Monanchora

Monanchora is a genus of demosponges belonging to the family Crambeida. The genus contains 18 species, which have been researched for their potential use in medicine.[1][2][3][4]

Monanchora
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Porifera
Class: Demospongiae
Order: Poecilosclerida
Family: Crambeidae
Genus: Monanchora
Carter

Description

Morphology

The species with in Monanchora vary in their morphology. The genus Monanchora is defined by belonging to the family Crambeidae while lacking pseudoatrose spicules. The structure of the species belonging to the genus Monachora varies from encrusting to lobate to ramose. A typical identifying characteristic of this genus is a canal system that is swollen and has a light colored lining. This canal system collapses when taken out of water. Species in this genus have simple skeletal arrangements that can develop bushes at the surface without the use of ectosomal skeletons. The spicules observed vary among and within species and can be categorized by size into two groups: megascleres and microscleres. In some species the microscleres may be reduced, absent or modified, resulting in problematic identification and assignment to the genus Monanchora. The genus Monachora and the genus Crambe are similar in morphology and chemistry. Even though the two are very similar, Monanchora lack the desma-like spicules that Crambe species have.[5]

Chemistry

Many species of Monanchora have been researched for potential uses in the medicine. Some species produce a guanidine derived alkaloid called Monanchorin. The genus Crambe and Monanchora have similar chemical makeups.[2][3]

Distribution

Species belonging to the genus Monanchora are distributed around the world. They are found in shallow marine or brackish waters.[1] They have a habitat of sea mounds or knolls.[1]

Discovery

Carter first described the genus Monanchora based on a washed up specimen of Monanchora clathrata. Due to the wave action, the specimen experienced on the shore, the shape was irregular and its structure was impossible to determine. Carter described the texture of the specimen as “crumb-of-bread” and the color as tawny. The specimen has a “sub-pinlike” skeletal arrangement and a spicule that was smooth and curved with a pointed shaft.[6]

Medical Use

A study found that Monanchora and Crambe produce pyrroloquinoline and guanidine-derived alkaloids, which potentially contain cytotoxix and antiviral, HIV-1 inhibitors, enzyme inhibitors, receptor antagonists, Calcium ion channel blockers, antifungals, and antimicrobials. These compounds are taxonomic traits of sponges in the Poecilosclerida order. These compounds are studied to investigate the potential use for cancer treatment and other therapeutic areas.[2][3]

Taxonomy

The following species are recognized:[1]

  • Monanchora alaskensis (Lambe, 1895)
  • Monanchora arbuscula (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
  • Monanchora bahamensis Esteves, de Paula, Lerner, Lôbo-Hajdu & Hajdu, 2018
  • Monanchora brasiliensis Esteves, Lerner, Lôbo-Hajdu & Hajdu, 2012
  • Monanchora clathrata Carter, 1883
  • Monanchora coccinea Esteves, de Paula, Lerner, Lôbo-Hajdu & Hajdu, 2018
  • Monanchora dianchora de Laubenfels, 1935
  • Monanchora downesae Goodwin & Downey, 2021
  • Monanchora enigmatica (Burton & Rao, 1932)
  • Monanchora laevissima (Dendy, 1922)
  • Monanchora laminachela Lehnert, Stone & Heimler, 2006
  • Monanchora lipochela (Dendy, 1922)
  • Monanchora megasigmifera Esteves, de Paula, Lerner, Lôbo-Hajdu & Hajdu, 2018
  • Monanchora pulchra (Lambe, 1895)
  • Monanchora quadrangulata (Lévi, 1958)
  • Monanchora stocki van Soest, 1990
  • Monanchora unguiculata (Dendy, 1922)
  • Monanchora viridis (Kieschnick, 1900)

References
  1. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  2. Chang; Whittaker, Noel F.; Bewley, Carole A. (2003-12-01). "Crambescidin 826 and Dehydrocrambine A: New Polycyclic Guanidine Alkaloids from the Marine Sponge Monanchora sp. that Inhibit HIV-1 Fusion". Journal of Natural Products. 66 (11): 1490–1494. doi:10.1021/np030256t. ISSN 0163-3864. PMID 14640525.
  3. El-Demerdash, Amr; Atanasov, Atanas; Bishayee, Anupam; Abdel-Mogib, Mamdouh; Hooper, John; Al-Mourabit, Ali (2018-01-02). "Batzella, Crambe and Monanchora: Highly Prolific Marine Sponge Genera Yielding Compounds with Potential Applications for Cancer and Other Therapeutic Areas". Nutrients. 10 (1): 33. doi:10.3390/nu10010033. ISSN 2072-6643. PMC 5793261. PMID 29301302.
  4. Esteves, Eduardo L.; de Paula, Thiago S.; Lerner, Clea; Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele; Hajdu, Eduardo (2018). "Morphological and molecular systematics of the 'Monanchora arbuscula complex' (Poecilosclerida : Crambeidae), with the description of five new species and a biogeographic discussion of the genus in the Tropical Western Atlantic". Invertebrate Systematics. 32 (2): 457. doi:10.1071/IS16088. ISSN 1445-5226. S2CID 90147577.
  5. Hooper, John N. A.; Van Soest, Rob W. M. (2002), Hooper, John N. A.; Van Soest, Rob W. M.; Willenz, Philippe (eds.), "Systema Porifera. A Guide to the Classification of Sponges", Systema Porifera, Boston, MA: Springer US, pp. 1–7, doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-0747-5_1, ISBN 978-0-306-47260-2, retrieved 2022-04-28
  6. Carter, H.J. (1883). "XLVII.— New genus of sponges". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 11 (65): 369–370. doi:10.1080/00222938309459164. ISSN 0374-5481.
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