title: Analysis of the biomass composition of the demosponge Amphimedon queenslandica on Heron Island Reef, Australia.
abstract: Marine sponges are a potential source of important pharmaceutical drugs, the commercialisation of which is restricted by the difficulties of obtaining a sufficient and regular supply of biomass. One way to optimize commercial cell lines for production is the in-depth characterization and target identification through genome scale metabolic modeling and flux analysis. By applying these tools to a sponge, we hope to gain insights into how biomass is formed. We chose Amphimedon queenslandica as it has an assembled and annotated genome, a prerequisite for genome scale modeling. The first stepping stone on the way to metabolic flux analysis in a sponge holobiont, is the characterization of its biomass composition. In this study we quantified the macromolecular composition and investigated the variation between and within sponges of a single population. We found lipids and protein to be the most abundant macromolecules, while carbohydrates were the most variable. We also analysed the composition and abundance of the fatty acids and amino acids, the important building blocks required to synthesise the abundant macromolecule types, lipids, and protein. These data complement the extensive genomic information available for A. queenslandica and lay the basis for genome scale modelling and flux analysis.
authors: School of Biological Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia. jabin.watson@uq.edu.au.
authors: Jabin R
authors: JR
authors: Watson
authors: Systems and Synthetic Biology Group, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia. t.brennan3@uq.edu.au.
authors: Timothy C R
authors: TC
authors: Brennan
authors: School of Biological Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia. b.degnan@uq.edu.au.
authors: Bernard M
authors: BM
authors: Degnan
authors: School of Biological Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia. s.degnan@uq.edu.au.
authors: Sandie M
authors: SM
authors: Degnan
authors: Centre for Microbial Electrosynthesis (CEMES), Advanced Water Management Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia. j.kromer@uq.edu.au.
authors: Jens O
authors: JO
authors: Krömer
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D018533:Biomass; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016678:Genome; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D011161:Porifera / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D005227:Fatty Acids