• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.15-25
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• 2011

Marine sponges are a rich source of highly diversified bioactive compounds. These medicinally valuable molecules represent extreme physiological and ecological functions in sponges, more presumably involving in the resistance to the feeding by other marine organisms like fish and fouling by barnacles, bacteria, fungi, etc. This feature of attaining resistance made sponges as successful poriferans that possess an impressive array of biological properties ranging from antimicrobial to anticancerous activities. The diversified bioactive principle of sponges might be due to their spacio-temporal distribution and although, the gateway for exploiting the sponges for isolating these distinct, potential molecules is open, suitable technical and methodological approaches are yet to be implemented in order to bring the sponges as successful pharmaceutical leads in the field of marine biotechnology. Despite of the identified difficulties of marine sponge research from past few decades, one should concentrate not only on the basic and applied technical/methodological considerations, but also on the novel strategies like in vitro sponge cell, fragment and whole sponge culture; sponge symbiont cell culture; in situ and ex situ sponge cultivation; and sponge bioreactors and metagenomic approaches, for the successful exploitation of marine sponges towards the novelty in sponge biotechnology. The present review narrates the pros and cons of the nowadays-marine sponge research by focusing on the suggestive ecobiotechnological approaches, based on the latest studies for feasible ecological exploitation and biotechnological application of sponges from the sea.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2015

The bacterial diversity of 10 marine sponges belonging to the species Cliona celata, an unidentified Cliona species, Haliclona cinerea, Halichondria okadai, Hymeniacidon sinapium, Lissodendoryx isodictyalis, Penares incrustans, Spirastrella abata, and Spirastrella panis collected from Jeju Island and Chuja Island was investigated using amplicon pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA genes. The microbial diversity of these sponges has as of yet rarely or never been investigated. All sponges, except Cliona celata, Lissodendoryx isodictyalis, and Penares incrustans, showed simple bacterial diversity, in which one or two bacterial OTUs occupied more than 50% of the pyrosequencing reads and their OTU rank abundance curves saturated quickly. Most of the predominant OTUs belonged to Alpha-, Beta-, or Gammaproteobacteria. Some of the OTUs from the sponges with low diversity were distantly (88%~89%) or moderately (93%~97%) related to known sequences in the GenBank nucleotide database. Phylogenetic analysis showed that many of the representative sequences of the OTUs were related to the sequences originating from sponges and corals, and formed sponge-specific or -related clades. The marine sponges investigated herein harbored unexplored bacterial diversity, and further studies should be done to understand the microbes present in sponges.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.74-78
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• 2006

Two specimens of sponges collected from Red Sea, Egypt, were investigated for their contents of secondary metabolites. The crude extracts of the sponges were tested for their anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. The toxic effects of the extracts of the two marine sponges were studied. $LD_{50}$ determination revealed that the investigated extracts of 'Igernella and Ircinia spp' were 4.69 and 134.7 mg/l00 g b.wt., respectively, when injected intraperitoneally in mice. The toxic signs were recorded within the first 24 hrs after injection. Also the two marine sponges extracts showed significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.254-264
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• 2001

Sponges are host organisms for various symbiotic microorganisms such as archaea, bacteria, cyano-bacteria and microalgae. Sponges are also sources of a wide variety of useful natural products like cyto-toxins. antifouling agents, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory and antiviral compounds, Symbiotic microorganisms is sponges can be sources of various natural products, because metabolites previously ascribed to sponges have recently been demonstrated to be biosynthesized by symbionts. If a symbiotic microorganisms from which some natural products are derived can be cultured, the microorganism could be used in a mass production of the bioactive comopounds. We summarize recent research on iso-lation and cultivation of sponge-symbiotic microorganisms and the symbiotic relationship.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.220-227
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• 2007

