_1720417405 20240708091325000 Rovedar Daryoushbabazadeh@gmail.com Rovedar Research in Biotechnology and Environmental Science Res. Biotechnol. Environ. Sci. 2980-7743 06 25 2024 3 2 Alessia Lunetta https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7066-9194 Maria Genovese https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8100-9784 Salvatore Giacobbe https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4619-4862 Sabrina Patania https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2070-6312 Simone Cappello https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5593-6004 Introduction: Microbes of sponges have diverse associations, including true symbiosis. Sponges, being evolutionarily ancient sessile filter feeders, host diverse and abundant microbial species that play crucial roles in host metabolism. Although the microbial symbionts of sponges are widely distributed within the organism (up to 40% of their volume), the ecological relationships and interactions between bacteria and their sponge host remain largely unexplored for many species. The present study was one of the first attempts to isolate symbiotic bacteria from the sponge Raspaciona aculeata. Materials and Methods: After isolation on marine agar medium, the isolates were characterized for different colony morphology. The 16S rDNA taxonomic analysis was carried out on bacteria isolates. Results: Following an incubation period of two weeks at 25°C, only 13 bacterial strains were isolated with a very low rate of genetic biodiversity. All strains belonged to the Gammaproteobacteria class (Pseudomonadaceae family), except one (isolate AL-18ra) belonging to the Bacilli class (Bacillaceae family). Conclusion: The obtained results are of great importance for advancing the understanding of symbiosis phenomena within the sponge species Raspaciona aculeata to study its bioapplication potential. 06 25 2024 18 22 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 10.58803/rbes.v3i2.44 https://rbes.rovedar.com/index.php/RBES/article/view/44 https://rbes.rovedar.com/index.php/RBES/article/download/44/78 https://rbes.rovedar.com/index.php/RBES/article/download/44/78 10.1515/sab-2017-0022 10.3390/microorganisms11010058 10.1038/s41396-020-00791-z 10.1080/14786419.2017.1309537 10.1007/s00792-009-0261-3 10.1038/s41598-017-02656-6 10.7717/peerj.4970 10.1093/gigascience/gix077 10.1128/MMBR.00040-06 10.1093/bib/bbn017 10.1099/00207713-42-4-621 10.1128/AEM.70.2.729-735.2004 Pernthaler A, Pernthaler J, Eilers H, and Amannet R. Growth patterns of two marine isolates: Adaptations to substrate patchiness? 10.1128/AEM.67.9.4077-4083.2001 10.1099/00207713-40-4-331 Odagami T, Suzuki S, Takama K, Azumi K, and Yokosawa H. Characterization of extracellular protease produced by the marine putrefactiva bacteria, Alteromonas haloplanktis S5B. J Mar Biotech. 1993; 1: 55-58. DOI: 10.1590/S1517-838220110004000018 10.1099/ijs.0.03053-0 1099/ijs.0.03053-0 10.1099/ijs.0.64761-0 10.3390/microorganisms10071363 10.18174/553335 10.1128/MMBR.00047-05 10.1007/s10482-014-0374-2 10.1099/ijsem.0.000964 10.1007/s10482-011-9645-3 10.1146/annurev-micro-091213-112901 10.3390/md16070244 Sipkema D, Schippers K, Maalcke W J, Yang Y, Salim S, and Blanch HW. Multiple approaches to enhance the cultivability of bacteria associated with the marine sponge Haliclona (gellius) sp. 10.1128/AEM.01203-10 10.1128/JB.00345-12 10.1080/10406638.2021.2014529