# Monanchora
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{{Short description|Genus of demosponges}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Monanchora unguifera (Pink Lumpy sponge).jpg
| taxon = Monanchora
| authority = Carter
| subdivision_ranks = Species
}}
'''''Monanchora''''' is a genus of [demosponge](/source/demosponge)s belonging to the family [Crambeida](/source/Crambeidae). The genus contains 18 species, which have been researched for their potential use in medicine.[{{Cite web |title=WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species |url=https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php |access-date=2022-04-28 |website=www.marinespecies.org}}][{{Cite journal |last1=Chang |last2=Whittaker |first2=Noel F. |last3=Bewley |first3=Carole A. |date=2003-12-01 |title=Crambescidin 826 and Dehydrocrambine A: New Polycyclic Guanidine Alkaloids from the Marine Sponge Monanchora sp. that Inhibit HIV-1 Fusion |url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/np030256t |journal=Journal of Natural Products |language=en |volume=66 |issue=11 |pages=1490–1494 |doi=10.1021/np030256t |pmid=14640525 |issn=0163-3864|url-access=subscription }}][{{Cite journal |last1=El-Demerdash |first1=Amr |last2=Atanasov |first2=Atanas |last3=Bishayee |first3=Anupam |last4=Abdel-Mogib |first4=Mamdouh |last5=Hooper |first5=John |last6=Al-Mourabit |first6=Ali |date=2018-01-02 |title=Batzella, Crambe and Monanchora: Highly Prolific Marine Sponge Genera Yielding Compounds with Potential Applications for Cancer and Other Therapeutic Areas |journal=Nutrients |language=en |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=33 |doi=10.3390/nu10010033 |issn=2072-6643 |pmc=5793261 |pmid=29301302|doi-access=free }}][{{Cite journal |last1=Esteves |first1=Eduardo L. |last2=de Paula |first2=Thiago S. |last3=Lerner |first3=Clea |last4=Lôbo-Hajdu |first4=Gisele |last5=Hajdu |first5=Eduardo |date=2018 |title=Morphological and molecular systematics of the 'Monanchora arbuscula complex' (Poecilosclerida : Crambeidae), with the description of five new species and a biogeographic discussion of the genus in the Tropical Western Atlantic |url=http://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=IS16088 |journal=Invertebrate Systematics |language=en |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=457 |doi=10.1071/IS16088 |s2cid=90147577 |issn=1445-5226|url-access=subscription }}]
== Description ==
=== Morphology ===
The species with in ''Monanchora'' vary in their morphology. The genus ''Monanchora'' is defined by belonging to the family [Crambeidae](/source/Crambeidae) while lacking pseudoatrose [spicules](/source/Sponge_spicule). The structure of the species belonging to the genus ''Monachora'' varies from encrusting to lobate to ramose. A typical identifying characteristic of this genus is a canal system that is swollen and has a light colored lining. This canal system collapses when taken out of water. Species in this genus have simple skeletal arrangements that can develop bushes at the surface without the use of ectosomal skeletons. The spicules observed vary among and within species and can be categorized by size into two groups: [megasclere](/source/megasclere)s and [microscleres](/source/Sponge_spicule). In some species the microscleres may be reduced, absent or modified, resulting in problematic identification and assignment to the genus ''Monanchora''. The genus ''Monachora'' and the genus ''[Crambe](/source/Crambe_crambe)'' are similar in morphology and chemistry. Even though the two are very similar, ''Monanchora'' lack the desma-like spicules that ''Crambe'' species have.[{{Citation |last1=Hooper |first1=John N. A. |title=Systema Porifera. A Guide to the Classification of Sponges |date=2002 |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-1-4615-0747-5_1 |work=Systema Porifera |pages=1–7 |editor-last=Hooper |editor-first=John N. A. |place=Boston, MA |publisher=Springer US |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-1-4615-0747-5_1 |isbn=978-0-306-47260-2 |access-date=2022-04-28 |last2=Van Soest |first2=Rob W. M. |editor2-last=Van Soest |editor2-first=Rob W. M. |editor3-last=Willenz |editor3-first=Philippe|url-access=subscription }}]
=== Chemistry ===
Many species of ''Monanchora'' have been researched for potential uses in the medicine. Some species produce a guanidine derived alkaloid called [Monanchorin](/source/Monanchorin). The genus ''Crambe'' and ''Monanchora'' have similar chemical makeups.[{{Cite journal |last=Carter |first=H.J. |date=1883 |title=XLVII.— New genus of sponges |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00222938309459164 |journal=Annals and Magazine of Natural History |language=en |volume=11 |issue=65 |pages=369–370 |doi=10.1080/00222938309459164 |issn=0374-5481}}]
== Medical Use ==
A study found that ''Monanchora'' and ''Crambe'' produce [pyrroloquinoline](/source/Pyrroloquinoline_quinone) and [guanidine](/source/guanidine)-derived [alkaloid](/source/alkaloid)s, which potentially contain [cytotoxix](/source/Cytotoxic_T_cell) and antiviral, [HIV-1](/source/HIV-1) inhibitors, enzyme inhibitors, receptor antagonists, Calcium ion channel blockers, antifungals, and antimicrobials. These compounds are taxonomic traits of sponges in the [Poecilosclerida](/source/Poecilosclerida) order. These compounds are studied to investigate the potential use for cancer treatment and other therapeutic areas.