Cultivation of marine chitinolytic bacteria reveals the sponge-associated Motilimonas isolate Spo1_1 as an efficient degrader of insoluble chitin. - 2025
[en] [en] AIMS: Culture-independent studies in the literature suggest that marine habitats hold diversified chitin-degrading microbial communities. This study was conducted to isolate novel chitinolytic bacteria from two bacteria-rich marine biotopes, namely sponges and sediments, and compare the efficiency with which those strains degrade different forms of chitin.
METHODS AND RESULTS: Bacterial colonies were isolated from chitinolytic consortia derived from the microbiota of the marine sponge Hymeniacidon perlevis of and its surrounding sediment collected at Audresselles beach, France. Many isolates (49%) produced a halo of chitin degradation on colloidal chitin agar plates, including isolates belonging to two genera (Motilimonas, Pseudophaeobacter) yet unknown as chitin degraders. However, 83% of the positive isolates degraded poorly insoluble chitin powder in liquid cultures. Nine isolates were further tested for colloidal chitin degradation in liquid cultures and exhibited contrasting results. One isolate, Motilimonas Spo1_1, exhibited the strongest chitinolytic activity in liquid culture containing insoluble chitin powder (i.e. 37% of degradation). The analysis of its genome and that of other Motilimonas spp. revealed an arsenal of genes for chitin degradation. Genomic analyses suggest that Spo1_1 is a new species within the genus Motilimonas, we propose the name Motilimonas chitinivorans.
CONCLUSIONS: Motilimonas Spo1_1 largely outperformed all 70 other strains in terms of its insoluble chitin degradation capabilities, including strains belonging to the well-known chitinolytic genera Vibrio and Pseudoalteromonas. Those results encourage further studies on the potential of Motilimonas spp. to eliminate chitinous waste. More generally, they confirm that marine habitats are a reservoir of chitinolytic microbes yet to be discovered.
Disciplines :
Microbiology
Author, co-author :
Dechamps, Etienne ; Laboratory of Ecology of Aquatic Systems, Brussels School of Bioengineering, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Salengros, Arthur; Laboratory of Ecology of Aquatic Systems, Brussels School of Bioengineering, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Meunier, Laurence; Laboratory of Ecology of Aquatic Systems, Brussels School of Bioengineering, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Chevalier, Séverine ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophysique, géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > MAST (Modeling for Aquatic Systems) ; Laboratory of Ecology of Aquatic Systems, Brussels School of Bioengineering, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Danguy, Johan; Laboratory of Ecology of Aquatic Systems, Brussels School of Bioengineering, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Heidig, Sophie-Luise; Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium ; Interuniversity Institute of Bioinformatics in Brussels - (IB)², 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Flot, Jean-François; Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium ; Interuniversity Institute of Bioinformatics in Brussels - (IB)², 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Keller-Costa, Tina; Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB) and Institute for Health and Bioeconomy (i4HB), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal ; Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-011 Lisbon, Portugal
Costa, Rodrigo; Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB) and Institute for Health and Bioeconomy (i4HB), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal ; Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-011 Lisbon, Portugal
George, Isabelle F; Laboratory of Ecology of Aquatic Systems, Brussels School of Bioengineering, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Language :
English
Title :
Cultivation of marine chitinolytic bacteria reveals the sponge-associated Motilimonas isolate Spo1_1 as an efficient degrader of insoluble chitin.
FRIA - Fonds pour la Formation à la Recherche dans l'Industrie et dans l'Agriculture
Funding text :
This work was supported by a PhD grant to E. Dechamps from the Fonds de la Recherche dans l'Industrie et l'Agriculture (FRIA) at the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (F.R.S-FNRS).
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