''Inflatella belli'', or the gooseberry sponge, is a species of

demosponge Demosponges (Demospongiae) are the most diverse class in the phylum Porifera. They include 76.2% of all species of sponges with nearly 8,800 species worldwide (World Porifera Database). They are sponges with a soft body that covers a har ...

that appears to be restricted to the southern hemisphere, where it is widespread. It occurs from the coast of Namibia and the

Indo-pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

, down to the Subantarctic and

Antarctic The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and other ...

regions.Uriz, María Jesús (1988).
Deep-water sponges from the continental shelf and slope of Namibia (south-west Africa). Classes Hexactinellida and Demospongiae
'' CSIC-Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)

Description

The gooseberry sponge is a green to yellow-brown species which grows in a semi-spherical to ovoid form. The outside is tough and leathery and the inside soft and pulpy. The inner layer is darker than the outer layers. The surface is covered with long trumpet-shaped protrusions. It may grow to be wide.

Spicules

The oxeas (

spicules Spicules are any of various small needle-like anatomical structures occurring in organisms Spicule may also refer to: *Spicule (sponge), small skeletal elements of sea sponges *Spicule (nematode), reproductive structures found in male nematodes ( ...

pointed at both ends) are straight or slightly curved. One end is sharply pointed and the other more rounded.

Skeleton

The spicules grow together to from several overlapping layers in the cortex. The papillae are made of a dense layer of upright spicules. The spicules in the choanosome are arranged in an irregular network.

Distribution and habitat

This deep water sponge is widespread across the southern hemisphere. It has been found off the coasts of Namibia and South Africa and in the Indo-pacific region (off New Zealand), as well as being a common species in the Antarctic and Subantarctic regions. Although it has been found as shallow as , it is far more common at greater depths, where it grows on hard substrates.

Ecology

This species may be parasitised by

diatom A diatom (Neo-Latin ''diatoma''), "a cutting through, a severance", from el, διάτομος, diátomos, "cut in half, divided equally" from el, διατέμνω, diatémno, "to cut in twain". is any member of a large group comprising sev ...

s, which get taken up while the sponge is feeding. It is unclear why they get incorporated into the sponge, but it has been suggested that their siliceous shells may cause the sponge to mistake them for siliceous particles, which they use to build up their skeleton. In parasitised sponges, the carbohydrate concentration is inversely proportional to that of chlorophyll-a, suggesting that the diatoms are using the products of their host's metabolism as an energy source. This ultimately expands their niche as they are able to survive in habitats with insufficient light for photosynthesis, while living in a relatively sheltered environment.

Bioactive compounds

As is the case with many sponge species, the gooseberry sponge contains several

bioactive compounds A bioactive compound is a compound that has an effect on a living organism, tissue or cell, usually demonstrated by basic research in vitro or in vivo in the laboratory. While dietary nutrients are essential to life, bioactive compounds have not ...

which may be of pharmaceutical interest and importance. Thus far it has been found to inhibit the activity of

β-amylase β-Amylase (EC 3.2.1.2 , saccharogen amylase, glycogenase) is an enzyme with the systematic name ''4-α-D-glucan maltohydrolase''. It catalyses the following reaction: : Hydrolysis of (1→4)-α-D-glucosidic linkages in polysaccharides so as to ...

as well as being an effective antibacterial or antifungal against specific pathogenic strains. As an antibacterial, it was found to be effective against an Antarctic strain of Pseudomonas, a laboratory strain of ''

E. coli ''Escherichia coli'' (),Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. also known as ''E. coli'' (), is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escher ...

'', ''

Staphylococcus saprophyticus ''Staphylococcus saprophyticus'' is a Gram-positive coccus belonging to the genus '' Staphylococcus''. ''S. saprophyticus'' is a common cause of community-acquired urinary tract infections. History ''Staphylococcus saprophyticus'' was not recogn ...

'' and methicillin-resistant ''

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius ''Staphylococcus pseudintermedius'' is a gram positive coccus bacteria of the genus ''Staphylococcus'' found worldwide. It is primarily a pathogen for domestic animals, but has been known to affect humans as well.''S. pseudintermedius'' is an opp ...

.'' As an antifungal, it was found to be particularly effective against '' Candida parapsilosis'' (an emerging pathogen responsible for catheterrelated infections and opportunistic nosocomial blood-born diseases in immunocompromised patients). It also reduced the growth of

Debaryomyces hansenii ''Debaryomyces hansenii'' is a species of yeast in the family Saccharomycetaceae. Also known as ''Candida famata'', it accounts for up to 2% of invasive candidiasis cases. Ecology ''Debaryomyces hansenii'' is an osmo-, halo- and xerotolerant ...

, ''

Exophiala dermatitidis ''Exophiala dermatitidis'' is a thermophilic black yeast, and a member of the Herpotrichiellaceae. While the species is only found at low abundance in nature, metabolically active strains are commonly isolated in saunas, steam baths, and dish wa ...

'', '' Fusarium dimerum'', and ''Aureobasidum melanogenum''. WIth the exception of ''Debaryomyces hansenii'', which is found in Arctic seawater, these fungal cultures were all isolated from normal household sources, such as dishwashers and potable water.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2093737 Demospongiae Species described in 1907