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Burkhardt I, Dürr L, Grayson NE, Moore BS. Methods for the discovery and characterization of octocoral terpene cyclases. Methods Enzymol 2024; 699:343-371. [PMID: 38942510 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2024.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Octocorals are the most prolific source of terpenoids in the marine environment, with more than 4000 different compounds known from the phylum to date. However, the biochemical and genetic origin of their production remained elusive until recent studies showed that octocorals encode genes responsible for the biosynthesis of terpenoids in their own chromosomal DNA rather than from microbial symbionts as originally proposed. The identified coral genes include those encoding a new group of class I terpene cyclases (TCs) clustered among other candidate classes of tailoring enzymes. Phylogenetic analyses established octocoral TCs as a monophyletic clade, distinct from TCs of plants, bacteria, and other organisms. The newly discovered group of TCs appears to be ubiquitous in octocorals and is evolutionarily ancient. Given the recent discovery of octocoral terpenoid biochemistry and only limited genomic data presently available, there is substantial potential for discovering new biosynthetic pathways from octocorals for terpene production. The following chapter outlines practical experimental procedures for octocoral DNA and RNA extraction, genome and transcriptome assembly and mining, TC cloning and gene expression, protein purification, and in vitro analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Immo Burkhardt
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
| | - Lara Dürr
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Natalie E Grayson
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Bradley S Moore
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States; Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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2
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Tang CH, Lin CY, Li HH, Kuo FW. Microplastics elicit an immune-agitative state in coral. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168406. [PMID: 37939952 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168406] [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: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic pollution in the ocean is a major problem, as its pervasiveness elicits concerns the health impacts microplastics may have on marine life (such as reef-building corals). As a primary endpoint, the organismal lipidome can define the weakening of fitness and reveal the physiological context of adverse health effects in organisms. To gain insight into the effects of microplastics on coral health, lipid profiling was performed via an untargeted lipidomic approach on the coral Turbinaria mesenterina exposed to ~10 μm polystyrene microparticles for 10 days. Considerable microplastic accumulation and obvious effects relating with immune activation were observed in the coral treated with a near environmentally relevant concentration of microplastics (10 μg/L); however, these effects were not evident in the high level (100 μg/L) treatment group. In particular, increased levels of membrane lipids with 20:4 and 22:6 fatty acid chains reallocated from the triacylglycerol pool were observed in coral host cells and symbiotic algae, respectively, which could upregulate immune activity and realign symbiotic communication in coral. High levels of polyunsaturation can sensitize the coral cell membrane to lipid peroxidation and increase cell death, which is of greater concern; additionally, the photoprotective capacity of symbiotic algae was compromised. As a result, coral physiological functions were altered. These results show that, realistic levels of microplastic pollution can affect coral health and should be a concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan-Ho Tang
- National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Pingtung, Taiwan; Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Aerosol Science Research Center, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
| | - Ching-Yu Lin
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Hui Li
- National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Pingtung, Taiwan; Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Wen Kuo
- National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Pingtung, Taiwan
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3
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Scesa PD, Lin Z, Schmidt EW. Ancient defensive terpene biosynthetic gene clusters in the soft corals. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:659-663. [PMID: 35606556 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01027-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Diterpenes are major defensive small molecules that enable soft corals to survive without a tough exterior skeleton, and, until now, their biosynthetic origin has remained intractable. Furthermore, biomedical application of these molecules has been hampered by lack of supply. Here, we identify and characterize coral-encoded terpene cyclase genes that produce the eunicellane precursor of eleutherobin and cembrene, representative precursors for the >2,500 terpenes found in octocorals. Related genes are found in all sequenced octocorals and form their own clade, indicating a potential ancient origin concomitant with the split between the hard and soft corals. Eleutherobin biosynthetic genes are colocalized in a single chromosomal region. This demonstrates that, like plants and microbes, animals also harbor defensive biosynthetic gene clusters, supporting a recombinational model to explain why specialized or defensive metabolites are adjacently encoded in the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Scesa
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Zhenjian Lin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Eric W Schmidt
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
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4
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Ancient plant-like terpene biosynthesis in corals. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:664-669. [PMID: 35606558 PMCID: PMC9179088 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01026-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Octocorals are major contributors of terpenoid chemical diversity in the ocean. Natural products from other sessile marine animals are primarily biosynthesized by symbiotic microbes rather than by the host. Here, we challenge this long-standing paradigm by describing a monophyletic lineage of animal-encoded terpene cyclases (TCs) ubiquitous in octocorals. We characterized 15 TC enzymes from nine genera, several of which produce precursors of iconic coral-specific terpenoids, such as pseudopterosin, lophotoxin and eleutherobin. X-ray crystallography revealed that coral TCs share conserved active site residues and structural features with bacterial TCs. The identification of coral TCs enabled the targeted identification of the enzyme that constructs the coral-exclusive capnellane scaffold. Several TC genes are colocalized with genes that encode enzymes known to modify terpenes. This work presents an example of biosynthetic capacity in the kingdom Animalia that rivals the chemical complexity generated by plants, unlocking the biotechnological potential of octocorals for biomedical applications.
