Bactericidal activity of coelomic fluid from the sea urchin Echinus Esculentus

Coelomic fluid from the common British sea urchin Echinus esculentus was shown to kill in vitro a black-colonied, agar-digesting marine Pseudomonas sp. (strain No. 111). The bactericidal reaction, which was monitored by viability counting on marine agar plates, took 48 hr to reach full expression. An incubation temperature of 4°C gave the most complete and consistent killing. Clotting of the coelomocytes did not influence bactericidal activity. The vast majority of nearly 200 specimens of E. esculentus from the Clyde Sea area of Scotland yielded coelomic fluid with bactericidal activity, and there was no apparent seasonal variation. Activity was localized in the coelomocytes and could be obtained in cell-free extracts by ultrasonic disruption of these cells. The bactericidal activity in these extracts was lost during dialysis but was only partially destroyed by heating for 30 min at 56° or 100°C.     

Seasonal variation in antifouling activity of crude extracts of the brown alga Bifurcaria bifurcata (Cystoseiraceae) against cyprids of Balanus amphitrite and the marine bacteria Cobetia marina and Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis

Previous studies have demonstrated that macroalgae from Brittany (France) contain products with antifouling activity against marine bacteria, fungi, diatoms, seaweeds and mussels. Little is known regarding the ecological function of these compounds and insufficient attention has been paid to evaluating the possible temporal variation in antifouling activity. Studies of chemical defenses in both terrestrial and marine organisms suggest that organisms vary widely in the production of chemical defenses associated with physical (temperature, light) and biological (e.g. grazing pressure) factors, season and geographical location. The present study aimed to investigate the antifouling activity of crude extracts of monthly collections of the brown alga, Bifurcaria bifurcata, against two marine bacteria, Cobetia marina and Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis, and cypris larvae of the barnacle, Balanus amphitrite. The toxicity of the extracts was determined with a B. amphitrite nauplius assay.The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was found to be subject to seasonal variation, with the highest level of activity recorded from samples collected between April and September. Results of the anti-settlement experiments showed that the extracts of B. bifurcata (when tested from 0 to 100 μg/ml) can be divided into three groups on the basis of their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs): (1) extracts from plants collected from September to March reduced settlement at nontoxic concentrations (50-100 μg/ml); (2) extracts from plants collected from April to July (which were the most active extracts) reduced settlement significantly when tested at >5 μg/ml, but were toxic at 100 μg/ml; (3) the extract prepared from plants harvested in August was inhibitory at >25 μg/ml, but was toxic at 100 μg/ml. Toxicity tests on nauplii showed that LC₅₀ values of samples from the September to March collections were >100 μg/ml, demonstrating that they were nontoxic to nauplii. In contrast, samples obtained from the April to August collections were toxic to nauplii; the most toxic ones being from algae collected in May (LC₅₀=55.6 μg/ml) and in June (LC₅₀=38.3 μg/ml).The antifouling activity of extracts thus reached a peak in summer corresponding to maximal values for water temperature, light intensity and fouling pressure. It remains to be investigated whether this activity has an ecological role in the alga.     

Taxonomic assessment and enzymes production by yeasts isolated from marine and terrestrial Antarctic samples

The aim of the present study was to investigate the taxonomic identity of yeasts isolated from the Antarctic continent and to evaluate their ability to produce enzymes (lipase, protease and xylanase) at low and moderate temperatures. A total of 97 yeast strains were recovered from marine and terrestrial samples collected in the Antarctica. The highest amount of yeast strains was obtained from marine sediments, followed by lichens, ornithogenic soils, sea stars, Salpa sp., algae, sea urchin, sea squirt, stone with lichens, Nacella concinna, sea sponge, sea isopod and sea snail. Data from polyphasic taxonomy revealed the presence of 21 yeast species, distributed in the phylum Ascomycota (n = 8) and Basidiomycota (n = 13). Representatives of encapsulated yeasts, belonging to genera Rhodotorula and Cryptococcus were recovered from 7 different Antarctic samples. Moreover, Candida glaebosa, Cryptococcus victoriae, Meyerozyma (Pichia) guilliermondii, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and R. laryngis were the most abundant yeast species recovered. This is the first report of the occurrence of some species of yeasts recovered from Antarctic marine invertebrates. Additionally, results from enzymes production at low/moderate temperatures revealed that the Antarctic environment contains metabolically diverse cultivable yeasts, which could be considered as a target for biotechnological applications. Among the evaluated yeasts in the present study 46.39, 37.11 and 14.43 % were able to produce lipase (at 15 °C), xylanase (at 15 °C) and protease (at 25 °C), respectively. The majority of lipolytic, proteolytic and xylanolytic strains were distributed in the phylum Basidiomycota and were mainly recovered from sea stars, lichens, sea urchin and marine sediments.     

