Identification and first insights into the structure of chitin from the endemic freshwater demosponge Ochridaspongia rotunda (Arndt, 1937)

Trajce Talevski; Aleksandra Talevska Leshoska; Elena Pejoski; Boris Pejin; Tomasz Machałowski; Marcin Wysokowski; Mikhail V Tsurkan; Olga Petrova; Viktor Sivkov; Rajko Martinovic; Snezana Pantovic; Yuliya Khrunyk; Volodymyr Trylis; Andriy Fursov; Mirko Djurovic; Teofil Jesionowski; Hermann Ehrlich

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.06.247

Identification and first insights into the structure of chitin from the endemic freshwater demosponge Ochridaspongia rotunda (Arndt, 1937)

Int J Biol Macromol. 2020 Nov 1:162:1187-1194. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.06.247. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Authors

Trajce Talevski¹, Aleksandra Talevska Leshoska², Elena Pejoski³, Boris Pejin⁴, Tomasz Machałowski⁵, Marcin Wysokowski⁵, Mikhail V Tsurkan⁶, Olga Petrova⁷, Viktor Sivkov⁷, Rajko Martinovic⁸, Snezana Pantovic⁹, Yuliya Khrunyk¹⁰, Volodymyr Trylis¹¹, Andriy Fursov¹², Mirko Djurovic⁸, Teofil Jesionowski¹³, Hermann Ehrlich¹⁴

Affiliations

¹ Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski 50, 6000 Ohrid, Macedonia. Electronic address: tratal2001@gmail.com.
² Hydrobiological Institute, Naum Ohridski 50, 6000 Ohrid, Macedonia; PHO BIOMED LAB, Vancho Pitosheski 19 a, 6000 Ohrid, Macedonia.
³ PHO BIOMED LAB, Vancho Pitosheski 19 a, 6000 Ohrid, Macedonia.
⁴ Department of Life Sciences, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research - IMSI, University of Belgrade, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia.
⁵ Institute of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, 60965 Poznan, Poland; Institute of Electronics and Sensor Materials, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Gustav-Zeuner-str. 3, 09599 Freiberg, Germany.
⁶ Max Bergmann Centre of Biomaterials, Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
⁷ Federal Research Center Komi Scientific Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Syktyvkar, Komi Republic 167982, Russia.
⁸ Institute of Marine Biology, University of Montenegro, 85330 Kotor, Montenegro.
⁹ Faculty of Medicine, University of Montenegro, Kruševac, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro.
¹⁰ Department of Heat Treatment and Physics of Metal, Ural Federal University, 620002 Ekaterinburg, Russia; The Institute of High Temperature Electrochemistry of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 620990 Ekaterinburg, Russia.
¹¹ Institute of Hydrobiology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 04210 Kyiv, Ukraine.
¹² Institute of Electronics and Sensor Materials, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Gustav-Zeuner-str. 3, 09599 Freiberg, Germany.
¹³ Institute of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, 60965 Poznan, Poland.
¹⁴ Institute of Electronics and Sensor Materials, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Gustav-Zeuner-str. 3, 09599 Freiberg, Germany; Center for Advanced Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61614 Poznan, Poland. Electronic address: hermann.ehrlich@esm.tu-freiberg.de.

PMID: 32615216
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.06.247

Abstract

Studies on the identification, properties and function of chitin in sponges (Porifera), which are recognized as the first multicellular organisms on Earth, continue to be of fundamental scientific interest. The occurrence of chitin has so far been reported in 21 marine sponge species and only in two inhabiting fresh water. In this study, we present the discovery of α-chitin in the endemic demosponge Ochridaspongia rotunda, found in Lake Ohrid, which dates from the Tertiary. The presence of chitin in this species was confirmed using special staining, a chitinase test, FTIR, Raman and NEXAFS spectroscopy, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). In contrast to the case of marine sponges, chitin in O. rotunda has been found only within its holdfast, suggesting a role of chitin in the attachment of the sponge to the hard substratum. Isolated fibrous matter strongly resemble the shape and size of the sponge holdfast with membrane-like structure.

Keywords: Chitin; Holdfast; Ochridaspongia.

MeSH terms

Animals
Chitin / chemistry*
Chitin / metabolism*
Porifera / chemistry*
Porifera / metabolism*

Substances

Chitin