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5
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Sánchez-Suárez J, Garnica-Agudelo M, Villamil L, Díaz L, Coy-Barrera E. Bioactivity and Biotechnological Overview of Naturally Occurring Compounds from the Dinoflagellate Family Symbiodiniaceae: A Systematic Review. ScientificWorldJournal 2021; 2021:1983589. [PMID: 34955690 PMCID: PMC8709762 DOI: 10.1155/2021/1983589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine invertebrates are a significant source of biologically active compounds. Recent studies have highlighted the role of microbiota associated with marine invertebrates in the production of bioactive compounds. Corals and sponges are the main marine invertebrates producing bioactive substances, and Symbiodiniaceae dinoflagellates are well-recognized endosymbionts with corals and sponges playing vital functions. The biological properties of Symbiodiniaceae-derived compounds have garnered attention in the past decades owing to their ecological implications and potentiality for bioprospecting initiatives. This study aims to systematically review studies on bioactivities and potential biotechnological applications of Symbiodiniaceae-derived compounds. The PRISMA guidelines were followed. Our study showed that anti-inflammatory and vasoconstrictive activities of Symbiodiniaceae-derived compounds have been the most investigated. However, very few studies have been published, with in vitro culturing of Symbiodiniaceae being the most significant challenge. Therefore, we surveyed for the metabolites reported so far, analyzed their chemodiversity, and discussed approaches to overcome culturing-related limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeysson Sánchez-Suárez
- Bioprospecting Research Group, School of Engineering, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía, Colombia
| | - Mariana Garnica-Agudelo
- Bioprospecting Research Group, School of Engineering, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía, Colombia
- Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Cajicá, Colombia
| | - Luisa Villamil
- Doctoral Program in Biosciences, School of Engineering, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía, Colombia
| | - Luis Díaz
- Bioprospecting Research Group, School of Engineering, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía, Colombia
| | - Ericsson Coy-Barrera
- Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Cajicá, Colombia
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Movahhed S, Westphal J, Kempa A, Schumacher CE, Sperlich J, Neudörfl J, Teusch N, Hochgürtel M, Schmalz H. Total Synthesis of (+)-Erogorgiaene and the Pseudopterosin A-F Aglycone via Enantioselective Cobalt-Catalyzed Hydrovinylation. Chemistry 2021; 27:11574-11579. [PMID: 34096655 PMCID: PMC8456859 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202101863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Due to their pronounced bioactivity and limited availability from natural resources, metabolites of the soft coral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae, such as erogorgiaene and the pseudopterosines, represent important target molecules for chemical synthesis. We have now developed a particularly short and efficient route towards these marine diterpenes exploiting an operationally convenient enantioselective cobalt-catalyzed hydrovinylation as the chirogenic step. Other noteworthy C-C bond forming transformations include diastereoselective Lewis acid-mediated cyclizations, a Suzuki coupling and a carbonyl ene reaction. Starting from 4-methyl-styrene the anti-tubercular agent (+)-erogorgiaene (>98 % ee) was prepared in only 7 steps with 46 % overall yield. In addition, the synthesis of the pseudopterosin A aglycone was achieved in 12 steps with 30 % overall yield and, surprisingly, was found to exhibit a similar anti-inflammatory activity (inhibition of LPS-induced NF-κB activation) as a natural mixture of pseudopterosins A-D or iso-pseudopterosin A, prepared by β-D-xylosylation of the synthetic aglycone.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alexander Kempa
- TH Köln, Faculty of Applied Natural SciencesKaiser-Wilhelm-Allee, G. E3951373LeverkusenGermany
| | | | - Julia Sperlich
- TH Köln, Faculty of Applied Natural SciencesKaiser-Wilhelm-Allee, G. E3951373LeverkusenGermany
| | | | - Nicole Teusch
- TH Köln, Faculty of Applied Natural SciencesKaiser-Wilhelm-Allee, G. E3951373LeverkusenGermany
| | - Matthias Hochgürtel
- TH Köln, Faculty of Applied Natural SciencesKaiser-Wilhelm-Allee, G. E3951373LeverkusenGermany
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7
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Li G, Dickschat JS, Guo YW. Diving into the world of marine 2,11-cyclized cembranoids: a summary of new compounds and their biological activities. Nat Prod Rep 2020; 37:1367-1383. [DOI: 10.1039/d0np00016g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
This review summarises new marine 2,11-cyclized cembranoids from the past decade in a structured presentation according to their hypothetical biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Shanghai 201203
- China
| | - Jeroen S. Dickschat
- Kekulé-Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
- University of Bonn
- 53121 Bonn
- Germany
| | - Yue-Wei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Shanghai 201203
- China
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8
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Raimundo I, Silva SG, Costa R, Keller-Costa T. Bioactive Secondary Metabolites from Octocoral-Associated Microbes-New Chances for Blue Growth. Mar Drugs 2018; 16:E485. [PMID: 30518125 PMCID: PMC6316421 DOI: 10.3390/md16120485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2018] [Revised: 11/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Octocorals (Cnidaria, Anthozoa Octocorallia) are magnificent repositories of natural products with fascinating and unusual chemical structures and bioactivities of interest to medicine and biotechnology. However, mechanistic understanding of the contribution of microbial symbionts to the chemical diversity of octocorals is yet to be achieved. This review inventories the natural products so-far described for octocoral-derived bacteria and fungi, uncovering a true chemical arsenal of terpenes, steroids, alkaloids, and polyketides with antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antifouling, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimalarial activities of