A marine Micrococcus produces metabolites ascribed to the sponge Tedania ignis

Extracts of the sponge Tedania ignis have been reported to contain several diketopiperazines. As part of an investigation of the commensal and symbiotic microflora of sponges, we have consistently isolated, from specimens of T. ignis, a Micrococcus sp. which produces diketopiperazines in laboratory cultural media. This is the first demonstration that a bacterium associated with a sponge produces secondary metabolites ascribed to the sponge host.