Epibiosis of Marine Algae and Benthic Invertebrates: Natural Products Chemistry and Other Mechanisms Inhibiting Settlement and Overgrowth

Davis, Andrew R.; Targett, Nancy M.; McConnell, Oliver J.; Young, Craig M.

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-74560-7_4

Cited by 195 publications

(126 citation statements)

References 143 publications

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“…In order for a metabolite to have any ecological antifouling roles against bacteria, it must be presented on the surface of the host, or released into the surrounding water, in sufficient concentration to exert an inhibitory effect (Davis et al 1989, Hay 1996. By extracting surface-associated metabolites and testing them against the growth of 3 marine bacteria, we could show that Bonnemaisonia hamifera has metabolites present on its surface in sufficient amounts to inhibit bacterial growth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical inhibition of bacterial colonization by the red alga Bonnemaisonia hamifera

Nylund¹,

Cervin²,

Hermansson³

et al. 2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Attachment and growth are 2 major processes in bacterial colonization of surfaces in the sea. By inhibiting either or both of these processes, marine macroorganisms may defend themselves against bacterial infection and fouling. We tested crude extracts from 5 red seaweed species for their ability to inhibit bacterial growth and attachment. For this we used 11 strains of bacteria, representing 5 different taxonomic groups. The effects on growth and attachment were tested by a standard disc-diffusion assay and by incorporating crude extracts into phytagel blocks that served as a surface for bacterial attachment. Extracts from one of the tested algae, Bonnemaisonia hamifera, were particularly active and inhibited growth of 9 bacteria at concentrations volumetrically equivalent to whole algal tissue, or lower. The other 4 algal extracts had weak growth-inhibiting effects on only a few bacterial strains. None of the algal extracts exhibited broad-spectrum effects against bacterial attachment, but 4 of 5 algal extracts had some strain-specific effects. Surface extracts of B. hamifera tested on bacteria showed that metabolites are naturally present at sufficiently high concentrations in order to inhibit bacterial growth on the surface of the seaweed. In situ quantification of bacteria on B. hamifera also showed that this alga had significantly fewer bacteria on its surface compared to a coexisting alga. These findings suggest that B. hamifera naturally reduces its epibacterial abundance by production of broad-spectrum growth-inhibiting secondary metabolites. This is one of a few examples where ecologically relevant effects of algal metabolites on bacterial colonization have been shown.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical inhibition of bacterial colonization by the red alga Bonnemaisonia hamifera

Nylund¹,

Cervin²,

Hermansson³

et al. 2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…(2) Secondary metabolites with natural antifouling roles are common in seaweeds, and although research has focused on identifying such metabolites, insufficient progress has been made: for a metabolite to be classed as a natural antifoulant, it must be shown that it is present on the surface of the producing organism, or released at a concentration sufficient to deter ecologically relevant fouling organisms (Davis et al 1989, Hay 1996; this often requires a complex combination of chemical and experimental studies. (3) Chemical deterrence of fouling through production of secondary metabolites is a relatively uncommon phenomenon in seaweeds.…”

Section: Is Chemical Inhibition Of Fouling By Seaweeds a Rare Phenomementioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical versus mechanical inhibition of fouling in the red alga Dilsea carnosa

Nylund¹,

Pavia²

2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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In this study, we used field experiments in natural populations to test whether the low degree of fouling found naturally on the red alga Dilsea carnosa (Schmidel) O. Kuntze (1893) is due to chemical inhibition by antifouling metabolites. Extracts with concentrations volumetrically equivalent to whole algal tissue were incorporated into stable gels, which served as settlement substrata for potential fouling organisms. The gels were placed in the field during several time periods, covering all seasons. We also investigated the fouling intensity on living D. carnosa plants to be able to compare fouling on algae with fouling on gels. The extracts inhibited recruitment of a few fouling organisms, but they were not effective against the dominant bryozoan fouling species Electra pilosa and Membranipora membranacea. Furthermore, a relatively high number of these species occasionally recruited onto D. carnosa plants. Hence, chemical inhibition of fouling could not explain the low degree of fouling of bryozoan species found naturally on D. carnosa. Instead, based on field observations showing that D. carnosa is able to shed its epidermis, we hypothesised that the low degree of fouling is primarily due to cuticle peeling, whereby the alga sloughs off the outermost cell layer in order to remove associated fouling organisms. This hypothesis was tested in a field survey in which D. carnosa plants were marked and surveyed for about 5 mo. The results show that individual algae that experienced a radical drop in their fouling cover had distinct traces of cuticle peeling. Hence, this study suggests that the dominant fouling organisms are not chemically inhibited by D. carnosa. Instead, the low degree of fouling found naturally on D. carnosa is probably a consequence of a mechanical defence, whereby the alga sloughs off the outermost cell layer in order to remove associated epibiota.

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“…Marine organisms have been shown to use both physical and chemical methods to protect themselves from biofouling (Bakus et al 1986;Davis et al 1989;Wahl 1989;Steinberg et al 1998;Fusetani 2004;Bazes et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of the antifouling constituents from the brown alga Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt

et al. 2008

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One of the most promising alternatives to toxic heavy metal-based paints is offered by the development of antifouling coatings in which the active ingredients are compounds naturally occurring in marine organisms and operating as natural antisettlement agents. Sessile marine macroalgae are remarkably free from settlement by fouling organisms. They produce a wide variety of chemically active metabolites in their surroundings, potentially as an aid to protect themselves against other settling organisms. In this study, a dichloromethane extract from the brown seaweed Sargassum muticum was tested in situ and, after 2 months of immersion, showed less fouling organisms on paints in which the extract was included, compared to paints containing only copper after 2 months of immersion. No barnacles or mussels have been observed on the test rack. Identification by NMR and GC/MS of the effective compound revealed the abundance of palmitic acid, a commonly found fatty acid. Pure palmitic acid showed antibacterial activity at 44 µg mL −1, and also inhibited the growth of the diatom Cylindrotheca closterium at low concentration (EC 50 =45.5 µg mL −1 ), and the germination of Ulva lactuca spores at 3 µg mL −1 . No cytotoxicity was highlighted, which is promising in the aim of the development of an environmentally friendly antifouling paint.

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Epibiosis of Marine Algae and Benthic Invertebrates: Natural Products Chemistry and Other Mechanisms Inhibiting Settlement and Overgrowth

Cited by 195 publications

References 143 publications

Chemical inhibition of bacterial colonization by the red alga Bonnemaisonia hamifera

Chemical inhibition of bacterial colonization by the red alga Bonnemaisonia hamifera

Chemical versus mechanical inhibition of fouling in the red alga Dilsea carnosa

Investigation of the antifouling constituents from the brown alga Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt

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