enormous potential for blue growth. Genome mining of 15 bacterial associates (spanning 12 genera) cultivated from Eunicella spp. resulted in the identification of 440 putative and classifiable secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), encompassing varied terpene-, polyketide-, bacteriocin-, and nonribosomal peptide-synthase BGCs. This points towards a widespread yet uncharted capacity of octocoral-associated bacteria to synthetize a broad range of natural products. However, to extend our knowledge and foster the near-future laboratory production of bioactive compounds from (cultivatable and currently uncultivatable) octocoral symbionts, optimal blending between targeted metagenomics, DNA recombinant technologies, improved symbiont cultivation, functional genomics, and analytical chemistry are required. Such a multidisciplinary undertaking is key to achieving a sustainable response to the urgent industrial demand for novel drugs and enzyme varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês Raimundo
- Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Sandra G Silva
- Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Rodrigo Costa
- Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Tina Keller-Costa
- Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal.
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9
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van de Water JAJM, Allemand D, Ferrier-Pagès C. Host-microbe interactions in octocoral holobionts - recent advances and perspectives. MICROBIOME 2018; 6:64. [PMID: 29609655 PMCID: PMC5880021 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-018-0431-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Octocorals are one of the most ubiquitous benthic organisms in marine ecosystems from the shallow tropics to the Antarctic deep sea, providing habitat for numerous organisms as well as ecosystem services for humans. In contrast to the holobionts of reef-building scleractinian corals, the holobionts of octocorals have received relatively little attention, despite the devastating effects of disease outbreaks on many populations. Recent advances have shown that octocorals possess remarkably stable bacterial communities on geographical and temporal scales as well as under environmental stress. This may be the result of their high capacity to regulate their microbiome through the production of antimicrobial and quorum-sensing interfering compounds. Despite decades of research relating to octocoral-microbe interactions, a synthesis of this expanding field has not been conducted to date. We therefore provide an urgently needed review on our current knowledge about octocoral holobionts. Specifically, we briefly introduce the ecological role of octocorals and the concept of holobiont before providing detailed overviews of (I) the symbiosis between octocorals and the algal symbiont Symbiodinium; (II) the main fungal, viral, and bacterial taxa associated with octocorals; (III) the dominance of the microbial assemblages by a few microbial species, the stability of these associations, and their evolutionary history with the host organism; (IV) octocoral diseases; (V) how octocorals use their immune system to fight pathogens; (VI) microbiome regulation by the octocoral and its associated microbes; and (VII) the discovery of natural products with microbiome regulatory activities. Finally, we present our perspectives on how the field of octocoral research should move forward, and the recognition that these organisms may be suitable model organisms to study coral-microbe symbioses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Denis Allemand
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine 1er, 98000, Monaco, Monaco
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10
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Ganley JG, Toro-Moreno M, Derbyshire ER. Exploring the Untapped Biosynthetic Potential of Apicomplexan Parasites. Biochemistry 2017; 57:365-375. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jack G. Ganley
- Department
of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Maria Toro-Moreno
- Department
of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Emily R. Derbyshire
- Department
of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
- Department
of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, 213 Research Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
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11
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Marine natural products with anti-inflammatory activity. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 100:1645-1666. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-015-7244-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Revised: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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12
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Sousa TS, Nuzzo G, Torres MC, Lopes NP, Cutignano A, Jimenez PC, Santos EA, Gomes BA, Sardo A, Pessoa OD, Costa-Lotufo LV, Fontana A. Amphidinolide P from the Brazilian octocoral Stragulum bicolor. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE FARMACOGNOSIA-BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOGNOSY 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bjp.2015.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Choi H, Oh DC. Considerations of the chemical biology of microbial natural products provide an effective drug discovery strategy. Arch Pharm Res 2015; 38:1591-605. [PMID: 26231248 DOI: 10.1007/s12272-015-0639-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Conventional approaches to natural product drug discovery rely mainly on random searches for bioactive compounds using bioassays. These traditional approaches do not incorporate a chemical biology perspective. Searching for bioactive molecules using a chemical and biological rationale constitutes a powerful search paradigm. Here, the authors review recent examples of the discovery of bioactive natural products based on chemical and biological interactions between hosts and symbionts, and propose this method provides a more effective means of exploring natural chemical diversity and eventually of discovering new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyukjae Choi
- College of Pharmacy, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan, 712-749, Republic of Korea.
| | - Dong-Chan Oh
- Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 151-742, Republic of Korea.
