1
|
Haque MA, Nath ND, Johnston TV, Haruna S, Ahn J, Ovissipour R, Ku S. Harnessing biotechnology for penicillin production: Opportunities and environmental considerations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174236. [PMID: 38942308 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Since the discovery of antibiotics, penicillin has remained the top choice in clinical medicine. With continuous advancements in biotechnology, penicillin production has become cost-effective and efficient. Genetic engineering techniques have been employed to enhance biosynthetic pathways, leading to the production of new penicillin derivatives with improved properties and increased efficacy against antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Advances in bioreactor design, media formulation, and process optimization have contributed to higher yields, reduced production costs, and increased penicillin accessibility. While biotechnological advances have clearly benefited the global production of this life-saving drug, they have also created challenges in terms of waste management. Production fermentation broths from industries contain residual antibiotics, by-products, and other contaminants that pose direct environmental threats, while increased global consumption intensifies the risk of antimicrobial resistance in both the environment and living organisms. The current geographical and spatial distribution of antibiotic and penicillin consumption dramatically reveals a worldwide threat. These challenges are being addressed through the development of novel waste management techniques. Efforts are aimed at both upstream and downstream processing of antibiotic and penicillin production to minimize costs and improve yield efficiency while lowering the overall environmental impact. Yield optimization using artificial intelligence (AI), along with biological and chemical treatment of waste, is also being explored to reduce adverse impacts. The implementation of strict regulatory frameworks and guidelines is also essential to ensure proper management and disposal of penicillin production waste. This review is novel because it explores the key remaining challenges in antibiotic development, the scope of machine learning tools such as Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) in modern biotechnology-driven production, improved waste management for antibiotics, discovering alternative path to reducing antibiotic use in agriculture through alternative meat production, addressing current practices, and offering effective recommendations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Md Ariful Haque
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA.
| | - Nirmalendu Deb Nath
- Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA.
| | - Tony Vaughn Johnston
- Fermentation Science Program, School of Agriculture, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, USA.
| | - Samuel Haruna
- Fermentation Science Program, School of Agriculture, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, USA.
| | - Jaehyun Ahn
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA.
| | - Reza Ovissipour
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA.
| | - Seockmo Ku
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Emmerich CH, Gamboa LM, Hofmann MCJ, Bonin-Andresen M, Arbach O, Schendel P, Gerlach B, Hempel K, Bespalov A, Dirnagl U, Parnham MJ. Improving target assessment in biomedical research: the GOT-IT recommendations. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2021; 20:64-81. [PMID: 33199880 PMCID: PMC7667479 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-020-0087-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Academic research plays a key role in identifying new drug targets, including understanding target biology and links between targets and disease states. To lead to new drugs, however, research must progress from purely academic exploration to the initiation of efforts to identify and test a drug candidate in clinical trials, which are typically conducted by the biopharma industry. This transition can be facilitated by a timely focus on target assessment aspects such as target-related safety issues, druggability and assayability, as well as the potential for target modulation to achieve differentiation from established therapies. Here, we present recommendations from the GOT-IT working group, which have been designed to support academic scientists and funders of translational research in identifying and prioritizing target assessment activities and in defining a critical path to reach scientific goals as well as goals related to licensing, partnering with industry or initiating clinical development programmes. Based on sets of guiding questions for different areas of target assessment, the GOT-IT framework is intended to stimulate academic scientists' awareness of factors that make translational research more robust and efficient, and to facilitate academia-industry collaboration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lorena Martinez Gamboa
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- QUEST Center for Transforming Biomedical Research, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martine C J Hofmann
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Branch for Translational Medicine & Pharmacology TMP, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marc Bonin-Andresen
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Olga Arbach
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- SPARK-Validation Fund, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pascal Schendel
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Katja Hempel
- Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach, Germany
| | - Anton Bespalov
- PAASP GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
- Valdman Institute of Pharmacology, Pavlov Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ulrich Dirnagl
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- QUEST Center for Transforming Biomedical Research, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael J Parnham
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Branch for Translational Medicine & Pharmacology TMP, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry & Pharmacy, J.W. Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Advances in antibiotic drug discovery: reducing the barriers for antibiotic development. Future Med Chem 2020; 12:2067-2087. [PMID: 33124460 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2020-0247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic drug discovery has been an essential field of research since the early 1900s, but the threat from infectious bacteria has only increased over the decades because of the emergence of widespread multidrug resistance. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in natural product, computational and medicinal chemistry that have reinvigorated the field of antibiotic drug discovery while giving perspective on how easily, both in cost and in expertise, these methods can be implemented by other researchers with the goal of increasing the number of scientists contributing to this public health crisis.
