building on current knowledge of sponge cell biology that relies chiefly on classical (static) histological observations.

Not That Close to Mommy: Horizontal Transmission Seeds the Microbiome Associated with the Marine Sponge Plakina cyanorosea

Marine sponges are excellent examples of invertebrate-microbe symbioses. In this holobiont, the partnership has elegantly evolved by either transmitting key microbial associates through the host germline and/or capturing microorganisms from the surrounding seawater. We report here on the prokaryotic microbiota during different developmental stages of Plakina cyanorosea and their surrounding environmental samples by a 16S rRNA metabarcoding approach. In comparison with their source adults, larvae housed slightly richer and more diverse microbial communities, which are structurally more related to the environmental microbiota. In addition to the thaumarchaeal Nitrosopumilus, parental sponges were broadly dominated by Alpha- and Gamma-proteobacteria, while the offspring were particularly enriched in the Vibrionales, Alteromonodales, Enterobacterales orders and the Clostridia and Bacteroidia classes. An enterobacterial operational taxonomic unit (OTU) was the dominant member of the strict core microbiota. The most abundant and unique OTUs were not significantly enriched amongst the microbiomes from host specimens included in the sponge microbiome project. In a wider context, Oscarella and Plakina are the sponge genera with higher divergence in their associated microbiota compared to their Homoscleromorpha counterparts. Our results indicate that P. cyanorosea is a low microbial abundance sponge (LMA), which appears to heavily depend on the horizontal transmission of its microbial partners that likely help the sponge host in the adaptation to its habitat.

Architecture and function of NMDA receptors: an evolutionary perspective

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are a major class of ligand-gated ion channels that are widespread in the living kingdom. Their critical role in excitatory neurotransmission and brain function of arthropods and vertebrates has made them a compelling subject of interest for neurophysiologists and pharmacologists. This is particularly true for NMDA receptor (NMDARs), a subclass of iGluRs that act as central drivers of synaptic plasticity in the CNS. How and when the unique properties of NMDARs arose during evolution, and how they relate to the evolution of the nervous system, remain open questions. Recent years have witnessed a boom in both genomic and structural data, such that it is now possible to analyse the evolution of iGluR genes on an unprecedented scale and within a solid molecular framework. In this review, combining insights from phylogeny, atomic structure and physiological and mechanistic data, we discuss how evolution of NMDAR motifs and sequences shaped their architecture and functionalities. We trace differences and commonalities between NMDARs and other iGluRs, emphasizing a few distinctive properties of the former regarding ligand binding and gating, permeation, allosteric modulation and intracellular signalling. Finally, we speculate on how specific molecular properties of iGuRs arose to supply new functions to the evolving structure of the nervous system, from early metazoan to present mammals.

Conserved novel ORFs in the mitochondrial genome of the ctenophore Beroe forskalii

To date, five ctenophore species' mitochondrial genomes have been sequenced, and each contains open reading frames (ORFs) that if translated have no identifiable orthologs. ORFs with no identifiable orthologs are called unidentified reading frames (URFs). If truly protein-coding, ctenophore mitochondrial URFs represent a little understood path in early-diverging metazoan mitochondrial evolution and metabolism. We sequenced and annotated the mitochondrial genomes of three individuals of the beroid ctenophore Beroe forskalii and found that in addition to sharing the same canonical mitochondrial genes as other ctenophores, the B. forskalii mitochondrial genome contains two URFs. These URFs are conserved among the three individuals but not found in other sequenced species. We developed computational tools called pauvre and cuttlery to determine the likelihood that URFs are protein coding. There is evidence that the two URFs are under negative selection, and a novel Bayesian hypothesis test of trinucleotide frequency shows that the URFs are more similar to known coding genes than noncoding intergenic sequence. Protein structure and function prediction of all ctenophore URFs suggests that they all code for transmembrane transport proteins. These findings, along with the presence of URFs in other sequenced ctenophore mitochondrial genomes, suggest that ctenophores may have uncharacterized transmembrane proteins present in their mitochondria.

Integrative taxonomy widens our knowledge of the diversity, distribution and biology of the genus Plakina (Homosclerophorida: Plakinidae)

Despite the evolutionary significance of Homoscleromorpha, their diversity and biology are largely unknown. Here we integrate data of morphology, cytology, microbiology, ecology, reproduction, and mitochondrial cox-1 and cob gene sequences to resolve a complex of sympatric species of Plakina in South-eastern Brazil. All datasets congruently supported the delimitation of three species, two of which are new to science. Plakina coerulea has its distribution extended from one locality to over 2360 km wide. Plakina cabofriense, sp. nov. also occurs in North-eastern Brazil. Plakina cyanorosea, sp. nov. occurs only in a single, small tide pool and may be critically endangered. Plakina cyanorosea, sp. nov. produces conspicuous, abundant larvae useful for laboratory investigations. A thin, bright orange organic coat covers some spicules of P. cabofriense, sp. nov. and P. cyanorosea, sp. nov. The three Plakina species harbour diverse microbial symbiont communities, including previously unknown morphologies. Molecular phylogenies and barcoding gaps based on cox-1 and cob sequences supported that each species is monophyletic and distinct from other congeners. The genus Plakina is paraphyletic and strongly needs redefinition. The integrative approach provides new data that widens our knowledge of Homoscleromorpha diversity, distribution and biology.

First Detailed Record of Symbiosis Between a Sea Anemone and Homoscleromorph Sponge, With a Description of Tempuractis rinkai gen. et sp. nov. (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria: Edwardsiidae)

A new species in a new genus of sea anemone, Tempuractis rinkai gen. et sp. nov., was discovered at several localities along the temperate rocky shores of Japan. The new species is approximately 4 mm in length and has been assigned to family Edwardsiidae, because it has eight macrocnemes, lacks sphincter and basal muscles, and possesses rounded aboral end. The sea anemone, however, also has a peculiar body shape unlike that of any other known taxa. This new species resembles some genera, especially Drillactis and Nematostella, in smooth column surface without nemathybomes or tenaculi, but is distinguishable from them by several morphological features: the presence of holotrichs and absence of nematosomes. Furthermore, this edwardsiid species exhibits a peculiar symbiotic ecology with sponges. Therefore, a new genus, Tempuractis, is proposed for this species. In the field, T. rinkai sp. nov. was always found living inside homosclerophorid sponge of the genus Oscarella, which suggests a possible obligate symbiosis between Porifera and Actiniaria. The benefit of this symbiosis is discussed on the basis of observations of live specimens, both in the aquarium and field. This is the first report of symbiosis between a sea anemone and a homoscleromorph sponge.

