Bridging the Gap: Plant-Endophyte Interactions as a Roadmap to Understanding Small-Molecule Communication in Marine Microbiomes

Impact of Marine Chemical Ecology Research on the Discovery and Development of New Pharmaceuticals

Diverse ecologically important metabolites, such as allelochemicals, infochemicals and volatile organic chemicals, are involved in marine organismal interactions. Chemically mediated interactions between intra- and interspecific organisms can have a significant impact on community organization, population structure and ecosystem functioning. Advances in analytical techniques, microscopy and genomics are providing insights on the chemistry and functional roles of the metabolites involved in such interactions. This review highlights the targeted translational value of several marine chemical ecology-driven research studies and their impact on the sustainable discovery of novel therapeutic agents. These chemical ecology-based approaches include activated defense, allelochemicals arising from organismal interactions, spatio-temporal variations of allelochemicals and phylogeny-based approaches. In addition, innovative analytical techniques used in the mapping of surface metabolites as well as in metabolite translocation within marine holobionts are summarized. Chemical information related to the maintenance of the marine symbioses and biosyntheses of specialized compounds can be harnessed for biomedical applications, particularly in microbial fermentation and compound production. Furthermore, the impact of climate change on the chemical ecology of marine organisms—especially on the production, functionality and perception of allelochemicals—and its implications on drug discovery efforts will be presented.

Genomic and physiological traits provide insights into ecological niche adaptations of mangrove endophytic Streptomyces parvulus VCCM 22513

Purpose

Endophytic Streptomyces parvulus VCCM 22513 isolated from Bruguiera gymnorrhiza in Quang Ninh mangrove forest, northern Vietnam showed abiotic stress tolerance consisting of antioxidant, salt-tolerant, and aromatic-compound degrading activities. The goal of this study was to shed light on genomic bases rendering mangrove endophytic S. parvulus more resilient to environmental stressors.

Methods

Phenotypic analysis including antioxidant activities, hydrogen peroxide and sodium chloride resistance, and aromatic compound utilization were evaluated. The genome of strain VCCM 22513 was sequenced using Illumina Miseq sequencing platform and assembled using SPAdes.

Results

Out of 15 endophytic actinomycetes associated with B. gymnorrhiza in Quang Ninh mangrove, northern Vietnam, VCCM 22513 extract showed remarkable antioxidant activities through (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) DPPH and superoxide radical scavenging assays of 72.1 ± 0.04% and 38.3 ± 0.16% at 1.6 mg/ml, respectively. The genome consists of a 7,688,855 bp linear chromosome, 6782 protein-coding sequences, and 68 tRNAs. Genomic analysis identified strain VCCM 22513 as Streptomyces parvulus and confirmed a highly conserved core genome and stability of S. parvulus under natural selection. Genome mining revealed the presence of genetic determinants involved in mycothiol and ergothioneine biosynthesis (26 genes), oxidative stress resistance (43 genes), osmoadaptation (87 genes), heat and cold stress (34 genes), aromatic compound degradation (55 genes). Further genome-wide comparison between S. parvulus VCCM 22513 and 11 Streptomyces genomes showed that VCCM 22513 possesses significantly higher copies of genes involved in mycothiol and ergothioneine biosynthesis. In support of this finding, the strain exhibited much resistance to 0.6–1.0 M H2O2 and 6% (w/v) NaCl as compared to Streptomyces cavourensis YBQ59 isolated from Cinnamomum cassia Prels. In addition, the complete pathways for degradation of aromatic compounds including protocatechuate, gentisate, 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate, cinnamate, 3-phenylpropionate, and styrene were only identified in the genome of VCCM 22513.

Conclusions

The present study revealed for the first time adaptive responses of mangrove endophytic S. parvulus VCCM 22513 to survive in hostile environment. The information shown here provided better understanding of underlying mechanisms related to adaptation and partially plant-microbe interaction of Streptomyces associated with mangrove plants.