title: Oxygen as a morphogenic factor in sponges: expression of a tyrosinase gene in the sponge Suberites domuncula.
abstract: Sponges live in a symbiotic relationship with microorganisms, especially bacteria. Here we show, using the demosponge Suberites domuncula as a model, that the sponge expresses the enzyme tyrosinase which synthesizes diphenols from monophenolic compounds. It is assumed that these products serve as carbon source for symbiotic bacteria to grow.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Abteilung Angewandte Molekularbiologie, Universität, Duesbergweg 6, Mainz D-55099, Germany. wmueller@mail.uni-mainz.de
authors.forename: Werner E G
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perović
authors.forename: Heinz C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: Hans J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Breter
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011161:Porifera / Q000378:metabolism*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase; D010100:Oxygen