The development of suitable genetic markers would be useful for defining species and delineating the species boundaries of morphologically indistinguishable sponges. In this study, genetic variation in the sequences of nuclear rDNA and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and 3 (CO1 and CO3) regions were compared in morphologically indistinguishable Korean Halichondriidae sponges in order to determine the most suitable species-specific molecular marker region. The maximal congeneric nucleotide divergences of Halichondriidae sponges in CO1 and CO3 are similar to those found among anthozoan cnidarians, but they are 2- to 8-fold lower than those found among genera of other triploblastic metazoans. Ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS: ITS1 + ITS2) showed higher congeneric variation (17.28% in ITS1 and 10.29% in ITS2) than those of CO1 and CO3. Use of the guidelines for species thresholds suggested in the recent literature indicates that the mtDNA regions are not appropriate for use as species-specific DNA markers for the Halichondriidae sponges, whereas the rDNA ITS regions are suitable because ITS exhibits a low level of intraspecific variation and a relatively high level of interspecific variation. In addition, to test the reliability of the ITS regions for identifying Halichondriidae sponges by PCR, a species-specific multiplex PCR primer set was developed.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2020.12a
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• pp.16-44
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• 2020

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world. According to the 2018 reports, one in six people worldwide is reported to die as a result of cancer. The discovery of anticancer drugs has been utilized extensively, but there has been no report on excellent selective activity in cancer cells. The discovery of bioactive substances from marine sponges has been the limelight in the pharmaceutical field over the past decade owing to the production of many bioactive compounds from the sponges to protect themselves against the environment. On top of that, marine sponges also produced cytotoxic compounds such as terpenoids, alkaloids, steroids, and peptides which suggests that marine sponges have high potential in the development of anticancer drugs. Thus, this study aimed to obtain new cytotoxic compounds from S. siphonella in Egypt and Arenoscelra sp. and Gelliodes sp. in Vietnam, and further investigation of the extract from these marine sponges led to isolation of ten new compounds and 21 known compounds. Chapter 1 will discuss about the isolation and structure elucidation of eight new polyacetylene derivatives from S. siphonella and their cytotoxic activities. The isolation and structural elucidation of one new polybrominated iododiphenyl ether from Arenosoclea sp. as well as cytotoxic activities of the isolated compounds will be reported in chapter 2. Finally, isolation and structure elucidation of new compounds from the marine sponge Gelliodes sp. and their cytotoxic activities will be discussed in chapter 3.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.1257-1262
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• 2002

The objective was to identify the appropriate form of progesterone, which exhibits compact reproductive responses in Awassi ewes during mid to late seasonal anestrous period. Forty-eight Awassi ewes were randomly allocated into four groups to be treated with 60 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP), 30 mg fluorogestone acetate (FGA), 40 mg FGA, or 600 mg progesterone sponges. After a 12 day period, sponges were removed and ewes were administered i.m. with 600 IU PMSG (d 0, 0 h). Five harnessed Awassi rams were turned-in with the ewes to detect heat. Ewes were checked for breeding marks at 6 h intervals for 5 days. Blood samples were collected from all ewes for analysis of progesterone concentrations. Pretreatment (d -13 and -12) progesterone concentrations were ${\leq}0.2ng/mL$ among all ewes and were indicative of seasonal anestrous period. On d 0, progesterone concentrations were elevated to $1.4{\pm}0.1ng/mL$ in ewes received progesterone sponges only and were higher (p<0.0001) than those (${\leq}0.2ng/mL$) administered MAP or FGA sponges. Progesterone concentrations returned to their basal values of <0.2 ng/mL within 24 h of sponge removal and were similar (p>0.1) among all ewes. Incidence of estrus was similar (p>0.1) among the four groups and occurred in 75% (9/12), 82% (9/11), 67% (8/12) and 58% (7/12) of the ewes receiving MAP, 30 mg FGA, 40 mg FGA and progesterone sponges, respectively. Estrous responses occurred 14.7, 20 and 13.6 h earlier in progesterone-sponge-treated ewes than those of MAP- (p<0.04), 30 mg FGA- (p<0.01) and 40 mg FGA-treated (p=0.06) ewes, respectively. Induced estrus conception rates were 50% (6/12), 55% (6/11), 50% (6/12) and 42% (5/12), out of which 4/6, 4/6, 3/6 and 3/5 lambed 151 days following d 0, and were similar (p>0.1) among ewes of the four treatment groups. Ewes that returned to estrus 16 to 20 days following d 0 were 5/12, 5/11, 6/12 and 4/12 ewes treated with MAP, 30 mg FGA, 40 mg FGA and progesterone sponges, respectively, and all lambed 169 days later. Overall lambing rates were 75% (9/12), 82% (9/11), 75% (9/12) and 58% (7/12) ewes treated with MAP, 30 mg FGA, 40 mg FGA and progesterone sponges, respectively. Results demonstrate that applications of MAP, 30 mg FGA, 40 mg FGA and progesterone sponges Awassi ewes were equally effective in induction of estrus and tended to favor both types of FGA and MAP in overall lambing rates over progesterone sponges during the seasonal anestrous period.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.35-38
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• 2007