Transcriptome sequencing and delimitation of sympatric Oscarella species (O. carmela and O. pearsei sp. nov) from California, USA

The homoscleromorph sponge Oscarella carmela, first described from central California, USA is shown to represent two superficially similar but both morphologically and phylogenetically distinct species that are co-distributed. We here describe a new species as Oscarella pearsei, sp. nov. and re-describe Oscarella carmela; the original description was based upon material from both species. Further, we correct the identification of published genomic/transcriptomic resources that were originally attributed to O. carmela, and present new Illumina-sequenced transcriptome assemblies for each of these species, and the mitochondrial genome sequence for O. pearsei sp. nov. Using SSU and LSU ribosomal DNA and the mitochondrial genome, we report the phylogenetic relationships of these species relative to other Oscarella species, and find strong support for the placement of O. pearsei sp. nov. in a distinct clade within genus Oscarella defined by the presence of spherulous cells that contain paracrystalline inclusions; O. carmela lacks this cell type. Oscarella pearsei sp. nov and O. carmela can be tentatively distinguished based upon gross morphological differences such as color, surface texture and extent of mucus production, but can be more reliably identified using mitochondrial and nuclear barcode sequencing, ultrastructural characteristics of cells in the mesohyl, and the morphology of the follicle epithelium which surrounds the developing embryo in reproductively active individuals.

Evolution of group I introns in Porifera: new evidence for intron mobility and implications for DNA barcoding

BACKGROUND

Mitochondrial introns intermit coding regions of genes and feature characteristic secondary structures and splicing mechanisms. In metazoans, mitochondrial introns have only been detected in sponges, cnidarians, placozoans and one annelid species. Within demosponges, group I and group II introns are present in six families. Based on different insertion sites within the cox1 gene and secondary structures, four types of group I and two types of group II introns are known, which can harbor up to three encoding homing endonuclease genes (HEG) of the LAGLIDADG family (group I) and/or reverse transcriptase (group II). However, only little is known about sponge intron mobility, transmission, and origin due to the lack of a comprehensive dataset. We analyzed the largest dataset on sponge mitochondrial group I introns to date: 95 specimens, from 11 different sponge genera which provided novel insights into the evolution of group I introns.

RESULTS

For the first time group I introns were detected in four genera of the sponge family Scleritodermidae (Scleritoderma, Microscleroderma, Aciculites, Setidium). We demonstrated that group I introns in sponges aggregate in the most conserved regions of cox1. We showed that co-occurrence of two introns in cox1 is unique among metazoans, but not uncommon in sponges. However, this combination always associates an active intron with a degenerating one. Earlier hypotheses of HGT were confirmed and for the first time VGT and secondary losses of introns conclusively demonstrated.

CONCLUSION

This study validates the subclass Spirophorina (Tetractinellida) as an intron hotspot in sponges. Our analyses confirm that most sponge group I introns probably originated from fungi. DNA barcoding is discussed and the application of alternative primers suggested.

Determination of the Halogenated Skeleton Constituents of the Marine Demosponge Ianthella basta

Demosponges of the order Verongida such as Ianthella basta exhibit skeletons containing spongin, a collagenous protein, and chitin. Moreover, Verongida sponges are well known to produce bioactive brominated tyrosine derivatives. We recently demonstrated that brominated compounds do not only occur in the cellular matrix but also in the skeletons of the marine sponges Aplysina cavernicola and I. basta. Further investigations revealed the amino acid composition of the skeletons of A. cavernicola including the presence of several halogenated amino acids. In the present work, we investigated the skeletal amino acid composition of the demosponge I. basta, which belongs to the Ianthellidae family, and compared it with that of A. cavernicola from the Aplysinidae family. Seventeen proteinogenic and five non-proteinogenic amino acids were detected in I. basta. Abundantly occurring amino acids like glycine and hydroxyproline show the similarity of I. basta and A. cavernicola and confirm the collagenous nature of their sponging fibers. We also detected nine halogenated tyrosines as an integral part of I. basta skeletons. Since both sponges contain a broad variety of halogenated amino acids, this seems to be characteristic for Verongida sponges. The observed differences of the amino acid composition confirm that spongin exhibits a certain degree of variability even among the members of the order Verongida.

Animal Mitochondrial DNA as We Do Not Know It: mt-Genome Organization and Evolution in Nonbilaterian Lineages

Animal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is commonly described as a small, circular molecule that is conserved in size, gene content, and organization. Data collected in the last decade have challenged this view by revealing considerable diversity in animal mitochondrial genome organization. Much of this diversity has been found in nonbilaterian animals (phyla Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Placozoa, and Porifera), which, from a phylogenetic perspective, form the main branches of the animal tree along with Bilateria. Within these groups, mt-genomes are characterized by varying numbers of both linear and circular chromosomes, extra genes (e.g. atp9, polB, tatC), large variation in the number of encoded mitochondrial transfer RNAs (tRNAs) (0-25), at least seven different genetic codes, presence/absence of introns, tRNA and mRNA editing, fragmented ribosomal RNA genes, translational frameshifting, highly variable substitution rates, and a large range of genome sizes. This newly discovered diversity allows a better understanding of the evolutionary plasticity and conservation of animal mtDNA and provides insights into the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms shaping mitochondrial genomes.