Inhibition of the development of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) by extracts of marine algae from Brittany, France

The inhibitory effects of aqueous, ethanolic and dichloromethane fractions from 16 marine algae from the Atlantic shores of North-East Brittany, France, have been investigated against microorganisms frequently associated with immersed surfaces. The extracts were tested in vitro against isolates of marine fungi, bacteria and yeasts potentially involved at different stages in the formation of biofilms in the sea. The high levels of inhibitory activity of nine extracts against marine fungi and Gram-positive bacteria and their apparent absence of toxicity against larvae of oysters and sea urchins suggests a potential for novel active ingredients. Received: 30 December 1998 / Received revision: 25 April 2000 / Accepted: 1 May 2000     

Antidiatom activity of marine bacteria associated with sponges from San Juan Island,Washington

Crude extracts of 52 marine bacteria associated with sponges, which were collected from the sea near San Juan Island, Washington, USA, were screened using diatom attachment assays against Amphora sp., Nitzschia closterium, Sellaphora sp. and Stauroneis sp. to investigate their antidiatom activities. Among these samples, five expressed strong anti-adhesion effects on all four tested diatoms. There was no negative effect observed from those five active samples on the growth of Amphora sp. Those five active samples were prepared from respective isolates, which all belonged to the genus Bacillus based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. The results of present study indicate that Bacillus may play important roles for sponges’ chemical defence against biofouling of diatoms and that the metabolites of Bacillus may be a potential source of natural antifouling compounds.     

Evidence for several types of biologically active substances in north pacific sea anemones

1. Twenty-two sea anemone samples from seven species were collected in Aleutian and Comandorskiye Islands from sub-littoral region (> 50 m depth).2. Water-ethanol extracts of sea anemones were tested using various test-systems after ethanol evaporation.3. All sea anemones extracts inhibited DNA and most of them inhibited RNA synthesis in Ehrlich carcinoma tumor cells.4. Extracts of most sea anemones species showed high hemolytic activity.5. The extracts proved to be nontoxic or display low toxicity being i.p. injected into mice.6. Some extracts precipitated virus of aleutian disease of mink.7. None of the extracts showed activity toward Gram + ve, Gram −ve bacteria or yeast.     

Thymidine phosphorylating enzymes in the gonads of marine invertebrates

The activities of enzymes involved in the consecutive phosphorylation of thymidine were revealed in the gonad extracts of marine invertebrates. Along with thymidine kinase activity, thymidilate kinase activity was revealed in all the studied species; however, the specific activities of nucleoside and nucleotide kinases varied in different species of mollusks, sea stars and sea urchins. Thymidine and thymidilate kinases were isolated from the gonads of the scallop Mizuhopecten yessoensis and some of their enzymat properties were studied. The thymidine kinase of M. yessoensis catalyzed the phosphorylation of thymidine and deoxycytidine at a lesser rate, but didn’s use purine ribo-and deoxyribonucleosides or pyrimidine ribonucleosides as phosphate acceptors. The thymidilate kinase carried out both TMP and dCMP phosphorylation. As well as ATP, the enzymes of M. yessoensis were also able to use dATP, dGTP, GTP, UTP and CTP as donors of phosphate groups. The thymidine kinase activity was inhibited by TMP, TTP and dCTP.     

The effect of phosphate and flavin adenine dinucleotide on nitrate reductase activity of some unicellular marine algae

Nitrate reductase (NR) activity was measured in cell-free extracts from seven species of unicellular, marine algae. For most species Tris buffer was not a satisfactory assay buffer unless supplemented with phosphate. With some species (e.g. Brachiomonas submarina Bohlin, Nannochloropsis oculata Droop, Phaeodactylum tricomutum Bohlin) maximum NR activity required the addition of phosphate and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) to assays; with extracts of P. tricornutum, the requirement for FAD increased after partial purification of extracts. Like phosphate, arsenate stimulated NR activity in extracts, but selenate, sulphate, and tungstate were less effective. Addition of manganese to partially purified extracts of P. tricomutum resulted in an inhibition of NR activity which was alleviated by phosphate or EDTA.     

产生物活性物质海洋放线菌的筛选和鉴定

本实验从辽宁大连海域的海水、海泥和海参养殖圈的样品中分离得到38株海洋放线菌,以金黄色葡萄球菌、溶壁微球菌、枯草芽孢杆菌、副溶血性弧菌和铜绿假单胞杆菌为指示菌,筛选出两株抑菌活性高的菌株,分别命名为HS-B31和HS-B34。16S r DNA测序鉴定及构建系统发育树的结果显示,它们都属于放线菌目、链霉菌属的不同种。对两株链霉菌的发酵上清液进行萃取、粗提和浓缩得到粗提物,即B31和B34;抗菌作用的结果显示,这两种粗提物的抗菌效果均为显著。经薄层层析分析,并利用制备型层析板对粗提物B31和B34进行活性物质的分离制备,共得到八个组分,即B31-1、B31-2、B31-3、B31-4、B31-5和B34-1、B34-2、B34-3。用滤纸片法对这些组分进行抗菌检测,结果显示组分B31-3和B34-3不仅对革兰氏阳性菌金黄色葡萄球菌有较好的抑菌作用,而且对海洋致病菌革兰氏阴性菌副溶血性弧菌也显示出较强的抑菌效果。研究为新型抗生素的研制和应用提供了微生物新资源。     

Inhibition of Quorum Sensing Mediated Virulence Factors Production in Urinary Pathogen Serratia marcescens PS1 by Marine Sponges

The focal intent of this study was to find out an alternative strategy for the antibiotic usage against bacterial infections. The quorum sensing inhibitory (QSI) activity of marine sponges collected from Palk Bay, India was evaluated against acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) mediated violacein production in Chromobacterium violaceum (ATCC 12472), CV026 and virulence gene expressions in clinical isolate Serratia marcescens PS1. Out of 29 marine sponges tested, the methanol extracts of Aphrocallistes bocagei (TS 8), Haliclona (Gellius) megastoma (TS 25) and Clathria atrasanguinea (TS 27) inhibited the AHL mediated violacein production in C. violaceum (ATCC 12472) and CV026. Further, these sponge extracts inhibited the AHL dependent prodigiosin pigment, virulence enzymes such as protease, hemolysin production and biofilm formation in S. marcescens PS1. However, these sponge extracts were not inhibitory to bacterial growth, which reveals the fact that the QSI activity of these extracts was not related to static or killing effects on bacteria. Based on the obtained results, it is envisaged that the marine sponges could pave the way to prevent quorum sensing (QS) mediated bacterial infections.     

Antibacterial activity in Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (Echinoidea), Cucumaria frondosa (Holothuroidea), and Asterias rubens (Asteroidea)

A search for antibacterial activity in different body parts of the green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, the common starfish Asterias rubens, and the sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa was conducted. Antibacterial activity was detected in extracts from several tissues in all species tested, but mainly in the coelomocyte and body wall extracts. Relatively high antibacterial activity could also be detected in gastrointestinal organs and eggs from A. rubens and in eggs from C. frondosa. Differences between active extracts regarding hydrophobicity and sensitivity to heat and proteinase K treatment indicated that several different compounds were responsible for the antibacterial activities detected. Lysozyme-like activity could be detected in several tissues from A. rubens. Haemolytic activity could be detected in all species tested, especially in the body wall extracts. Results from the current study suggest that marine echinoderms are a potential source for the discovery of novel antibiotics.     

Effect of Exogenous Siderophores on Iron Uptake Activity of Marine Bacteria under Iron-Limited Conditions

More than 60% of species examined from a total of 421 strains of heterotrophic marine bacteria which were isolated from marine sponges and seawater were observed to have no detectable siderophore production even when Fe(III) was present in the culture medium at a concentration of 1.0 pM. The growth of one such non-siderophore-producing strain, alpha proteobacterium V0210, was stimulated under iron-limited conditions with the addition of an isolated exogenous siderophore, N,N′-bis (2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl)-O-serylserine from a Vibrio sp. Growth was also stimulated by the addition of three exogenous siderophore extracts from siderophore-producing bacteria. Radioisotope studies using ⁵⁹Fe showed that the iron uptake ability of V0210 increased only with the addition of exogenous siderophores. Biosynthesis of a hydroxamate siderophore by V0210 was shown by paper electrophoresis and chemical assays for the detection of hydroxamates and catechols. An 85-kDa iron-regulated outer membrane protein was induced only under iron-limited conditions in the presence of exogenous siderophores. This is the first report of bacterial iron uptake through an induced siderophore in response to exogenous siderophores. Our results suggest that siderophores are necessary signaling compounds for growth and for iron uptake by some non-siderophore-producing marine bacteria under iron-limited conditions.     

厦门杏林湾红树林根际真菌分离及活性分析

[背景]海洋微生物是天然药物资源宝库,海洋环境中的微生物能够产生很多区别于陆生微生物的天然产物.红树林生长于陆地与海洋交界带的滩涂浅滩,是陆地向海洋过渡的特殊生态系统,可能蕴含着丰富的微生物资源和潜在的大量结构新颖的代谢产物.[目的]以厦门杏林湾红树林根际海泥和海水为研究对象,探索其中可培养海洋真菌的多样性及其发酵提取...     

Phylogeography of pacific herring Clupea pallasii from Eurasian seas

Eleven samples of Pacific herring from the four seas of Eurasia (Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, Bering Sea, and White Sea), and one sample of Atlantic herring were analyzed. Complete and partial sequences of the mtDNA control region with the sizes up to 1071 bp were used. To verify the haplogroups identified, additional sequencing of the cytochrome oxidase I gene was performed. It was demonstrated that Pacific herring from the seas of Eurasia belonged to one mitochondrial haplogroup. The gene flow between the localities from different parts of the Far Eastern sea basins was about 11% per locality, per generation, which led to constant leveling of herring intraspecific differentiation. The data presented gave no reasons for subdivision of the herring populations in accordance to ecological characters (lacustrine and marine). Analysis of global molecular variance (global AMOVA) demonstrated that in Asian water basins, more than 98% of molecular polymorphism was found within the samples at the low level of significance (P < 0.05).     

Adenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate,adenylate cyclase and a cyclic AMP binding-protein in Phaseolus vulgaris

The validity of using the binding-protein method for determining cyclic AMP in purified and partially purified extracts of Phaseolus tissues has been examined and confirmed. Measurement of cyclic AMP concentration by binding-protein gave similar results to those obtained by direct spectrophotometry of purified extracts. A cyclic AMP binding-protein and adenylate cyclase were demonstrated in Phaseolus extracts. Isolated intact chloroplasts were shown to possess adenylate cyclase activity but persistent cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity obviated quantitative assessment.     

Extracellular Iron Reduction Is Mediated in Part by Neutral Red and Hydrogenase in Escherichia coli

Both microbial iron reduction and microbial reduction of anodes in fuel cells can occur by way of soluble electron mediators. To test whether neutral red (NR) mediates iron reduction, as it does anode reduction, by Escherichia coli, ferrous iron levels were monitored in anaerobic cultures grown with amorphous iron oxide. Ferrous iron levels were 19.4 times higher in cultures fermenting pyruvate in the presence of NR than in the absence of NR. NR did not stimulate iron reduction in cultures respiring with nitrate. To explore the mechanism of NR-mediated iron reduction, cell extracts of E. coli were used. Cell extract-NADH-NR mixtures had an enzymatic iron reduction rate almost 15-fold higher than the chemical NR-mediated iron reduction rate observed in controls with no cell extract. Hydrogen was consumed during stationary phase (in which iron reduction was detectable) especially in cultures containing both NR and iron oxide. An E. coli hypE mutant, with no hydrogenase activity, was also impaired in NR-mediated iron reduction activity. NR-mediated iron reduction rates by cell extracts were 1.5 to 2 times higher with hydrogen or formate as the electron source than with NADH. Our findings suggest that hydrogenase donates electrons to NR for extracellular iron reduction. This process appears to be analogous to those of iron reduction by bacteria that use soluble electron mediators (e.g., humic acids and 2,6-anthraquinone disulfonate) and of anode reduction by bacteria using soluble mediators (e.g., NR and thionin) in microbial fuel cells.     

Antifouling activity against barnacle cypris larvae: Do target species matter (Amphibalanus amphitrite versus Semibalanus balanoides)?

Larvae of many benthic invertebrates settle on surfaces where they metamorphose into juveniles if suitable substrata are available, and are responsible for the major costs of biofouling. When assessing new formulations or compounds for potential antifouling (AF) application, constraints such as seasonal availability may restrict most bioassays to relatively few taxa and species. For example, amongst barnacles, Amphibalanus amphitrite is popular as a test organism but is it really representative of other barnacle species? In order to test this hypothesis, we have chosen to work with marine natural extracts as a probe. Indeed, one substitution technology to toxic metal-based coatings to control fouling is the development of AF coatings with active compounds derived from marine organisms or analogues of the lead compounds. In this study, the AF activity and toxicity of extracts from 30 algae from the North East Atlantic coast were investigated for their potential anti-settlement activities against larvae of two species of barnacle, A. amphitrite and Semibalanus balanoides. As a trend, most of the active extracts displayed activity towards S. balanoides, only few displayed targeted activity against A. amphitrite, or against both species. In order to better understand if this tendency could be linked to chemical ecology, surface extracts were prepared on a selection of species. The results highlight that surface extracts of algae all displayed highest levels of activity than total extracts when tested on S. balanoides. This difference illustrates that specific compounds in their ecological context can have potentially a better efficacy on target species.     

Ferric Iron Reduction by Bacteria Associated with the Roots of Freshwater and Marine Macrophytes

In vitro assays of washed, excised roots revealed maximum potential ferric iron reduction rates of >100 μmol g (dry weight)⁻¹ day⁻¹ for three freshwater macrophytes and rates between 15 and 83 μmol (dry weight)⁻¹ day⁻¹ for two marine species. The rates varied with root morphology but not consistently (fine root activity exceeded smooth root activity in some but not all cases). Sodium molybdate added at final concentrations of 0.2 to 20 mM did not inhibit iron reduction by roots of marine macrophytes (Spartina alterniflora and Zostera marina). Roots of a freshwater macrophyte, Sparganium eurycarpum, that were incubated with an analog of humic acid precursors, anthroquinone disulfate (AQDS), reduced freshly precipitated iron oxyhydroxide contained in dialysis bags that excluded solutes with molecular weights of >1,000; no reduction occurred in the absence of AQDS. Bacterial enrichment cultures and isolates from freshwater and marine roots used a variety of carbon and energy sources (e.g., acetate, ethanol, succinate, toluene, and yeast extract) and ferric oxyhydroxide, ferric citrate, uranate, and AQDS as terminal electron acceptors. The temperature optima for a freshwater isolate and a marine isolate were equivalent (approximately 32°C). However, iron reduction by the freshwater isolate decreased with increasing salinity, while reduction by the marine isolate displayed a relatively broad optimum salinity between 20 and 35 ppt. Our results suggest that by participating in an active iron cycle and perhaps by reducing humic acids, iron reducers in the rhizoplane of aquatic macrophytes limit organic availability to other heterotrophs (including methanogens) in the rhizosphere and bulk sediments.