Collapse
|
4
|
Shen Y, Wang M, Zhou J, Chen Y, Wu M, Yang Z, Yang C, Xia G, Tam JP, Zhou C, Yang H, Jia X. Construction of Fe 3O 4@α-glucosidase magnetic nanoparticles for ligand fishing of α-glucosidase inhibitors from a natural tonic Epimedii Folium. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 165:1361-1372. [PMID: 33049236 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Inhibition of α-glucosidase activity is an effective way for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Epimedii Folium is an important source of α-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs), however bioactive compounds and pharmacological mechanisms remained unclear. In this study, a novel strategy was established, which harnessed α-glucosidase functionalized magnetic beads to fish out potential AGIs, followed by UPLC-MS/MS analysis for their identification. Furthermore, molecular docking was employed to predict binding patterns between the AGIs and the enzyme, and IC50 values was estimated as well. After response surface methodology optimization, the highest activity of Fe3O4@α-glucosidase has been achieved when 1.17 mg/mL of α-glucosidase was immobilized in phosphate buffer (pH 6.81) for 4.22 h. Moreover, eight flavonoids were fished out from the extract of Epimedii Folium, and then identified to be epimedin A, epimedin B, epimedin C, icariin, sagittatoside A, sagittatoside B, 2"-O-rhamnosyl icariside II and baohuoside I. All of them were further confirmed to be AGIs through in vitro inhibitory assay and molecular docking. Among those, baohuoside I and sagittatoside B possessed stronger inhibitory activity than acarbose. The approach has a significant prospect in conveniently screening bioactive compounds that target various receptors, which provided an efficient platform for new drug development from natural products.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuping Shen
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Man Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Jinwei Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Yufei Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Mengru Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Zhangzhong Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Chengyu Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Guohua Xia
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China; School of Food and Biological Engineering, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - James P Tam
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Cunshan Zhou
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Huan Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
| | - Xiaobin Jia
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China; School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing 211198, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Murray EM, Allen CF, Handy TE, Huffine CA, Craig WR, Seaton SC, Wolfe AL. Development of a Robust and Quantitative High-Throughput Screening Method for Antibiotic Production in Bacterial Libraries. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:15414-15420. [PMID: 31572841 PMCID: PMC6761686 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b01461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Over the past 30 years, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria, which have proliferated due to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics. Over this same time period, however, there has also been a decline in the number of antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action coming to market. Therefore, there is a growing need for an increase in the speed at which new antibiotics are discovered and developed. Natural products produced by bacteria have been and continue to be a robust source of novel antibiotics; however, new and complementary methods for screening large bacterial libraries for novel antibiotic production are needed due to the current agar methods being limited in scope, time consuming, and prone to error. Herein, we describe a rapid, robust, and quantitative high-throughput liquid culture screening method for antibiotic production by bacteria. This method has the ability to screen both mono- and coculture mixtures of bacteria in vitro and be adapted to other phenotypic natural product analyses. Over 260 bacterial species were screened in monoculture, and 38 and 34% were found to produce antibiotics capable of inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli, respectively, with 8 and 4% being classified as strong producers (≥30% growth inhibition), respectively. Bacteria found to not produce antibiotics in monoculture were also screened in coculture using an adaptation of this method. Of the more than 270 cocultures screened, 14 and 30% were found to produce antibiotics capable of inhibition of S. aureus or E. coli, respectively. Of those bacteria found to produce antibiotics in monoculture, 43 bacteria were subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing and found to be majority Pseudomonas (37%), Serratia (19%), and Bacillus (14%) bacteria, but two novel producers, Herbaspirillum and Kluyvera, were also found.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M. Murray
- Department
of Biology and Department of Chemistry, University of
North Carolina Asheville, One University Heights, Asheville, North Carolina 28804, United States
| | - Catherine F. Allen
- Department
of Biology and Department of Chemistry, University of
North Carolina Asheville, One University Heights, Asheville, North Carolina 28804, United States
| | - Tess E. Handy