Rediscovering Chemical Gardens: Self-Assembling Cytocompatible Protein-Intercalated Silicate-Phosphate Sponge-Mimetic Tubules

The classic chemical garden experiment is reconstructed to produce protein-intercalated silicate-phosphate tubules that resemble tubular sponges. The constructs were synthesized by seeding calcium chloride into a solution of sodium silicate-potassium phosphate and gelatin. Sponge-mimetic tubules were fabricated with varying percentages of gelatin (0-15% w/v), in diameters ranging from 200 μm to 2 mm, characterized morphologically and compositionally, functionalized with biomolecules for cell adhesion, and evaluated for cytocompatibility. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis (EDS) experiments showed that the external surface of the tubules was relatively more amorphous in texture and carbon/protein-rich in comparison to the interior surface. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images indicate a network composed of gelatin incorporated into the inorganic scaffold. The presence of gelatin in the constructs was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to identify inorganic crystalline phases in the scaffolds that are mainly composed of Ca(OH)2, NaCl, and Ca2SiO4 along with a band corresponding to amorphous gelatin. Bioconjugation and coating protocols were developed to program the scaffolds with cues for cell adhesion, and the resulting constructs were employed for 3D cell culture of marine (Pyrocystis lunula) and mammalian (HeLa and H9C2) cell lines. The cytocompatibility of the constructs was demonstrated by live cell assays. We have successfully shown that these biomimetic materials can indeed support life; they serve as scaffolds that facilitate the attachment and assembly of individual cells to form multicellular entities, thereby revisiting the 350-year-old effort to link chemical gardens with the origins of life. Hybrid chemical garden biomaterials are programmable, readily fabricated and could be employed in tissue engineering, biomolecular materials development, 3D mammalian cell culture and by researchers investigating the origins of multicellular life.

Matrotrophy and placentation in invertebrates: a new paradigm

Matrotrophy, the continuous extra-vitelline supply of nutrients from the parent to the progeny during gestation, is one of the masterpieces of nature, contributing to offspring fitness and often correlated with evolutionary diversification. The most elaborate form of matrotrophy-placentotrophy-is well known for its broad occurrence among vertebrates, but the comparative distribution and structural diversity of matrotrophic expression among invertebrates is wanting. In the first comprehensive analysis of matrotrophy across the animal kingdom, we report that regardless of the degree of expression, it is established or inferred in at least 21 of 34 animal phyla, significantly exceeding previous accounts and changing the old paradigm that these phenomena are infrequent among invertebrates. In 10 phyla, matrotrophy is represented by only one or a few species, whereas in 11 it is either not uncommon or widespread and even pervasive. Among invertebrate phyla, Platyhelminthes, Arthropoda and Bryozoa dominate, with 162, 83 and 53 partly or wholly matrotrophic families, respectively. In comparison, Chordata has more than 220 families that include or consist entirely of matrotrophic species. We analysed the distribution of reproductive patterns among and within invertebrate phyla using recently published molecular phylogenies: matrotrophy has seemingly evolved at least 140 times in all major superclades: Parazoa and Eumetazoa, Radiata and Bilateria, Protostomia and Deuterostomia, Lophotrochozoa and Ecdysozoa. In Cycliophora and some Digenea, it may have evolved twice in the same life cycle. The provisioning of developing young is associated with almost all known types of incubation chambers, with matrotrophic viviparity more widespread (20 phyla) than brooding (10 phyla). In nine phyla, both matrotrophic incubation types are present. Matrotrophy is expressed in five nutritive modes, of which histotrophy and placentotrophy are most prevalent. Oophagy, embryophagy and histophagy are rarer, plausibly evolving through heterochronous development of the embryonic mouthparts and digestive system. During gestation, matrotrophic modes can shift, intergrade, and be performed simultaneously. Invertebrate matrotrophic adaptations are less complex structurally than in chordates, but they are more diverse, being formed either by a parent, embryo, or both. In a broad and still preliminary sense, there are indications of trends or grades of evolutionarily increasing complexity of nutritive structures: formation of (i) local zones of enhanced nutritional transport (placental analogues), including specialized parent-offspring cell complexes and various appendages increasing the entire secreting and absorbing surfaces as well as the contact surface between embryo and parent, (ii) compartmentalization of the common incubatory space into more compact and 'isolated' chambers with presumably more effective nutritional relationships, and (iii) internal secretory ('milk') glands. Some placental analogues in onychophorans and arthropods mimic the simplest placental variants in vertebrates, comprising striking examples of convergent evolution acting at all levels-positional, structural and physiological.

A New Species of Genus Plakortis Schulze 1880 (Porifera: Homoscleromorpha) from Badabalu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Vibha V. Ubare and PM. Mohan (2016) Recently revealed Class: Homoscleromorpha play a significant role in sponge systematics. The smaller size, cryptic habits and unresolved species complex are greater obstacles for the taxonomic identification of this class. Out of < 100 species, only 6 species have been described from the Indian region. Till date, only one species of the genus Plakortis, that is, P. simplex has been described from this region. The present study provides a detailed description of new species of the genus Plakortis, Schulze 1880. P. badabaluensis sp. nov. is characterized by the two size classes of diods (one is thick and the other is thin), triods and smooth microrhabds; with well differentiated ectosome, presence of subectosomal lacunae and confused choanosome. The identification of this new species has increased the number of plakinid species from one to two in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Further detailed studies are required to explore this type of cryptic species in this region.

Mitochondrial group I and group II introns in the sponge orders Agelasida and Axinellida

Background

Self-splicing introns are present in the mitochondria of members of most eukaryotic lineages. They are divided into Group I and Group II introns, according to their secondary structure and splicing mechanism. Being rare in animals, self-splicing introns were only described in a few sponges, cnidarians, placozoans and one annelid species. In sponges, three types of mitochondrial Group I introns were previously described in two demosponge families (Tetillidae, and Aplysinellidae) and in the homoscleromorph family Plakinidae. These three introns differ in their insertion site, secondary structure and in the sequence of the LAGLIDADG gene they encode. Notably, no group II introns have been previously described in sponges.

Results

We report here the presence of mitochondrial introns in the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene of three additional sponge species from three different families: Agelas oroides (Agelasidae, Agelasida), Cymbaxinella^pverrucosa (Hymerhabdiidae, Agelasida) and Axinella polypoides (Axinellidae, Axinellida). We show, for the first time, that sponges can also harbour Group II introns in their COI gene, whose presence in animals’ mitochondria has so far been described in only two phyla, Placozoa and Annelida. Surprisingly, two different Group II introns were discovered in the COI gene of C. verrucosa. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the Group II introns present in C. verrucosa are related to red algae (Rhodophyta) introns.