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14
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Flórez LV, Biedermann PHW, Engl T, Kaltenpoth M. Defensive symbioses of animals with prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. Nat Prod Rep 2015; 32:904-36. [DOI: 10.1039/c5np00010f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 233] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Many organisms team up with symbiotic microbes for defense against predators, parasites, parasitoids, or pathogens. Here we review the known defensive symbioses in animals and the microbial secondary metabolites responsible for providing protection to the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura V. Flórez
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
- Insect Symbiosis Research Group
- 07745 Jena
- Germany
| | - Peter H. W. Biedermann
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
- Insect Symbiosis Research Group
- 07745 Jena
- Germany
| | - Tobias Engl
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
- Insect Symbiosis Research Group
- 07745 Jena
- Germany
| | - Martin Kaltenpoth
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
- Insect Symbiosis Research Group
- 07745 Jena
- Germany
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15
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Abstract
The 15 published total syntheses of the pseudopterosins are reviewed, with focus on strategic considerations and an emphasis on ring formation.
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16
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Pandey S, Sree A, Sethi DP, Kumar CG, Kakollu S, Chowdhury L, Dash SS. A marine sponge associated strain of Bacillus subtilis and other marine bacteria can produce anticholinesterase compounds. Microb Cell Fact 2014; 13:24. [PMID: 24528673 PMCID: PMC3932841 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2859-13-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors or anticholinesterases reduce the activity of enzyme acetylcholinesterase that degrades the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain. The inhibitors have a significant pharmacological role in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s etc. Although plants have been a significant source of these compounds, there are very few sporadic reports of microorganisms producing such inhibitors. Anticholinesterase activity in bacterial associates of marine soft corals and sponges were not previously reported. Results We screened 887 marine bacteria for the presence of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, in a microplate based assay, and found that 140 (15.8%) of them inhibit the electric eel enzyme, acetylcholinesterase. Majority of the active isolates were bacterial associates of soft corals followed by sediment isolates while most of the potent inhibitors belonged to the bacterial associates of marine sponges. Maximum inhibition (54%) was exhibited by a bacterial strain M18SP4P (ii), isolated from the marine sponge Fasciospongia cavernosa. Based on phenotypic characterization and 16S rDNA sequencing, the strain was identified as Bacillus subtilis - revealing yet another activity in a strain of the model organism that is considered to be a cell factory. TLC bioautography of the methanol extract of this culture, showed the presence of two major components having this activity, when compared to Galanthamine, the positive control. Conclusion From the results of our study, we conclude that acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are quite prevalent in marine bacteria, particularly the bacterial associates of marine invertebrates. Several potential AChE inhibitors in marine bacteria are waiting to be discovered to provide easily manipulable natural sources for the mass production of these therapeutic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sony Pandey
- Environment and Sustainability Department, CSIR - Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, Bhubaneswar 751 013, India.