- Department
of Biology and Department of Chemistry, University of
North Carolina Asheville, One University Heights, Asheville, North Carolina 28804, United States
| | - Clair A. Huffine
- Department
of Biology and Department of Chemistry, University of
North Carolina Asheville, One University Heights, Asheville, North Carolina 28804, United States
| | - Whitney R. Craig
- Department
of Biology and Department of Chemistry, University of
North Carolina Asheville, One University Heights, Asheville, North Carolina 28804, United States
| | - Sarah C. Seaton
- Indigo Ag, 500 Rutherford Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Amanda L. Wolfe
- Department
of Biology and Department of Chemistry, University of
North Carolina Asheville, One University Heights, Asheville, North Carolina 28804, United States
- E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Jiang J, Yu Y, Wang L, Li J, Ling J, Li Y, Duan G. Enzyme immobilized on polyamidoamine-coated magnetic microspheres for α-glucosidase inhibitors screening from Radix Paeoniae Rubra extracts accompanied with molecular modeling. Talanta 2018; 195:127-136. [PMID: 30625522 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2018.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In this study, a method for direct screening and identification of α-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs) from extracts of natural products was established based on polyamidoamine (PAMAM) coated magnetic microspheres. A facile route to synthesize the magnetic PAMAM was employed and α-glucosidase was successfully covalently attached to its surface through cross linking of glutaraldehyde. Using the enzyme-loaded magnetic microspheres, potential inhibitors were fished out from crude extracts directly, followed by structure confirmation. The inhibitory activities of the screened components were further investigated by the enzyme-loaded magnetic microspheres. The Fe3O4 @PAMAM@α-Glu microspheres displayed favorable dispersibility, fast magnetic separation, large enzyme binding amount (42.9 μg•mg-1) and high enzyme activity. Moreover, the α-glucosidase on the surface of PAMAM coating maintained high storage stability and remarkable reusability. Taking advantage of specific interaction of the α-glucosidase with AGIs, the materials could selectively capture a known AGI (+)-catechin under the interference of an inactive compound salicylic acid, with a binding capacity as high as 15.4%. Additionally, using the Fe3O4 @PAMAM@α-Glu microspheres in the inhibition assay, the enzymatic reaction could be stopped by magnetic separation instead of the traditional addition of Na2CO3 solution, which not only eliminated the disturbance of termination reagent to the results, but also reused the immobilized α-glucosidase. The screening and inhibitory activity verification of potential ligands in Radix Paeoniae Rubra ("Chi-shao" in Chinese) extracts were achieved by using Fe3O4 @PAMAM@α-Glu microspheres, demonstrating practical applicability of our method. Therefore, the magnetic PAMAM-based screening approach could be a feasible and alternative strategy for discovering enzyme inhibitors from natural product extracts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiebing Jiang
- Fudan University Affiliated Pudong Medical Center & Pharmaceutical Analysis Department, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yingjia Yu
- Fudan University Affiliated Pudong Medical Center & Pharmaceutical Analysis Department, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Liping Wang
- Jing'an District Central Hospital, Fudan University, 259 Xikang Road, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Jiajia Li
- Fudan University Affiliated Pudong Medical Center & Pharmaceutical Analysis Department, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jin Ling
- Department of Biochemical Drugs and Biological Products, Shanghai Institute for Food and Drug Control, No.1500 Zhangheng Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yan Li
- Fudan University Affiliated Pudong Medical Center & Pharmaceutical Analysis Department, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Gengli Duan
- Fudan University Affiliated Pudong Medical Center & Pharmaceutical Analysis Department, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Santos IC, Waybright VB, Fan H, Ramirez S, Mesquita RBR, Rangel AOSS, Fryčák P, Schug KA. Determination of Noncovalent Binding Using a Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor as a Flow Injection Device Coupled to Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2015; 26:1204-1212. [PMID: 25832030 DOI: 10.1007/s13361-015-1113-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2014] [Revised: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Described is a new method based on the concept of controlled band dispersion, achieved by hyphenating flow injection analysis with ESI-MS for noncovalent binding determinations. A continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) was used as a FIA device for exponential dilution of an equimolar host-guest solution over time. The data obtained was treated for the noncovalent binding determination using an equimolar binding model. Dissociation constants between vancomycin and Ac-Lys(Ac)-Ala-Ala-OH peptide stereoisomers were determined using both the positive and negative ionization modes. The results obtained for Ac-L-Lys(Ac)-D-Ala-D-Ala (a model for a Gram-positive bacterial cell wall) binding were in reasonable agreement with literature values made by other mass spectrometry binding determination techniques. Also, the developed method allowed the determination of dissociation constants for vancomycin with Ac-L-Lys(Ac)-D-Ala-L-Ala, Ac-L-Lys(Ac)-L-Ala-D-Ala, and Ac-L-Lys(Ac)-L-Ala-L-Ala. Although some differences in measured binding affinities were noted using different ionization modes, the results of each determination were generally consistent. Differences are likely attributable to the influence of a pseudo-physiological ammonium acetate buffer solution on the formation of positively- and negatively-charged ionic complexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inês C Santos
- CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa/Porto, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital, Apartado 2511, 4202-401, Porto, Portugal
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Highly selective screening of the bioactive compounds in Huoxue capsule using immobilized β2-adrenoceptor affinity chromatography. Anal Biochem 2014; 457:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2014.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Revised: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
9
|
Zhao X, Li Q, Huang J, Zheng J, Zheng X, Li Z, Zhang Y. EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND MOBILE PHASE COMPOSITION ON THE INTERACTION BETWEEN BERBERINE AND IMMOBILIZED β2-ADRENOCEPTOR BY HIGH PERFORMANCE AFFINITY CHROMATOGRAPHY. J LIQ CHROMATOGR R T 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/10826076.2012.734001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xinfeng Zhao
- a College of Life Sciences , Northwest University , Xi'an , China
| | - Qian Li
- a College of Life Sciences , Northwest University , Xi'an , China
| | - Jingjing Huang
- a College of Life Sciences , Northwest University , Xi'an , China
| | - Jianbin Zheng
- b Institute of Analytical Science , Northwest University , Xi'an , China
| | - Xiaohui Zheng
- a College of Life Sciences , Northwest University , Xi'an , China
| | - Zijian Li
- c Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University, Third Hospital and Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences, Ministry of Education , Beijing , China
| | - Youyi Zhang
- c Institute of Vascular Medicine, Peking University, Third Hospital and Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences, Ministry of Education , Beijing , China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Hollow fiber based affinity selection combined with high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy for rapid screening lipase inhibitors from lotus leaf. Anal Chim Acta 2013; 785:75-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2013.04.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2012] [Revised: 04/20/2013] [Accepted: 04/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
11
|
Hunt LR, Smith SM, Downum KR, Mydlarz LD. Microbial regulation in gorgonian corals. Mar Drugs 2012; 10:1225-1243. [PMID: 22822369 PMCID: PMC3397436 DOI: 10.3390/md10061225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2012] [Revised: 05/21/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Gorgonian corals possess many novel natural products that could potentially mediate coral-bacterial interactions. Since many bacteria use quorum sensing (QS) signals to facilitate colonization of host organisms, regulation of prokaryotic cell-to-cell communication may represent an important bacterial control mechanism. In the present study, we examined extracts of twelve species of Caribbean gorgonian corals, for mechanisms that regulate microbial colonization, such as antibacterial activity and QS regulatory activity. Ethanol extracts of gorgonians collected from Puerto Rico and the Florida Keys showed a range of both antibacterial and QS activities using a specific Pseudomonas aeruginosa QS reporter, sensitive to long chain AHLs and a short chain N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHL) biosensor, Chromobacterium violaceium. Overall, the gorgonian corals had higher antimicrobial activity against non-marine strains when compared to marine strains. Pseudopterogorgia americana, Pseusopterogorgia acerosa, and Pseudoplexuara flexuosa had the highest QS inhibitory effect. Interestingly, Pseudoplexuara porosa extracts stimulated QS activity with a striking 17-fold increase in signal. The stimulation of QS by P. porosa or other elements of the holobiont may encourage colonization or recruitment of specific microbial species. Overall, these results suggest the presence of novel stimulatory QS, inhibitory QS and bactericidal compounds in gorgonian corals. A better understanding of these compounds may reveal insight into coral-microbial ecology and whether a therapeutic potential exists.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura R. Hunt
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, 235 Life Science, Arlington, TX 76019, USA; (L.R.H.); (S.M.S.); (K.R.D.)
- United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 6, 1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, TX 75202, USA
| | - Stephanie M. Smith
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, 235 Life Science, Arlington, TX 76019, USA; (L.R.H.); (S.M.S.); (K.R.D.)
| | - Kelsey R. Downum
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, 235 Life Science, Arlington, TX 76019, USA; (L.R.H.); (S.M.S.); (K.R.D.)
| | - Laura D. Mydlarz
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, 235 Life Science, Arlington, TX 76019, USA; (L.R.H.); (S.M.S.); (K.R.D.)
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; ; Tel.: +1-817-272-0397; Fax: +1-817-272-2855
| |
Collapse
|