제주도에 서식하는 2종의 해양 해면, Dictyonella sp.와 Spirastrella abata의 공생세균 군집구조를 16S rDNA-DGGE(denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) 방법에 의해 분석하였다. 해면으로부터 total genomic DNA를 추출하여 GC clamp가 추가된 세균에 특이적인 341f primer와 518r primer를 이용하여 16S rRNA gene의 V3 부위를 증폭한 후 DGGE 전기 영동하고 재증폭하여 염기서열을 분석하였다. 그 결과 Dictyonella sp.에서 8개, Spirastrella abata에서 7개의 band를 확인할 수 있었다. 공통된 주요 band가 없는 패턴을 나타내었으며, DGGE band로부터 DNA를 추출하여 부분 염기서열을 분석한 결과, NCBI에 등록된 서열들과 93%~98%의 유사도를 나타내었다. Dictyonella sp.의 주요 해면 공생세균은 uncultured Gammaproteobacteria, Spirastrella abata의 경우 uncultured Alphaproteobacteria, Firmicutes에 각각 포함되어 해면 종에 따른 숙주 특이적 분포를 보이는 것으로 나타났다.
Culture-independent 16S rDNA-DGGE profiling and phylogenetic analysis were used to examine the predominant bacterial communities associated with the two sponges, Dictyonella sp. and Spirastrella abata from Jeju island. The culture-independent approach involved extraction of total bacterial DNA, PCR amplification of the 16S ribosomal DNA using primer pair 341f-GC and 518r, and separation of the amplicons on a denaturing gradient gel. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis banding patterns indicated 8 and 7 bands from the two sponge species, Dictyonella sp. and Spirastrella abata, respectively. There were not common major bands in two different sponges. Comparative sequence analysis of variable DGGE bands revealed from 93% to 98% similarity to the known published sequences. The dominant bacterial group of Dictyonella sp. belonged to uncultured Gammaproteobacteria, while, that of Spirastrella abata belonged to uncultured Alphaproeobacteria and Firmicutes. DGGE analysis indicated predominant communities of the sponge-associated bacteria differ in the two sponges from the same geographical location. This result revealed that bacterial community profiles of the sponges were host species-specific.