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Correa H, Haltli B, Duque C, Kerr R. Bacterial communities of the gorgonian octocoral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2013; 66:972-85. [PMID: 23913197 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-013-0267-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2012] [Accepted: 07/09/2013] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae is a common inhabitant of Caribbean reefs and is a well-known source of diterpenes with diverse biological activities. Notably, this octocoral is the sole source of the pseudopterosin family of anti-inflammatory diterpenes and is harvested to supply commercial demand for these metabolites. We have characterized the composition of the bacterial community associated with P. elisabethae collected from Providencia Island, Colombia, using both culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. Culture-independent analysis revealed that the bacterial communities were composed of eight phyla, of which Proteobacteria was the most abundant. At the class level, bacterial communities were dominated by Gammaproteobacteria (82-87 %). Additionally, operational taxonomic units related to Pseudomonas and Endozoicomonas species were the most abundant phylotypes consistently associated with P. elisabethae colonies. Culture-dependent analysis resulted in the identification of 40 distinct bacteria classified as Bacilli (15), Actinobacteria (12), Gammaproteobacteria (9), Alphaproteobacteria (3), and Betaproteobacteria (1). Only one of the 40 cultured bacteria was closely related to a dominant phylotype detected in the culture-independent study, suggesting that conventional culturing techniques failed to culture the majority of octocoral-associated bacterial diversity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first characterization of the bacterial diversity associated with P. elisabethae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hebelin Correa
- Departamento de Química, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, District of Colombia, Colombia
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18
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole B. Lopanik
- Department of Biology; Georgia State University; Atlanta Georgia 30303 USA
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19
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Day DR, Jabaiah S, Jacobs RS, Little RD. Cyclodextrin formulation of the marine natural product pseudopterosin A uncovers optimal pharmacodynamics in proliferation studies of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Mar Drugs 2013; 11:3258-71. [PMID: 24065164 PMCID: PMC3806459 DOI: 10.3390/md11093258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2013] [Revised: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudopterosin A (PsA) treatment of growth factor depleted human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) cultures formulated in hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) for 42 h unexpectedly produced a 25% increase in cell proliferation (EC50 = 1.34 × 10−8 M). Analysis of dose response curves revealed pseudo-first order saturation kinetics, and the uncoupling of cytotoxicity from cell proliferation, thereby resulting in a widening of the therapeutic index. The formulation of PsA into HPβCD produced a 200-fold increase in potency over a DMSO formulation; we propose this could result from a constrained presentation of PsA to the receptor, which would limit non-specific binding. These results support the hypothesis that the non-specific receptor binding of PsA when formulated in DMSO has ostensibly masked prior estimates of specific activity, potency, and mechanism. Collectively, these results suggest that the formulation of PsA and compounds of similar chemical properties in HPβCD could result in significant pharmacological findings that may otherwise be obscured when using solvents such as DMSO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R. Day
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; E-Mails: (D.R.D.); (R.S.J.)
| | - Suraya Jabaiah
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; E-Mail:
| | - Robert S. Jacobs
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; E-Mails: (D.R.D.); (R.S.J.)
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; E-Mail:
| | - R. Daniel Little
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +1-805-893-3693; Fax: +1-805-893-4120
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Correa H, Zorro P, Arevalo-Ferro C, Puyana M, Duque C. Possible Ecological Role of Pseudopterosins G and P-U and SECO-Pseudopterosins J and K from the Gorgonian Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae from Providencia Island (SW Caribbean) in Regulating Microbial Surface Communities. J Chem Ecol 2012; 38:1190-202. [DOI: 10.1007/s10886-012-0182-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2012] [Revised: 07/30/2012] [Accepted: 08/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Leblond JD, Dodson J, Khadka M, Holder S, Seipelt RL. Sterol Composition and Biosynthetic Genes of the Recently Discovered Photosynthetic Alveolate, Chromera velia (Chromerida), a Close Relative of Apicomplexans. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2012; 59:191-7. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.2012.00611.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2011] [Accepted: 12/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D. Leblond
- Department of Biology; Middle Tennessee State University; P. O. Box 60; Murfreesboro; Tennessee; 37132
| | - Joshua Dodson
- Department of Biology; Middle Tennessee State University; P. O. Box 60; Murfreesboro; Tennessee; 37132
| | - Manoj Khadka
- Department of Biology; Middle Tennessee State University; P. O. Box 60; Murfreesboro; Tennessee; 37132
| | - Sabrina Holder
- Department of Biology; Middle Tennessee State University; P. O. Box 60; Murfreesboro; Tennessee; 37132
| | - Rebecca L. Seipelt
- Department of Biology; Middle Tennessee State University; P. O. Box 60; Murfreesboro; Tennessee; 37132
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Berrué F, McCulloch MWB, Kerr RG. Marine diterpene glycosides. Bioorg Med Chem 2011; 19:6702-19. [PMID: 21783368 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2011.06.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2011] [Revised: 06/16/2011] [Accepted: 06/28/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Marine diterpene glycosides (MDGs) respresent a small but highly significant group of the much larger class of marine diterpenes. The three well-studied examples of MDGs are eleutherobins, pseudopterosins and fuscosides, all of which exhibit extremely promising biological activity. The eleutherobins are potent anti-mitotic agents, and the pseudopterosins and fuscosides are potent anti-inflammatory agents. This review discusses the structures and biological activities of these compounds, as well as their biosynthesis and synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Berrué
- Department of Chemistry, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
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Abstract