Conclusions

The differences found among intron secondary structures and the phylogenetic inferences support the hypothesis that the introns originated from independent horizontal gene transfer events. Our results thus suggest that self-splicing introns are more diverse in the mitochondrial genome of sponges than previously anticipated.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0556-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Identity elements for the aminoacylation of metazoan mitochondrial tRNA(Arg) have been widely conserved throughout evolution and ensure the fidelity of the AGR codon reassignment

Eumetazoan mitochondrial tRNAs possess structures (identity elements) that require the specific recognition by their cognate nuclear-encoded aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. The AGA (arginine) codon of the standard genetic code has been reassigned to serine/glycine/termination in eumetazoan organelles and is translated in some organisms by a mitochondrially encoded tRNA(Ser)UCU. One mechanism to prevent mistranslation of the AGA codon as arginine would require a set of tRNA identity elements distinct from those possessed by the cytoplasmic tRNAArg in which the major identity elements permit the arginylation of all 5 encoded isoacceptors. We have performed comparative in vitro aminoacylation using an insect mitochondrial arginyl-tRNA synthetase and tRNAArgUCG structural variants. The established identity elements are sufficient to maintain the fidelity of tRNASerUCU reassignment. tRNAs having a UCU anticodon cannot be arginylated but can be converted to arginine acceptance by identity element transplantation. We have examined the evolutionary distribution and functionality of these tRNA elements within metazoan taxa. We conclude that the identity elements that have evolved for the recognition of mitochondrial tRNAArgUCG by the nuclear encoded mitochondrial arginyl-tRNA synthetases of eumetazoans have been extensively, but not universally conserved, throughout this clade. They ensure that the AGR codon reassignment in eumetazoan mitochondria is not compromised by misaminoacylation. In contrast, in other metazoans, such as Porifera, whose mitochondrial translation is dictated by the universal genetic code, recognition of the 2 encoded tRNAArgUCG/UCU isoacceptors is achieved through structural features that resemble those employed by the yeast cytoplasmic system.

Towards a comprehensive picture of alloacceptor tRNA remolding in metazoan mitochondrial genomes

Remolding of tRNAs is a well-documented process in mitochondrial genomes that changes the identity of a tRNA. It involves a duplication of a tRNA gene, a mutation that changes the anticodon and the loss of the ancestral tRNA gene. The net effect is a functional tRNA that is more closely related to tRNAs of a different alloacceptor family than to tRNAs with the same anticodon in related species. Beyond being of interest for understanding mitochondrial tRNA function and evolution, tRNA remolding events can lead to artifacts in the annotation of mitogenomes and thus in studies of mitogenomic evolution. Therefore, it is important to identify and catalog these events. Here we describe novel methods to detect tRNA remolding in large-scale data sets and apply them to survey tRNA remolding throughout animal evolution. We identify several novel remolding events in addition to the ones previously mentioned in the literature. A detailed analysis of these remoldings showed that many of them are derived from ancestral events.

Cytonuclear Interactions in the Evolution of Animal Mitochondrial tRNA Metabolism

The evolution of mitochondrial information processing pathways, including replication, transcription and translation, is characterized by the gradual replacement of mitochondrial-encoded proteins with nuclear-encoded counterparts of diverse evolutionary origins. Although the ancestral enzymes involved in mitochondrial transcription and replication have been replaced early in eukaryotic evolution, mitochondrial translation is still carried out by an apparatus largely inherited from the α-proteobacterial ancestor. However, variation in the complement of mitochondrial-encoded molecules involved in translation, including transfer RNAs (tRNAs), provides evidence for the ongoing evolution of mitochondrial protein synthesis. Here, we investigate the evolution of the mitochondrial translational machinery using recent genomic and transcriptomic data from animals that have experienced the loss of mt-tRNAs, including phyla Cnidaria and Ctenophora, as well as some representatives of all four classes of Porifera. We focus on four sets of mitochondrial enzymes that directly interact with tRNAs: Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, glutamyl-tRNA amidotransferase, tRNA^Ile lysidine synthetase, and RNase P. Our results support the observation that the fate of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins is influenced by the evolution of molecules encoded in mitochondrial DNA, but in a more complex manner than appreciated previously. The data also suggest that relaxed selection on mitochondrial translation rather than coevolution between mitochondrial and nuclear subunits is responsible for elevated rates of evolution in mitochondrial translational proteins.

Sponge Derived Bromotyrosines: Structural Diversity through Natural Combinatorial Chemistry

Sponge derived bromotyrosines are a multifaceted class of marine bioactive compounds that are important for the chemical defense of sponges but also for drug discovery programs as well as for technical applications in the field of antifouling constituents. These compounds, which are mainly accumulated by Verongid sponges, exhibit a diverse range of bioactivities including antibiotic, cytotoxic and antifouling effects. In spite of the simple biogenetic building blocks, which consist only of brominated tyrosine and tyramine units, an impressive diversity of different compounds is obtained through different linkages between these precursors and through structural modifications of the side chains and/or aromatic rings resembling strategies that are known from combinatorial chemistry. As examples for bioactive, structurally divergent bromotyrosines psammaplin A, Aplysina alkaloids featuring aerothionin, aeroplysinin-1 and the dienone, and the bastadins, including the synthetically derived hemibastadin congeners, have been selected for this review. Whereas all of these natural products are believed to be involved in the chemical defense of sponges, some of them may also be of particular relevance to drug discovery due to their interaction with specific molecular targets in eukaryotic cells. These targets involve important enzymes and receptors, such as histone deacetylases (HDAC) and DNA methyltransferases (DNMT), which are inhibited by psammaplin A, as well as ryanodine receptors that are targeted by bastadine type compounds. The hemibastadins such as the synthetically derived dibromohemibastadin are of particular interest due to their antifouling activity. For the latter, a phenoloxidase which catalyzes the bioglue formation needed for firm attachment of fouling organisms to a given substrate was identified as a molecular target. The Aplysina alkaloids finally provide a vivid example for dynamic wound induced bioconversions of natural products that generate highly efficient chemical weapons precisely when and where needed.

