Search

Abstract The increasing number of anthropogenic areas in the marine environment results in significant impact to adjacent ecosystems. In fact, the presence of marinas modifies the original environmental conditions and ends up disturbing the faunal community. However, despite the essential role displayed by the macrofauna on marinas' fouling biota, certain taxa such as polychaetes have been poorly studied. The present study provides the first spatial characterization of the epibiont polychaete fauna associated with the bryozoan Bugula neritina in marinas along the Iberian Peninsula and the north of Morocco. A total of 32 polychaete species were identified, with Syllidae being the most diverse family. Furthermore, the environmental factors involved in the occurrence and abundance of the dominant species Salvatoria clavata were also analyzed by Generalized Linear Models; results showed that the highest predicted values of S. clavata abundance appeared at marinas with high levels of nutrient enrichment and of heavy metals concentration. Highlights • A total of 32 polychaete species were found in the studied area. • Syllids were the dominant epibiont polychaete family in Iberian Peninsula marinas. • Pollutants were the most relevant factors in the polychaete assemblage structure. • Salvatoria clavata was the dominant polychaete associated to Bugula neritina. • Higher predicted values of S. clavata abundance occurred at more polluted marinas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new sterols, (22E)-cholest-4,22-diene-3β,6β-diol (1) and (23S,24R)-dimethylcholest-7-ene-3β, 5α,6β-triol (3), a sterol reported for the first time from natural sources, (22E,24S)-24-methylcholest-4,22-diene-3β,6β-diol (2), together with a known steroid glycoside (4) and six known sterols (5-10), were isolated from the marine bryozoan Bugula neritina inhabiting South China Sea. The structures of the new compounds were determined on the basis of extensive spectral analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR, EI-MS, HR-EI/ESI-MS data. Compounds 1-10 were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against human tumor cell lines HepG2, NCI-H460 and SGC7901. Sterols 1, 2 and 5 exhibited selective inhibitions against HepG2 cancer cell line with the IC50 values of 36.6 µM, 52.1 µM and 47.8 µM, respectively, while showed inactivity to NCI-H460 and SGC7901 cell lines. The characteristic 3β,6β-dihydroxy Δ4 nucleus in sterols 1, 2 and 5 was found from marine bryozoans for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses identification and determination of biological activities of macrolide lactones bryostatins that was isolated from bryozoan moss animals species. The structural analysis of bryostatins reveals that ester group at 20th position of carbon is not necessary for binding and activation of Protein Kinase C. The anti tumor properties of bryostatins in induction tests with the epstein barr virus early antigen is also included.

Di(1H-indol-3-yl)methane (DIM) was previously suggested to be an environmentally friendly antifouling compound, but it was also reported that the compound was highly stable in natural seawater. The present study reported that 3 h DIM treatments at 4 μg mL−1 or higher concentration and 12 h DIM treatments at 2 μg mL−1 or higher concentration induced significant larval mortality and metamorphic abnormality in the bryozoan Bugula neritina. The bioassay results correlated with the dose-dependent up-regulation of HSP family proteins, pro-apoptotic proteins, ubiquitination protein, and the dose-dependent down-regulation of anti-apoptotic genes and developmental genes. Unexpectedly, genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis and protein synthesis were up-regulated in response to DIM treatment, but, in general, the effects of DIM on B. neritina larvae were comparable to that reported in human cancer cell lines. DIM also induced changes in steroid hormone biosynthesis genes in B. neritina larvae, leading to the concern that DIM might have long-term effects on marine lives. Overall, the present study suggested that application of DIM to the bryozoan larvae would trigger a major transcriptomic response, which might be linked to the observed larval mortality and abnormality. We suggest that application of DIM as an antifouling ingredient should be proceeded with great cautions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global urbanization and plastic pollution has increased the availability and variety of substrates for sessile organisms, and are intensively used by invasive species for settlement. Despite extensive literature describing the strong association between artificial structures and invasive species, little effort has been directed towards identifying the larval traits that favor this selection. Larval selection and settlement are crucial as larvae actively search and interpret environmental cues to identify suitable habitats to settle. The aim of this research was to investigate if invertebrate larvae have a preference for a particular anthropogenic substrate, and how pre-settlement behaviors vary when encountering different substrates. We used two invasive bryozoan species, Bugula flabellata and Bugula neritina, which are commonly found in urbanized areas around the world. Energy expenditure during planktonic and benthonic stages, pre-settlement swimming/exploring behaviors, settlement and larval selectivity were quantified under laboratory conditions on different substrates (concrete, wood, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate and polycarbonate). The energy expenditure measured was higher in planktonic larvae than in early settled larvae. Larvae of both species swam less and explored more when exposed to plastic surfaces, suggesting a preference for this substrate and resulting in lower energy expenditures associated with searching for habitat. Larvae actively chose to settle on plastics rather than on wood or concrete substrates. The results suggest that for Bugula larvae, the likelihood of colonizing plastic surfaces is higher than other materials commonly found in urbanized coastal areas. The more quickly they adhere to artificial substrates the lower the energy expenditure, contributing to higher fitness in these individuals. The strong preference of invertebrate larvae for plastics can potentially extend the distribution range of many invasive marine species as they are able to travel long distances attached to floating debris. This phenomenon will likely exacerbate the introduction of exotic species into novel habitats. Image 1 • Bugula neritina and Bugula flabellata larvae explore more and swim less on plastic substrates compared to concrete and wood. • Settlement on plastic substrates is higher and faster than on wood and concrete. • Plastic is preferred in higher proportion as settlement substrate than other anthropogenic materials. • Larvae energy expenditures are lower when plastic is available for settlement, than when wood and concrete are present. The larvae of the bryozoan Bugula neritina and Bugula flabellata preferred plastics as settlement surface when compared with concrete and wood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]