Covering: 1995 to April 2008. Gorgonian corals continue to provide a wealth of novel structures, many of which exhibit potentially useful biological activity. Notably, the families Briareidae, Gorgoniidae and Plexauridae have been demonstrated to contain a wide variety of natural products including steroids, acetogenins, sesquiterpenes and diterpenes. The most common of the gorgonian natural products are the diterpenes, and the intent of this review is to describe such compounds isolated from gorgonian corals, with a focus on the structures of new compounds as well as their biological activity. There have been developments improving our understanding of the biosynthetic origin of selected diterpenes, and these will also be discussed. This review describes 602 new compounds from 177 articles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Berrue
- Department of Chemistry, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, C1A 4P3, Canada
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24
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Synthesis and evaluation of the bioactivity of simplified analogs of the seco-pseudopterosins; progress toward determining a pharmacophore. Tetrahedron 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2008.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Frenz-Ross JL, Enticknap JJ, Kerr RG. The effect of bleaching on the terpene chemistry of Plexaurella fusifera: evidence that zooxanthellae are not responsible for sesquiterpene production. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2008; 10:572-578. [PMID: 18421429 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-008-9095-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2007] [Revised: 01/21/2008] [Accepted: 03/09/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The close association between marine invertebrates, zooxanthellae, and numerous bacteria gives rise to the question of the identity of the actual producer of secondary metabolites. In fall of 2005, a widespread bleaching event occurred throughout the Caribbean Sea in which some colonies of the gorgonian coral Plexaurella fusifera bleached. This study investigated whether zooxanthellae play a key role in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolite terpenes from P. fusifera. The extent of bleaching was examined by chlorophyll A analysis and also by zooxanthellae isolation and cell counting. The bleached and unbleached colonies were found to contain similar concentrations of eremophilene as the major terpene, and both exhibited similar biosynthetic capability as evaluated by the transformation of [C(1)-(3)H]-farnesyl diphosphate to the sesquiterpenes. Differences in bacterial communities between the bleached and unbleached colonies were analyzed using molecular techniques, and preliminary indications are that unbleached and bleached corals are dominated by low G + C firmicutes and gammaproteobacteria, respectively. It therefore appears that terpene biosynthesis can proceed independently of the zooxanthellae in P. fusifera, suggesting that the coral or a bacterium is the biosynthetic source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie L Frenz-Ross
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry & Center of Excellence in Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA
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Brück TB, Brück WM, Santiago-Vázquez LZ, McCarthy PJ, Kerr RG. Diversity of the bacterial communities associated with the azooxanthellate deep water octocorals Leptogorgia minimata, Iciligorgia schrammi, and Swiftia exertia. MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2007; 9:561-76. [PMID: 17514404 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-007-9009-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2007] [Revised: 02/10/2007] [Accepted: 03/12/2007] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the microbiota associated with the marine azooxanthellate octocorals Leptogorgia minimata, Swiftia exertia, and Iciligorgia schrammi collected from moderate depths (45 m). Traditional aerobic plate culture, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and molecular identification of the 16S rDNA region were used for this purpose. In general, cultures were found to be selective for Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Firmicutes. Interestingly, FISH counts for Firmicutes in the whole coral (holobiont) were near the detection limit of this assay, representing less than 6% of the total detectable microbiota in all counts. Proteobacteria, especially Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria, made up the majority of the total microbiota in the holobionts. In addition, the absence of zooxanthellae in these three corals was confirmed by the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and dinoflagellate-specific primers, and spectrophotometric chlorophyll pigment measurements. No evidence of zooxanthellae could be found in any of the corals by either of these techniques. This is the first study examining the microbiota marine octocorals, which grow at moderate depth (40 to 100 m) in the absence of direct sunlight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas B Brück
- Center of Excellence in Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
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27
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Withers ST, Gottlieb SS, Lieu B, Newman JD, Keasling JD. Identification of isopentenol biosynthetic genes from Bacillus subtilis by a screening method based on isoprenoid precursor toxicity. Appl Environ Microbiol 2007; 73:6277-83. [PMID: 17693564 PMCID: PMC2075014 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00861-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We have developed a novel method to clone terpene synthase genes. This method relies on the inherent toxicity of the prenyl diphosphate precursors to terpenes, which resulted in a reduced-growth phenotype. When these precursors were consumed by a terpene synthase, normal growth was restored. We have demonstrated that this method is capable of enriching a population of engineered Escherichia coli for those clones that express the sesquiterpene-producing amorphadiene synthase. In addition, we enriched a library of genomic DNA from the isoprene-producing bacterium Bacillus subtilis strain 6,051 in E. coli engineered to produce elevated levels of isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate. The selection resulted in the discovery of two genes (yhfR and nudF) whose protein products acted directly on the prenyl diphosphate precursors and produced isopentenol. Expression of nudF in E. coli engineered with the mevalonate-based isopentenyl pyrophosphate biosynthetic pathway resulted in the production of isopentenol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydnor T Withers
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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28