A mitochondrial intron in a verongid sponge

We discovered for the first time a mitochondrial intron in a non-tetillid demosponge, which sheds new light on the interpretation of mitochondrial intron evolution among non-bilaterian animals and has consequences for phylogenetic and DNA barcoding studies. The newly discovered class 1 intron of Aplysinella rhax (Verongida) CO1 has an ORF for a putative LAGLIDADG-type and resembles other sponge and cnidarian mitochondrial introns. Our analysis of the Aplysinella rhax intron underlines that the patchy distribution of introns in sponges is caused by a combination of horizontal and vertical transmission. Further implications for CO1 phylogenetic and barcoding projects are discussed.

Structural molecular components of septate junctions in cnidarians point to the origin of epithelial junctions in eukaryotes

Septate junctions (SJs) insure barrier properties and control paracellular diffusion of solutes across epithelia in invertebrates. However, the origin and evolution of their molecular constituents in Metazoa have not been firmly established. Here, we investigated the genomes of early branching metazoan representatives to reconstruct the phylogeny of the molecular components of SJs. Although Claudins and SJ cytoplasmic adaptor components appeared successively throughout metazoan evolution, the structural components of SJs arose at the time of Placozoa/Cnidaria/Bilateria radiation. We also show that in the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata, the structural SJ component Neurexin IV colocalizes with the cortical actin network at the apical border of the cells, at the place of SJs. We propose a model for SJ components in Cnidaria. Moreover, our study reveals an unanticipated diversity of SJ structural component variants in cnidarians. This diversity correlates with gene-specific expression in calcifying and noncalcifying tissues, suggesting specific paracellular pathways across the cell layers of these diploblastic animals.

Eight new mtDNA sequences of glass sponges reveal an extensive usage of +1 frameshifting in mitochondrial translation

Three previously studied mitochondrial genomes of glass sponges (phylum Porifera, class Hexactinellida) contained single nucleotide insertions in protein coding genes inferred as sites of +1 translational frameshifting. To investigate the distribution and evolution of these sites and to help elucidate the mechanism of frameshifting, we determined eight new complete or nearly complete mtDNA sequences from glass sponges and examined individual mitochondrial genes from three others. We found nine new instances of single nucleotide insertions in these sequences and analyzed them both comparatively and phylogenetically. The base insertions appear to have been gained and lost repeatedly in hexactinellid mt protein genes, suggesting no functional significance for the frameshifting sites. A high degree of sequence conservation, the presence of unusual tRNAs, and a distinct pattern of codon usage suggest the "out-of-frame pairing" model of translational frameshifting. Additionally, we provide evidence that relaxed selection pressure on glass sponge mtDNA - possibly a result of their low growth rates and deep-water lifestyle - has allowed frameshift insertions to be tolerated for hundreds of millions of years. Our study provides the first example of a phylogenetically diverse and extensive usage of translational frameshifting in animal mitochondrial coding sequences.

Mitogenomics at the base of Metazoa

Unraveling the base of metazoan evolution is of crucial importance for rooting the metazoan Tree of Life. This subject has attracted substantial attention for more than a century and recently fueled a burst of modern phylogenetic studies. Conflicting scenarios from different studies and incongruent results from nuclear versus mitochondrial markers challenge current molecular phylogenetic approaches. Here we analyze the presently most comprehensive data sets of mitochondrial genomes from non-bilaterian animals to illuminate the phylogenetic relationships among early branching metazoan phyla. The results of our analyses illustrate the value of mitogenomics and support previously known topologies between animal phyla but also identify several problematic taxa, which are sensitive to long branch artifacts or missing data.

The twin-arginine subunit C in Oscarella: origin, evolution, and potential functional significance

The twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathway is a protein transport system that moves completely folded proteins across lipid membranes. Genes encoding components of the pathway have been found in the genomes of many Bacteria, Archaea, and eukaryotic organelles including chloroplasts, plant mitochondria, and the mitochondria of many protists. However, with a single exception, Tat genes are absent from the mitochondrial genomes of all animals. The only exception comes from the homoscleromorph sponges in the family Oscarellidae, whose mitochondrial genomes encode a gene for tatC, the largest subunit of the complex. Here, we explore the origin and evolution of the mitochondrial tatC gene in Oscarellidae, and use bioinformatic approaches to evaluate its functional significance. We conclude that tatC in Homoscleromorpha sponges was likely inherited from the ancestral proto-mitochondrial genome, implying multiple independent losses of the mitochondrial Tat pathway during the evolution of opisthokonts. In addition, bioinformatic evidence suggests that tatC comprises the entire Tat pathway in Oscarellidae, and that the Rieske Fe/S protein of mitochondrial complex III is its likely substrate.

Molecular phylogenies support homoplasy of multiple morphological characters used in the taxonomy of Heteroscleromorpha (Porifera: Demospongiae)

Sponge classification has long been based mainly on morphocladistic analyses but is now being greatly challenged by more than 12 years of accumulated analyses of molecular data analyses. The current study used phylogenetic hypotheses based on sequence data from 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and the CO1 barcoding fragment, combined with morphology to justify the resurrection of the order Axinellida Lévi, 1953. Axinellida occupies a key position in different morphologically derived topologies. The abandonment of Axinellida and the establishment of Halichondrida Vosmaer, 1887 sensu lato to contain Halichondriidae Gray, 1867, Axinellidae Carter, 1875, Bubaridae Topsent, 1894, Heteroxyidae Dendy, 1905, and a new family Dictyonellidae van Soest et al., 1990 was based on the conclusion that an axially condensed skeleton evolved independently in separate lineages in preference to the less parsimonious assumption that asters (star-shaped spicules), acanthostyles (club-shaped spicules with spines), and sigmata (C-shaped spicules) each evolved more than once. Our new molecular trees are congruent and contrast with the earlier, morphologically based, trees. The results show that axially condensed skeletons, asters, acanthostyles, and sigmata are all homoplasious characters. The unrecognized homoplasious nature of these characters explains much of the incongruence between molecular-based and morphology-based phylogenies. We use the molecular trees presented here as a basis for re-interpreting the morphological characters within Heteroscleromorpha. The implications for the classification of Heteroscleromorpha are discussed and a new order Biemnida ord. nov. is erected.

