Genomic bins of sponge-associated and surrounding environment Alphaproteobacteria. Genomes reconstruction from metagenome data

The class Alphaproteobacteria is one of the most widespread, diverse and dominant sponge-associated bacterial groups. Members of the Alphaproteobacteria clade have been detected in both adult and larva samples of marine sponges. The aim of this study is to reconstruct a prevalent and uncultivated Alphaproteobacteria genome from our model sponge (Spongia officinalis) and surrounding environment metagenome data, to reveal potential symbiotic-related genomic signatures and to determine the prevailing functions of this clade in S. officinalis comparing with seawater, emphasizing the most discriminatory protein families in sponge.