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Dunlap WC, Battershill CN, Liptrot CH, Cobb RE, Bourne DG, Jaspars M, Long PF, Newman DJ. Biomedicinals from the phytosymbionts of marine invertebrates: A molecular approach. Methods 2007; 42:358-76. [PMID: 17560324 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2007.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2006] [Revised: 03/07/2007] [Accepted: 03/09/2007] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine invertebrate animals such as sponges, gorgonians, tunicates and bryozoans are sources of biomedicinally relevant natural products, a small but growing number of which are advancing through clinical trials. Most metazoan and anthozoan species harbour commensal microorganisms that include prokaryotic bacteria, cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), eukaryotic microalgae, and fungi within host tissues where they reside as extra- and intra-cellular symbionts. In some sponges these associated microbes may constitute as much as 40% of the holobiont volume. There is now abundant evidence to suggest that a significant portion of the bioactive metabolites thought originally to be products of the source animal are often synthesized by their symbiotic microbiota. Several anti-cancer metabolites from marine sponges that have progressed to pre-clinical or clinical-trial phases, such as discodermolide, halichondrin B and bryostatin 1, are thought to be products derived from their microbiotic consortia. Freshwater and marine cyanobacteria are well recognised for producing numerous and structurally diverse bioactive and cytotoxic secondary metabolites suited to drug discovery. Sea sponges often contain dominant taxa-specific populations of cyanobacteria, and it is these phytosymbionts (= photosymbionts) that are considered to be the true biogenic source of a number of pharmacologically active polyketides and nonribosomally synthesized peptides produced within the sponge. Accordingly, new collections can be pre-screened in the field for the presence of phytobionts and, together with metagenomic screening using degenerate PCR primers to identify key polyketide synthase (PKS) and nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) genes, afford a biodiscovery rationale based on the therapeutic prospects of phytochemical selection. Additionally, new cloning and biosynthetic expression strategies may provide a sustainable method for the supply of new pharmaceuticals derived from the uncultured phytosymbionts of marine organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter C Dunlap
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
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29
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Newberger NC, Ranzer LK, Boehnlein JM, Kerr RG. Induction of terpene biosynthesis in dinoflagellate symbionts of Caribbean gorgonians. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2006; 67:2133-9. [PMID: 16860352 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2006.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2005] [Revised: 05/19/2006] [Accepted: 06/06/2006] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
This report describes a series of experiments designed to determine if terpene biosynthesis is inducible in two families of marine terpenes, pseudopterosins from the gorgonian coral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae and fuscol from Eunicea fusca. Since we have recently shown that terpene biosynthesis is not under the control of the invertebrate host, but rather occurs within a dinoflagellate preparation, we examined the terpene content of the dinoflagellate symbiont following a decrease in UV/vis radiation as well as in response to the addition of methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid and gibberellic acid. We demonstrated that pseudopterosin and fuscol biosynthesis can be markedly increased through the addition of the plant bioactive substances. We also demonstrated that, while the terpene content of P. elisabethae increases in response to decreased UV/vis light, this is due primarily to an increase in the concentration of the dinoflagellate rather than simply an induction of terpene biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nealie C Newberger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center of Excellence in Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
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30
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Moya CE, Jacobs RS. Pseudopterosin A inhibits phagocytosis and alters intracellular calcium turnover in a pertussis toxin sensitive site in Tetrahymena thermophila. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2006; 143:436-43. [PMID: 16759914 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2006.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2005] [Revised: 03/14/2006] [Accepted: 04/19/2006] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The free living ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila was chosen as a cellular model in order to investigate the mode of action of the anti-inflammatory marine natural product Pseudopterosin A (PsA). In this paper we present evidence that PsA inhibits phagosome formation (KD=10.5 microM) and triggers a discrete intracellular calcium release (depletion) from a site in T. thermophila cells (KD=6.4 microM). Pre-treatment with the Gi/o protein inhibitor, pertussis toxin (PTX), inhibits PsA activity of both responses providing pharmacological evidence that the site of action for PsA is at a PTX sensitive G protein or a G protein coupled receptor (GPCR). Addition of extracellular calcium induced a concentration dependent increase in the incidence of phagosome formation (KD=30.3 microM) and was blocked by PsA pre-treatment. This particular effect of PsA on extracellular calcium was not blocked by PTX pre-treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia E Moya
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-9610, USA.
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31
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley S Moore
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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32
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König GM, Kehraus S, Seibert SF, Abdel-Lateff A, Müller D. Natural products from marine organisms and their associated microbes. Chembiochem 2006; 7:229-38. [PMID: 16247831 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.200500087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The marine environment is distinguished by unique groups of organisms being the source of a wide array of fascinating structures. The enormous biodiversity of marine habitats is mirrored by the molecular diversity of secondary metabolites found in marine animals, plants and microbes. The recognition that many marine invertebrates contain endo- and epibiotic microorganisms and that some invertebrate-derived natural products are structurally related to bacterial metabolites suggests a microbial origin for some of these compounds. Other marine natural products, however, are clearly located in invertebrate tissue and microbial involvement in the biosynthetic process seems unlikely. The complexity of associations in marine organisms, especially in sponges, bryozoans and tunicates, makes it extremely difficult to definitively state the biosynthetic source of many marine natural products or to deduce their ecological significance. Whereas many symbiotic marine microorganisms cannot be isolated and cultured, numerous epi- and endobiotic marine fungi produce novel secondary metabolites in laboratory cultures. The potent biological activity of many marine natural products is of relevance for their ecological function but is also the basis of their biomedical importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele M König
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Bonn, Nussallee 6, 53115 Bonn, Germany.