Systematics and molecular phylogeny of the family oscarellidae (homoscleromorpha) with description of two new oscarella species

The family Oscarellidae is one of the two families in the class Homoscleromorpha (phylum Porifera) and is characterized by the absence of a skeleton and the presence of a specific mitochondrial gene, tatC. This family currently encompasses sponges in two genera: Oscarella with 17 described species and Pseudocorticium with one described species. Although sponges in this group are relatively well-studied, phylogenetic relationships among members of Oscarellidae and the validity of genus Pseudocorticium remain open questions. Here we present a phylogenetic analysis of Oscarellidae using four markers (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, atp6, tatC), and argue that it should become a mono-generic family, with Pseudocorticium being synonymized with Oscarella, and with the transfer of Pseudocorticium jarrei to Oscarella jarrei. We show that the genus Oscarella can be subdivided into four clades, each of which is supported by either a small number of morphological characters or by molecular synapomorphies. In addition, we describe two new species of Oscarella from Norwegian fjords: O. bergenensis sp. nov. and O. nicolae sp. nov., and we compare their morphology, anatomy, and cytology with other species in this genus. Internal anatomical characters are similar in both species, but details of external morphology and particularly of cytological characters provide diagnostic features. Our study also confirms that O. lobularis and O. tuberculata are two distinct polychromic sibling species. This study highlights the difficulties of species identification in skeleton-less sponges and, more generally, in groups where morphological characters are scarce. Adopting a multi-marker approach is thus highly suitable for these groups.

The integrative taxonomic approach applied to porifera: a case study of the homoscleromorpha

The two main scientific tasks of taxonomy are species' delineation and classification. These two tasks are often treated differently, with classification accomplished by newly-developed phylogenetic methods, often based on molecular sequences, while delimitation of species is conducted by what is often considered to be an "old-fashioned" typological approach based on morphological description. A new "integrative taxonomy" has been proposed which maintains that species delimitation should be a multidisciplinary undertaking combining several independent datasets. Here we argue that the same principle is relevant to the classification of species. In the past 20 years, we assembled various datasets based on the external morphology, anatomy, cytology, spicule shapes, geography, reproduction, genetic sequences, and metabolomics of homoscleromorph sponges. We show how we used these datasets to describe new species of homoscleromorph sponges and to elucidate their phylogenetic relationships and their phylogenetic position within the phylum Porifera.

Managing and sharing the escalating number of sponge "unknowns": the SpongeMaps project

Contemporary collections of sponges in the Indo-west Pacific have escalated substantially due to pharmaceutical discovery, national bioregional planning, and compliance with international conventions on the seabed and its marine genetic resources beyond national jurisdictions. These partially processed operational taxonomic unit (OTU) collections now vastly outweigh the expertise available to make them better "known" via complete taxonomy, yet for many bioregions they represent the most significant body of currently available knowledge. Increasing numbers of cryptic species, previously undetected morphologically, are now being discovered by molecular and chemical analyses. The uncoordinated and fragmented nature of many previous collections, however, means that knowledge and expertise gained from a particular project are often lost to future projects without a biodiversity informatics legacy. Integrating these diverse data (GIS; OTUs; images; molecular, chemical, and other datasets) required a two-way iterative process so far unavailable for sponges with existing biodiversity informatics tools. SpongeMaps arose from the initial need for online collaboration to integrate morphometric data with molecular barcodes, including the Porifera Tree of Life (PorTol) project. It provides interrogation of existing data to better process new collections; capacity to create new OTUs; publication of online pages for individual species, so as to interpret GIS and other data for online biodiversity databases and services; and automatic links to external datasets for taxonomic hierarchy, specimen GIS and mapping, DNA sequence data, chemical structures, and images.

Cnidarian phylogenetic relationships as revealed by mitogenomics

BACKGROUND

Cnidaria (corals, sea anemones, hydroids, jellyfish) is a phylum of relatively simple aquatic animals characterized by the presence of the cnidocyst: a cell containing a giant capsular organelle with an eversible tubule (cnida). Species within Cnidaria have life cycles that involve one or both of the two distinct body forms, a typically benthic polyp, which may or may not be colonial, and a typically pelagic mostly solitary medusa. The currently accepted taxonomic scheme subdivides Cnidaria into two main assemblages: Anthozoa (Hexacorallia + Octocorallia) - cnidarians with a reproductive polyp and the absence of a medusa stage - and Medusozoa (Cubozoa, Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa, Staurozoa) - cnidarians that usually possess a reproductive medusa stage. Hypothesized relationships among these taxa greatly impact interpretations of cnidarian character evolution.

RESULTS

We expanded the sampling of cnidarian mitochondrial genomes, particularly from Medusozoa, to reevaluate phylogenetic relationships within Cnidaria. Our phylogenetic analyses based on a mitochogenomic dataset support many prior hypotheses, including monophyly of Hexacorallia, Octocorallia, Medusozoa, Cubozoa, Staurozoa, Hydrozoa, Carybdeida, Chirodropida, and Hydroidolina, but reject the monophyly of Anthozoa, indicating that the Octocorallia + Medusozoa relationship is not the result of sampling bias, as proposed earlier. Further, our analyses contradict Scyphozoa [Discomedusae + Coronatae], Acraspeda [Cubozoa + Scyphozoa], as well as the hypothesis that Staurozoa is the sister group to all the other medusozoans.

CONCLUSIONS

Cnidarian mitochondrial genomic data contain phylogenetic signal informative for understanding the evolutionary history of this phylum. Mitogenome-based phylogenies, which reject the monophyly of Anthozoa, provide further evidence for the polyp-first hypothesis. By rejecting the traditional Acraspeda and Scyphozoa hypotheses, these analyses suggest that the shared morphological characters in these groups are plesiomorphies, originated in the branch leading to Medusozoa. The expansion of mitogenomic data along with improvements in phylogenetic inference methods and use of additional nuclear markers will further enhance our understanding of the phylogenetic relationships and character evolution within Cnidaria.

