FRESHWATER SPONGE CELL CULTURES AS MODEL SYSTEMS FOR BIOCHEMICAL PATHWAYS PRESENT IN MARINE SPONGES

摘要

Sponges are of great importance for biotechnology as they contain a large variety of bioactive compounds, which are often synthesized by unknown biochemical pathways. During our studies we have discovered two non-traditional ATP consuming enzymes in marine sponges (Kuusksalu et al., 1995; Reintamm et al, 2003), products of which may be considered as signal-transducing molecules. One of these enzymes, the ATP N-glycosidase, characteristic of the marine sponge Axinella polypoides and not present in other marine sponges studied, was found in several freshwater sponges. The aim of this study is to examine the time course of expression of ATP N-glycosidase during different stages of development of a freshwater sponge and the distribution of this enzymatic activity between different cellular fractions of the fully functional sponge.