FIG. 1.

DGGE fingerprints of the bacterial communities associated with M. laxissima individual sponges from the following sources. (A) Flowthrough aquaculture system and a wild sponge. Lanes: wild sponge (1) collected at the same time as the 6-month-aquacultured (2) and 2-year-aquacultured (3) sponges and 2001 seawater (4), and 2004 seawater (5) samples. (B) Recirculating system and wild sponges. Lanes: wild individuals (1A to C) collected at the same time as the 1-month- (2A and B) and 3-month-aquacultured (3A and B) sponges, seawater samples from the surrounding vicinity of freshly collected M. laxissima sponges (4A to C), and aquarium water samples from the recirculating system (5A to C). The denaturing gradient was from 40% to 70%.