Mitochondrial DNA of Clathrina clathrus (Calcarea, Calcinea): six linear chromosomes, fragmented rRNAs, tRNA editing, and a novel genetic code

Sponges (phylum Porifera) are a large and ancient group of morphologically simple but ecologically important aquatic animals. Although their body plan and lifestyle are relatively uniform, sponges show extensive molecular and genetic diversity. In particular, mitochondrial genomes from three of the four previously studied classes of Porifera (Demospongiae, Hexactinellida, and Homoscleromorpha) have distinct gene contents, genome organizations, and evolutionary rates. Here, we report the mitochondrial genome of Clathrina clathrus (Calcinea, Clathrinidae), a representative of the fourth poriferan class, the Calcarea, which proves to be the most unusual. Clathrina clathrus mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) consists of six linear chromosomes 7.6-9.4 kb in size and encodes at least 37 genes: 13 protein codings, 2 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and 24 transfer RNAs (tRNAs). Protein genes include atp9, which has now been found in all major sponge lineages, but no atp8. Our analyses further reveal the presence of a novel genetic code that involves unique reassignments of the UAG codons from termination to tyrosine and of the CGN codons from arginine to glycine. Clathrina clathrus mitochondrial rRNAs are encoded in three (srRNA) and ≥6 (lrRNA) fragments distributed out of order and on several chromosomes. The encoded tRNAs contain multiple mismatches in the aminoacyl acceptor stems that are repaired posttranscriptionally by 3'-end RNA editing. Although our analysis does not resolve the phylogenetic position of calcareous sponges, likely due to their high rates of mitochondrial sequence evolution, it confirms mtDNA as a promising marker for population studies in this group. The combination of unusual mitochondrial features in C. clathrus redefines the extremes of mtDNA evolution in animals and further argues against the idea of a "typical animal mtDNA."

Genetic aspects of mitochondrial genome evolution

Many years of extensive studies of metazoan mitochondrial genomes have established differences in gene arrangements and genetic codes as valuable phylogenetic markers. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of replication, transcription and the role of the control regions which cause e.g. different gene orders is important to assess the phylogenetic signal of such events. This review summarises and discusses, for the Metazoa, the general aspects of mitochondrial transcription and replication with respect to control regions as well as several proposed models of gene rearrangements. As whole genome sequencing projects accumulate, more and more observations about mitochondrial gene transfer to the nucleus are reported. Thus occurrence and phylogenetic aspects concerning nuclear mitochondrial-like sequences (NUMTS) is another aspect of this review.

Loss, replacement and gain of proteins at the origin of the mitochondria

We review what has been inferred about the changes at the level of the proteome that accompanied the evolution of the mitochondrion from an alphaproteobacterium. We regard these changes from an alphaproteobacterial perspective: which proteins were lost during mitochondrial evolution? And, of the proteins that were lost, which ones have been replaced by other, non-orthologous proteins with a similar function? Combining literature-supported replacements with quantitative analyses of mitochondrial proteomics data we infer that most of the loss and replacements that separate current day mitochondria in mammals from alphaproteobacteria took place before the radiation of the eukaryotes. Recent analyses show that also the acquisition of new proteins to the large protein complexes of the oxidative phosphorylation and the mitochondrial ribosome occurred mainly before the divergence of the eukaryotes. These results indicate a significant number of pivotal evolutionary events between the acquisition of the endosymbiont and the radiation of the eukaryotes and therewith support an early acquisition of mitochondria in eukaryotic evolution. Technically, advancements in the reconstruction of the evolutionary trajectories of loss, replacement and gain of mitochondrial proteins depend on using profile-based homology detection methods for sequence analysis. We highlight the mitochondrial Holliday junction resolvase endonuclease, for which such methods have detected new "family members" and in which function differentiation is accompanied by the loss of catalytic residues for the original enzymatic function and the gain of a protein domain for the new function. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The evolutionary aspects of bioenergetic systems.

The evolution of metazoan extracellular matrix

The modular domain structure of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and their genes has allowed extensive exon/domain shuffling during evolution to generate hundreds of ECM proteins. Many of these arose early during metazoan evolution and have been highly conserved ever since. Others have undergone duplication and divergence during evolution, and novel combinations of domains have evolved to generate new ECM proteins, particularly in the vertebrate lineage. The recent sequencing of several genomes has revealed many details of this conservation and evolution of ECM proteins to serve diverse functions in metazoa.

The twin-arginine translocation (Tat) protein export pathway

The twin-arginine translocation (Tat) protein export system is present in the cytoplasmic membranes of most bacteria and archaea and has the highly unusual property of transporting fully folded proteins. The system must therefore provide a transmembrane pathway that is large enough to allow the passage of structured macromolecular substrates of different sizes but that maintains the impermeability of the membrane to ions. In the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli, this complex task can be achieved by using only three small membrane proteins: TatA, TatB and TatC. In this Review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of how this remarkable machine operates.

Cellular and molecular processes leading to embryo formation in sponges: evidences for high conservation of processes throughout animal evolution

The emergence of multicellularity is regarded as one of the major evolutionary events of life. This transition unicellularity/pluricellularity was acquired independently several times (King 2004). The acquisition of multicellularity implies the emergence of cellular cohesion and means of communication, as well as molecular mechanisms enabling the control of morphogenesis and body plan patterning. Some of these molecular tools seem to have predated the acquisition of multicellularity while others are regarded as the acquisition of specific lineages. Morphogenesis consists in the spatial migration of cells or cell layers during embryonic development, metamorphosis, asexual reproduction, growth, and regeneration, resulting in the formation and patterning of a body. In this paper, our aim is to review what is currently known concerning basal metazoans--sponges' morphogenesis from the tissular, cellular, and molecular points of view--and what remains to elucidate. Our review attempts to show that morphogenetic processes found in sponges are as diverse and complex as those found in other animals. In true epithelial sponges (Homoscleromorpha), as well as in others, we find similar cell/layer movements, cellular shape changes involved in major morphogenetic processes such as embryogenesis or larval metamorphosis. Thus, sponges can provide information enabling us to better understand early animal evolution at the molecular level but also at the cell/cell layer level. Indeed, comparison of molecular tools will only be of value if accompanied by functional data and expression studies during morphogenetic processes.

