First records of sponge-associated Actinomycetes from two coastal sponges from Mauritius

Abstract

Actinobacteria commonly known as actinomycetes are often constituents of the sponge-associated bacterial communities and are well known producers of bioactive compounds.  In the present study, 7 actinomycete species representing 3 genera were successfully isolated from the sponge Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) and Neopetrosia exigua (Kirkpatrick, 1900) from Mauritius.  The sponge N. exigua hosted a higher actinomycete diversity resulting in 71% of the total number of actinomycete strains recorded.  Streptomyces sp. and Micrococcus sp. were the most common actinomycete genera, both representing 43% of the total actinomycetes isolated from both host sponges.  Actinomycete Isolation Agar was the most effective medium for the selection of actinobacteria, yielding in 57% of the total actinobacterial strains isolated.  This study is the first to report on sponge-associated actinomycete communities from Mauritius and paves the way for future sponge-associated actinobacterial research in the Mascarene region.