title: Sponge-cell culture? A molecular identification method for sponge cells.
abstract: Dissociated sponge cells are easily confused with unicellular organisms. This has been an obstacle in the development of sponge-cell lines. We developed a molecular detection method to identify cells of the sponge Dysidea avara in dissociated cell cultures. The 18S ribosomal RNA gene from a Dysidea avara specimen was sequenced and compared to eukaryotic 18S rDNA sequences picked up from a proliferating cell culture that originated from a dissociated Dysidea avara specimen. Our method proved unambiguously that this was not a sponge-cell culture. Therefore, it provides a valuable tool for further research on sponge-cell cultures.
authors.affiliation: Wageningen University, Food and Bioprocess Engineering Group, PO Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands. Detmer.Sipkema@wur.nl
authors.forename: Detmer
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sipkema
authors.forename: Hans G H J
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Heilig
authors.forename: Antoon D L
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Akkermans
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Osinga
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tramper
authors.forename: René H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Wijffels
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D017931:DNA Primers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011161:Porifera / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics*; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal