The pharmaceutical value of marine biodiversity for anti-cancer drug discovery

Erwin, Patrick M.; López‐Legentil, Susanna; Schuhmann, Peter

doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2010.09.030

Cited by 73 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…In addition to marine sponges, didemnid ascidians present an interesting environment for the investigation of symbiotic relationships (Adams, 2002;Hirose and Maruyama, 2004) and the discovery of new bioactive compounds (Sings and Rinehart, 1996;Ogi et al, 2009;Erwin et al, 2010). The role and importance of ascidian-associated microbes versus the host as a source of such secondary metabolites remains largely unexplored.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial diversity of biofilm communities in microniches associated with the didemnid ascidian Lissoclinum patella

et al. 2011

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We assessed the microbial diversity and microenvironmental niche characteristics in the didemnid ascidian Lissoclinum patella using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, microsensor and imaging techniques. L. patella harbors three distinct microbial communities spatially separated by few millimeters of tunic tissue: (i) a biofilm on its upper surface exposed to high irradiance and O 2 levels, (ii) a cloacal cavity dominated by the prochlorophyte Prochloron spp. characterized by strong depletion of visible light and a dynamic chemical microenvironment ranging from hyperoxia in light to anoxia in darkness and (iii) a biofilm covering the underside of the animal, where light is depleted of visible wavelengths and enriched in near-infrared radiation (NIR). Variable chlorophyll fluorescence imaging demonstrated photosynthetic activity, and hyperspectral imaging revealed a diversity of photopigments in all microhabitats. Amplicon sequencing revealed the dominance of cyanobacteria in all three layers. Sequences representing the chlorophyll d containing cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina and anoxygenic phototrophs were abundant on the underside of the ascidian in shallow waters but declined in deeper waters. This depth dependency was supported by a negative correlation between A. marina abundance and collection depth, explained by the increased attenuation of NIR as a function of water depth. The combination of microenvironmental analysis and fine-scale sampling techniques used in this investigation gives valuable first insights into the distribution, abundance and diversity of bacterial communities associated with tropical ascidians. In particular, we show that microenvironments and microbial diversity can vary significantly over scales of a few millimeters in such habitats; which is information easily lost by bulk sampling.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial diversity of biofilm communities in microniches associated with the didemnid ascidian Lissoclinum patella

et al. 2011

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“…As a basal lineage in the phylum Chordata, ascidians occupy a key stage in deuterostome evolution (Delsuc et al, 2006). Ascidians are also a prolific source of novel marine natural products (Erwin et al, 2010) and the involvement of microbial symbionts in bioactive compound production (Schmidt and Donia, 2010) has prompted recent studies of the ascidian microbiota (Donia et al, 2011;Kwan et al, 2012). Historically, most studies of microbial symbionts in ascidians have focused on cyanobacteria, in particular the genera Prochloron and Synechocystis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further, symbiont biosynthesis of secondary metabolites contributes to the chemical defenses of marine invertebrates (Schmidt et al, 2005;Freeman et al, 2012), a key strategy for sessile organisms to deter predation, avoid surface fouling and compete for substrate (Armstrong et al, 2001;Pawlik, 2011). In addition to their roles in host biology and ecology, many of these unique and structurally diverse secondary metabolites have pharmaceutical applications and substantial importance for biotechnology and drug discovery (Paul and Ritson-Williams, 2008;Erwin et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Down under the tunic: bacterial biodiversity hotspots and widespread ammonia-oxidizing archaea in coral reef ascidians

et al. 2013

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Ascidians are ecologically important components of marine ecosystems yet the ascidian microbiota remains largely unexplored beyond a few model species. We used 16S rRNA gene tag pyrosequencing to provide a comprehensive characterization of microbial symbionts in the tunic of 42 Great Barrier Reef ascidian samples representing 25 species. Results revealed high bacterial biodiversity (3 217 unique operational taxonomic units (OTU 0.03 ) from 19 described and 14 candidate phyla) and the widespread occurrence of ammonia-oxidizing Thaumarchaeota in coral reef ascidians (24 of 25 host species). The ascidian microbiota was clearly differentiated from seawater microbial communities and included symbiont lineages shared with other invertebrate hosts as well as unique, ascidian-specific phylotypes. Several rare seawater microbes were markedly enriched (200-700 fold) in the ascidian tunic, suggesting that the rare biosphere of seawater may act as a conduit for horizontal symbiont transfer. However, most OTUs (71%) were rare and specific to single hosts and a significant correlation between host relatedness and symbiont community similarity was detected, indicating a high degree of host-specificity and potential role of vertical transmission in structuring these communities. We hypothesize that the complex ascidian microbiota revealed herein is maintained by the dynamic microenvironments within the ascidian tunic, offering optimal conditions for different metabolic pathways such as ample chemical substrate (ammonia-rich host waste) and physical habitat (high oxygen, low irradiance) for nitrification. Thus, ascidian hosts provide unique and fertile niches for diverse microorganisms and may represent an important and previously unrecognized habitat for nitrite/nitrate regeneration in coral reef ecosystems.

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“…9,10) In addition, several natural products from marine organisms have been reported to express bioactivity against prevalent diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and obesity. [11][12][13] So far, numerous compounds isolated from natural resources have been reported to exhibit significant anti-HIV activity and inhibit HIV-1 activity in almost every stage of the viral life cycle. 14) Polysaccharides and phlorotannins isolated from the marine algae show distinct inhibitory activity against HIV-1 reproduction as well as viral infection.…”

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confidence: 99%

Anti-HIV-1 activity of phlorotannin derivative 8,4‴-dieckol from Korean brown alga Ecklonia cava

Karadeniz

Kang

Park³

et al. 2014

Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry

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8,4‴-dieckol is a natural product which has been isolated from brown alga, Ecklonia cava. This polyphenolic compound is a phlorotannin derivative with a broad range of bioactivities. Its inhibitory activity on human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) was tested and the results indicated that 8,4‴-dieckol inhibited HIV-1 induced syncytia formation, lytic effects, and viral p24 antigen production at noncytotoxic concentrations. Furthermore, it was found that 8,4‴-dieckol selectively inhibited the activity of HIV-1 reverse trancriptase (RT) enzyme with 91% inhibition ratio at the concentration of 50 μM. HIV-1 entry was also inhibited by 8,4‴-dieckol. According to data from this study, 8,4‴-dieckol is an effective compound against HIV-1 with high potential for further studies. These results suggest that it might be used as a drug candidate for the development of new generation therapeutic agents, although further studies on the mechanism of inhibition should be addressed.

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The pharmaceutical value of marine biodiversity for anti-cancer drug discovery

Cited by 73 publications

References 34 publications

Microbial diversity of biofilm communities in microniches associated with the didemnid ascidian Lissoclinum patella

Microbial diversity of biofilm communities in microniches associated with the didemnid ascidian Lissoclinum patella

Down under the tunic: bacterial biodiversity hotspots and widespread ammonia-oxidizing archaea in coral reef ascidians

Anti-HIV-1 activity of phlorotannin derivative 8,4‴-dieckol from Korean brown alga Ecklonia cava

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