title: Presence of Aspergillus sydowii, a pathogen of gorgonian sea fans in the marine sponge Spongia obscura.
abstract: The fungus Aspergillus sydowii is the causative agent of epidemics that affect gorgonian corals (sea fans) and has significantly affected their populations in the Caribbean Sea. We have isolated a strain of A. sydowii from healthy marine sponges (Spongia obscura) collected in Bahamian inshore waters. After its identification on the basis of morphology, molecular markers and chemical profiling followed by pathogenicity tests, we found this strain to be highly similar to a strain isolated from diseased coral, and have shown the capacity of this fungus to persist in sponge environment. Our findings suggest that sponges have the possibility of being reservoirs of a potential marine pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, George S Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Neta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ein-Gil
authors.forename: Micha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ilan
authors.forename: Shmuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carmeli
authors.forename: Garriet W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Joseph R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Pawlik
authors.forename: Oded
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yarden
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017691:Caribbean Region; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011161:Porifera / Q000382:microbiology*; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S