Microbial Bioactives
Microbial Bioactives | Online ISSN 2209-2161
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Volume 4 Number 1 2021
REVIEWS (Open Access)
Marine Sponge Microbiomes in Drug Discovery: Bioactive Secondary Metabolites, Symbiosis, Biosynthetic Gene Clusters, and Biotechnological Opportunities
V Vasanthabharathi 1 *, S Jayalakshmi 1
Microbial Bioactives 4 (1) 1-8 https://doi.org/10.25163/microbbioacts.4110712
Submitted: 22 March 2021 Revised: 18 May 2021 Accepted: 25 May 2021 Published: 27 May 2021
Abstract
Marine sponges harbor some of the most ancient and complex microbial symbioses known in the marine biosphere, and over time these partnerships appear to have evolved into remarkably productive biochemical systems. This review synthesizes current evidence regarding sponge-associated microbial diversity, biosynthetic potential, and the growing pharmaceutical relevance of marine sponge holobionts. Following PRISMA 2020-guided systematic screening and proportion-based meta-synthesis, the study integrates ecological, microbiological, and biochemical findings from studies investigating sponge-associated bacteria and fungi involved in secondary metabolite production. The compiled evidence demonstrates that sponge microbiomes consistently contain metabolically active microbial consortia dominated by Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and fungal Ascomycota, all of which contribute substantially to antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, and cytotoxic compound discovery. Comparative analyses revealed considerable variability in bioactive screening success across sponge hosts and microbial groups, yet positive biosynthetic activity remained consistently detectable throughout most studies. Forest and funnel plot interpretations further suggested biologically meaningful trends despite methodological heterogeneity. Advances in metagenomics, genome mining, and synthetic biology are gradually overcoming long-standing limitations associated with unculturable symbionts and limited compound supply. Collectively, the findings suggest that marine sponge–microbe symbioses function as evolutionarily stable reservoirs of chemically diverse natural products with major implications for future biotechnology and therapeutic development. At the same time, the review highlights unresolved ecological and translational challenges that continue to shape marine natural product research.
Keywords: Marine sponges; microbial symbiosis; sponge microbiome; secondary metabolites; natural products; drug discovery; biosynthetic gene clusters; marine biotechnology
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