Global diversity of sponges (Porifera)

With the completion of a single unified classification, the Systema Porifera (SP) and subsequent development of an online species database, the World Porifera Database (WPD), we are now equipped to provide a first comprehensive picture of the global biodiversity of the Porifera. An introductory overview of the four classes of the Porifera is followed by a description of the structure of our main source of data for this paper, the WPD. From this we extracted numbers of all 'known' sponges to date: the number of valid Recent sponges is established at 8,553, with the vast majority, 83%, belonging to the class Demospongiae. We also mapped for the first time the species richness of a comprehensive set of marine ecoregions of the world, data also extracted from the WPD. Perhaps not surprisingly, these distributions appear to show a strong bias towards collection and taxonomy efforts. Only when species richness is accumulated into large marine realms does a pattern emerge that is also recognized in many other marine animal groups: high numbers in tropical regions, lesser numbers in the colder parts of the world oceans. Preliminary similarity analysis of a matrix of species and marine ecoregions extracted from the WPD failed to yield a consistent hierarchical pattern of ecoregions into marine provinces. Global sponge diversity information is mostly generated in regional projects and resources: results obtained demonstrate that regional approaches to analytical biogeography are at present more likely to achieve insights into the biogeographic history of sponges than a global perspective, which appears currently too ambitious. We also review information on invasive sponges that might well have some influence on distribution patterns of the future.

Sponge systematics facing new challenges

Systematics is nowadays facing new challenges with the introduction of new concepts and new techniques. Compared to most other phyla, phylogenetic relationships among sponges are still largely unresolved. In the past 10 years, the classical taxonomy has been completely overturned and a review of the state of the art appears necessary. The field of taxonomy remains a prominent discipline of sponge research and studies related to sponge systematics were in greater number in the Eighth World Sponge Conference (Girona, Spain, September 2010) than in any previous world sponge conferences. To understand the state of this rapidly growing field, this chapter proposes to review studies, mainly from the past decade, in sponge taxonomy, nomenclature and phylogeny. In a first part, we analyse the reasons of the current success of this field. In a second part, we establish the current sponge systematics theoretical framework, with the use of (1) cladistics, (2) different codes of nomenclature (PhyloCode vs. Linnaean system) and (3) integrative taxonomy. Sponges are infamous for their lack of characters. However, by listing and discussing in a third part all characters available to taxonomists, we show how diverse characters are and that new ones are being used and tested, while old ones should be revisited. We then review the systematics of the four main classes of sponges (Hexactinellida, Calcispongiae, Homoscleromorpha and Demospongiae), each time focusing on current issues and case studies. We present a review of the taxonomic changes since the publication of the Systema Porifera (2002), and point to problems a sponge taxonomist is still faced with nowadays. To conclude, we make a series of proposals for the future of sponge systematics. In the light of recent studies, we establish a series of taxonomic changes that the sponge community may be ready to accept. We also propose a series of sponge new names and definitions following the PhyloCode. The issue of phantom species (potential new species revealed by molecular studies) is raised, and we show how they could be dealt with. Finally, we present a general strategy to help us succeed in building a Porifera tree along with the corresponding revised Porifera classification.

Deep phylogeny and evolution of sponges (phylum Porifera)

Sponges (phylum Porifera) are a diverse taxon of benthic aquatic animals of great ecological, commercial, and biopharmaceutical importance. They are arguably the earliest-branching metazoan taxon, and therefore, they have great significance in the reconstruction of early metazoan evolution. Yet, the phylogeny and systematics of sponges are to some extent still unresolved, and there is an on-going debate about the exact branching pattern of their main clades and their relationships to the other non-bilaterian animals. Here, we review the current state of the deep phylogeny of sponges. Several studies have suggested that sponges are paraphyletic. However, based on recent phylogenomic analyses, we suggest that the phylum Porifera could well be monophyletic, in accordance with cladistic analyses based on morphology. This finding has many implications for the evolutionary interpretation of early animal traits and sponge development. We further review the contribution that mitochondrial genes and genomes have made to sponge phylogenetics and explore the current state of the molecular phylogenies of the four main sponge lineages (Classes), that is, Demospongiae, Hexactinellida, Calcarea, and Homoscleromorpha, in detail. While classical systematic systems are largely congruent with molecular phylogenies in the class Hexactinellida and in certain parts of Demospongiae and Homoscleromorpha, the high degree of incongruence in the class Calcarea still represents a challenge. We highlight future areas of research to fill existing gaps in our knowledge. By reviewing sponge development in an evolutionary and phylogenetic context, we support previous suggestions that sponge larvae share traits and complexity with eumetazoans and that the simple sedentary adult lifestyle of sponges probably reflects some degree of secondary simplification. In summary, while deep sponge phylogenetics has made many advances in the past years, considerable efforts are still required to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the relationships among and within the main sponge lineages to fully appreciate the evolution of this extraordinary metazoan phylum.

Rapid evolution of the compact and unusual mitochondrial genome in the ctenophore, Pleurobrachia bachei

Ctenophores are one of the most basally branching lineages of metazoans with the largest mitochondrial organelles in the animal kingdom. We sequenced the mitochondrial (mtDNA) genome from the Pacific cidipid ctenophore, Pleurobrachia bachei. The circular mitochondrial genome is 11,016 nts, with only 12 genes, and one of the smallest metazoan mtDNA genomes recorded. The protein coding genes are intronless cox1-3, cob, nad1, 3, 4, 4L and 5. The nad2 and 6 genes are represented as short fragments whereas the atp6 gene was found in the nuclear genome. Only the large ribosomal RNA subunit and two tRNAs were present with possibly the small subunit unidentifiable due to extensive fragmentation. The observed unique features of this mitochondrial genome suggest that nuclear and mitochondrial genomes have evolved at very different rates. This reduced mtDNA genome sharply contrasts with the very large sizes of mtDNA found in other basal metazoans including Porifera (sponges), and Placozoa (Trichoplax).