Two new sponges, Euryspongia coreana n, sp, and E. regularis n, sp., collected from Hataedo, Ulleungdo and Chujado, Korea by SCUBA diving during the period from 2001 to 2005. Euryspongia coreana n. sp, is very close to E. lactea Row, 1911 and E. arenaria Bergquist, 1961 in skeletal structure, but primary and secondary fibres of the new species are thicker than those of E. lactea, E. arenaria is cored with mostly spicule fragments but E. coreana n. sp. is cored with mainly sand. E. regularis n. sp. is readily distinguished from other eurypsongian sponges. by its thickly encrusting growth form, yellowish ivory colour, and thickness of fibres. The bright yellow color and regular ladder-like skeletal structure are major features distinguishing this E. regularis n. sp. from other euryspongian sponges. Most species are brown, violet, red or orange in color except for E. lactea (milky white), E. arenaria (biscuit) and E. coreana n. sp. (yellowish ivory). Other euryspongian sponges have regularly or irregularly well developed secondary fibres, but E. regularis n. sp. has simple and regular secondary fibres.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.17-37
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• 1994

Among areas in Korea, Cheju Island and its vicinity are inhabited by the most diverse sponges , and a number of species have been recorded as new to science or new to Korean founa, Forty species of sponges belonging to 29 genera in 21 families were identified as a result of research based on the materials deposited in the Department of Biology, Hannam University and the Department of Biology. Ehwa Woman's University. These species had been collected in Cheju Island and its vicinity. Three species are known to be new to science, and nine other species discovered for the first time from Korea. The new species are described with detailied illustrations, and for the new records for Korea the remarks and illustrations are prepared.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.11-15
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• 2006

Objective : A prospective, randomized, controlled clinical study is performed to verify the effectiveness of epidural dexamethasone-soaked gelatin sponges to reduce postoperative pain following lumbar microdiscectomy. Methods : Twenty-three patients (10 men and 13 women) undergoing lumbar microdiscectomy were included. Five pieces of gelatin sponge measuring $1{\times}1cm$ [Gelfoam; Pharmacia & Upjohn. Kalamazoo, MI, USA], soaked with either 5mg dexamethasone or an equal amount [2mL] of saline, were left on the decompressed nerve root after unilateral hemilami-nectomy, flavectomy and discectomy. Results : Subjective visual analog scale[VAS] scores of leg pain in the dexamethasone group on the first, third and first postoperative days [2.5, 2.5, 1.7, respectively] were significantly lower than in the control group [5.0, 4.8, 3.6][P<0.05]. No side effects related to the dexamethasone-soaked gelatin sponges were observed. Conclusion : The intraoperative application of dexamethasone-soaked gelatin sponges during lumber microdiscetomy can provide effective-postoperative analgesia without complications.