The Mediterranean sponges Aplysina aerophoba and A. cavernicola accumulate brominated isoxazoline alkaloids including aplysinamisin-1 (1), aerophobin-2 (2), isofistularin-3 (3) or aerothionin (4) at concentrations up to 10% of their respective dry weights. In laboratory feeding experiments employing the polyphagous Mediterranean fish Blennius sphinx crude extracts of both Aplysina sponges were ...

Sponges (Porifera) are among the earliest evolving metazoans. Their filter-feeding body plan based on choanocyte chambers organized into a complex aquiferous system is so unique among metazoans that it either reflects an early divergence from other animals prior to the evolution of features such as muscles and nerves, or that sponges lost these characters. Analyses of the Amphimedon and Oscarel...

This study investigated the effects of lubricin on the gliding of repaired flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendons in vitro. Canine FDP tendons were completely lacerated, repaired with a modified Pennington technique, and treated with one of the following solutions: saline, carbodiimide derivatized gelatin/hyaluronic acid (cd-HA-gelatin), carbodiimide derivatized gelatin to which lubricin was ...

The sponge Tetilla sp. (Tetractinomorpha: Tetillidae) is a common species in the eastern Mediterranean. This sponge inhabits four different habitat types differing in wave impact and irradiance levels. Two of these habitats (a shallow cave and deep water) are characterized by relatively calm water, whereas the other two (shallow exposed site and tide pools) are in turbulent water with high ener...

We report the oldest fossil occurrence of freshwater potamolepid sponges (Demospongiae, Spongillina, Potamolepidae) to date, originating from middle Eocene lake sediments accumulated in the Giraffe kimberlite maar, northern Canada. Sponges are represented by strongyle spicules that are gemmuloscleres. These are described herein as belonging to a new species, Potamophloios canadensis. Because th...

Normal mouse spleen cells were fractionated in dishes coated with thin layers of DNP-gelatin or NIP-gelatin, which were insoluble at 4 degrees C. Highly viable cells were recovered from the dishes by melting the gel at 37 degrees C. NIP3- gelatin layers bound approximately 0.1% and DNP4-gelatin layers 0.5% of normal spleen cells. Increasing numbers of low affinity cells were bound with increasi...

BACKGROUND We have observed patients clinically allergic to red meat and meat-derived gelatin. OBJECTIVE We describe a prospective evaluation of the clinical significance of gelatin sensitization, the predictive value of a positive test result, and an examination of the relationship between allergic reactions to red meat and sensitization to gelatin and galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-Gal). ME...

Sponges are abundant, diverse and functionally important organisms of coral reef ecosystems. Sponge-associated microorganisms have been receiving greater attention because of their significant contribution to sponge biomass, biogeochemical cycles and biotechnological potentials. However, our understanding of the sponge microbiome is limited to a few species of sponges from restricted geographic...