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33
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Newman DJ, Hill RT. New drugs from marine microbes: the tide is turning. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2006; 33:539-44. [PMID: 16598493 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-006-0115-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2005] [Accepted: 02/27/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
This is a mini-review demonstrating that investigation of the genomics of marine microbes from all three domains has the potential to revolutionize the search for secondary metabolites originally thought to be the product of marine invertebrates. The basis for the review was a symposium at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the SIM covering some aspects of the potential for marine microbes to be the primary producers of such metabolites. The work reported at that symposium has been integrated into a fuller discussion of current published literature on the subject with examples drawn from bacteria, cyanophytes and fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Newman
- Natural Products Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, NCI-Frederick, P. O. Box B, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
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34
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Brück TB, Kerr RG. Purification and kinetic properties of elisabethatriene synthase from the coral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2006; 143:269-78. [PMID: 16423548 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2005.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2005] [Revised: 11/07/2005] [Accepted: 11/14/2005] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The Bahamian octocoral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae is the source of pseudopterosins, diterpene glycosides with potent anti-inflammatory activity. The first committed step in pseudopterosin biosynthesis comprises the cyclisation of the universal diterpene precursor geranylgeranyl diphosphate to elisabethatriene. This reaction is catalysed by elisabethatriene synthase, which was purified to homogeneity from a crude coral extract. This represents the first purification to apparent homogeneity of a terpene cyclase from any marine source. The reaction kinetics of elisabethatriene synthase was examined using a steady state approach with (3)H-labelled isoprenyldiphosphates varying in carbon chain length (C(10), C(15), C(20)). For the reaction of elisabethatriene synthase with its natural substrate geranylgeranyl diphosphate, values of K(m) (2.3 x 10(-6) M), V(max) (3.4 x 10(4) nM elisabethatriene x s(-1)) and the specificity constant (k(cat)/K(m)= 1.8 x 10(-10) M(-1) x s(-1)) were comparable with diterpene cyclases from terrestrial plants. Elisabethatriene synthase also catalysed the conversion of C(15) and C(10) isoprenyldiphosphate analogues to monoterpene and sesquiterpene olefins, respectively. Kinetic parameters indicated that substrate specificity and K(m) of elisabethatriene synthase decreased with decreasing isoprenoid carbon chain length. Furthermore, GC-MS analysis showed increased product diversity with decreasing isoprenoid carbon chain length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas B Brück
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center of Excellence in Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Rd., Boca Raton, 33431, USA
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35
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Abstract
This review covers the recent marine chemical ecology literature for phytoplankton, macroalgae, sponges and other benthic invertebrates; 249 references are cited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie J Paul
- Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Fort Pierce, FL 34949, USA
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36
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Fortman JL, Sherman DH. Utilizing the Power of Microbial Genetics to Bridge the Gap Between the Promise and the Application of Marine Natural Products. Chembiochem 2005; 6:960-78. [PMID: 15880675 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.200400428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Marine organisms are a rich source of secondary metabolites. They have yielded thousands of compounds with a broad range of biomedical applications. Thus far, samples required for preclinical and clinical studies have been obtained by collection from the wild, by mariculture, and by total chemical synthesis. However, for a number of complex marine metabolites, none of these options is feasible for either economic or environmental reasons. In order to proceed with the development of many of these promising therapeutic compounds, a reliable and renewable source must be found. Over the last twenty years, the study of microbial secondary metabolites has greatly advanced our understanding of how nature utilizes simple starting materials to yield complex small molecules. Much of this work has focused on polyketides and nonribosomal peptides, two classes of molecules that are prevalent in marine micro- and macroorganisms. The lessons learned from the study of terrestrial metabolite biosynthesis are now being applied to the marine world. As techniques for cloning and heterologous expression of biosynthetic pathways continue to improve, they may provide our greatest hope for bridging the gap between the promise and application of many marine natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Fortman
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, 210 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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37
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Abstract
This review covers the literature published in 2003 for marine natural products, with 619 citations (413 for the period January to December 2003) referring to compounds isolated from marine microorganisms and phytoplankton, green algae, brown algae, red algae, sponges, coelenterates, bryozoans, molluscs, tunicates and echinoderms. The emphasis is on new compounds (656 for 2003), together with their relevant biological activities, source organisms and country or origin. Biosynthetic studies or syntheses that lead to the revision of structures or stereochemistries have been included (78), including any first total syntheses of a marine natural product.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Blunt
- Department of Chemistry, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
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