Antimicrobial activity observed among cultured marine epiphytic bacteria reflects their potential as a source of new drugs

The surfaces of marine eukaryotes provide a unique habitat for colonizing microorganisms where competition between members of these communities and chemically mediated interactions with their host are thought to influence both microbial diversity and function. For example, it is believed that marine eukaryotes may use their surface-associated bacteria to produce bioactive compounds in defence against competition and to protect the host against further colonization. With the increasing need for novel drug discovery, marine epibiotic bacteria may thus represent a largely underexplored source of new antimicrobial compounds. In the current study, 325 bacterial isolates were obtained from the surfaces of marine algae Delisea pulchra and Ulva australis . Thirty-nine showed to have antimicrobial activity and were identified via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The majority of those isolates belonged to Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria . Interestingly, the most commonly isolated bacterial strain, Microbulbifer sp., from the surface of D. pulchra has previously been described as an ecologically significant epibiont of different marine eukaryotes. Other antimicrobial isolates obtained in this study belonged to the phyla Actinobacteria , Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes . Phylogenetically, little overlap was observed among the bacteria obtained from surfaces of D. pulchra and U. australis . The high abundance of cultured isolates that produce antimicrobials suggest that culturing remains a powerful resource for exploring novel bioactives of bacterial origin.     

Selective algicidal action of peptides against harmful algal bloom species

Recently, harmful algal bloom (HAB), also termed "red tide", has been recognized as a serious problem in marine environments according to climate changes worldwide. Many novel materials or methods to prevent HAB have not yet been employed except for clay dispersion, in which can the resulting sedimentation on the seafloor can also cause alteration in marine ecology or secondary environmental pollution. In the current study, we investigated that antimicrobial peptide have a potential in controlling HAB without cytotoxicity to harmless marine organisms. Here, antimicrobial peptides are proposed as new algicidal compounds in combating HAB cells. HPA3 and HPA3NT3 peptides which exert potent antimicrobial activity via pore forming action in plasma membrane showed that HPA3NT3 reduced the motility of algal cells, disrupted their plasma membrane, and induced the efflux of intracellular components. Against raphidoflagellate such as Heterosigma akashiwo, Chattonella sp., and C. marina, it displayed a rapid lysing action in cell membranes at 1~4 μM within 2 min. Comparatively, its lysing effects occurred at 8 μM within 1 h in dinoflagellate such as Cochlodium polykrikoides, Prorocentrum micans, and P. minimum. Moreover, its lysing action induced the lysis of chloroplasts and loss of chlorophyll a. In the contrary, this peptide was not effective against Skeletonema costatum, harmless algal cell, even at 256 μM, moreover, it killed only H. akashiwo or C. marina in co-cultivation with S. costatum, indicating to its selective algicidal activity between harmful and harmless algal cells. The peptide was non-hemolytic against red blood cells of Sebastes schlegeli, the black rockfish, at 120 μM. HAB cells were quickly and selectively lysed following treatment of antimicrobial peptides without cytotoxicity to harmless marine organisms. Thus, the antibiotic peptides examined in our study appear to have much potential in effectively controlling HAB with minimal impact on marine ecology.     

Natural products and their semi-synthetic derivatives against antimicrobial-resistant human pathogenic bacteria and fungi

Human infectious diseases caused by various microbial pathogens, in general, impact a large population of individuals every year. These microbial diseases that spread quickly remain to be a big issue in various health-related domains and to withstand the negative drug impacts, the antimicrobial-resistant pathogenic microbial organisms (pathogenic bacteria and pathogenic fungi) have developed a variety of resistance processes against many antimicrobial drug classes. During the COVID-19 outbreak, there seems to be an upsurge in drug and multidrug resistant-associated pathogenic microbial species. The preponderance of existing antimicrobials isn’t completely effective, which limits their application in clinical settings. Several naturally occurring chemicals produced from bacteria, plants, animals, marine species, and other sources are now being studied for antimicrobial characteristics. These natural antimicrobial compounds extracted from different sources have been demonstrated to be effective against a variety of diseases, although plants remain the most abundant source. These compounds have shown promise in reducing the microbial diseases linked to the development of drug tolerance and resistance. This paper offers a detailed review of some of the most vital and promising natural compounds and their derivatives against various human infectious microbial organisms. The inhibitory action of different natural antimicrobial compounds, and their possible mechanism of antimicrobial action against a range of pathogenic fungal and bacterial organisms, is provided. The review will be useful in refining current antimicrobial (antifungal and antibacterial) medicines as well as establishing new treatment strategies to tackle the rising number of human bacterial and fungal-associated infections.     

海洋真菌来源的抗菌活性物质研究：方法与进展

病原微生物的耐药性已严重威胁到人类的健康,因此,研发结构新颖、活性显著的新型抗生素已迫在眉睫。海洋独特的生态环境孕育了多样的微生物种群,为抗菌活性先导化合物的发现提供了丰富的资源。简要介绍了海洋真菌的特点及抗菌活性化合物的研究方法,并从海洋动物来源真菌、海藻来源真菌、海洋沉积物来源真菌和红树林植物来源真菌等4个方面,综述了从2000年至今已报道的海洋真菌抗菌活性次级代谢产物的研究进展,其中包括83个抗菌活性化合物,引用国内外文献54篇。     

The evolution of marine insects: phylogenetic, ecological and geographical aspects of species diversity in marine water striders

No other group of insects have been more successful in colonizing marine habitats than water striders and their allies (Heteroptera, Gerromorpha). More than 10% of the 1700 species of gerromorphan bugs are marine. Water striders have colonized the marine environment at least 14 times. The fossil records suggest that marine habitats were invaded by members of the families Veliidae and Gerridae earlier than 20-30 and 45 million years before present, respectively. Estuaries and mangrove swamps are undoubtedly the ancestral type of habitat, but water striders have diversified further in marine habitats including the surface of the open ocean (sea skaters. Halobates). Except for being obligatorily flightless, marine water striders are structurally very similar to their non-marine relatives. Physiological and behavioral rather than morphological specializations are likely to have been key innovations in the transition from limnic to marine habitats. The oldest and most species-rich clades originated in the Indo-West Pacific region. There are 3.5 times as many species of marine water striders in the Indo-West Pacific region than in the Atlantic/Caribbean/East Pacific region. This "diversity anomaly" is explained historically by region-specific differences in the origin and proliferation of clades, in paleoclimate and paleogeography, and in the propensity for dispersal between regions.     

Inhibitors of glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase as potential antimicrobials or antidiabetics – synthesis and properties

Glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase (GlcN-6-P synthase) is known as a promising target for antimicrobial agents and antidiabetics. Several compounds of natural or synthetic origin have been identified as inhibitors of this enzyme. This set comprises highly selective l-glutamine, amino sugar phosphate or transition state intermediate cis-enolamine analogues. Relatively low antimicrobial activity of these inhibitors, poorly penetrating microbial cell membranes, has been improved using the pro-drug approach. On the other hand, a number of heterocyclic and polycyclic compounds demonstrating antimicrobial activity have been presented as putative inhibitors of the enzyme, based on the results of molecular docking to GlcN-6-P synthase matrix. The most active compounds of this group could be considered promising leads for development of novel antimicrobial drugs or antidiabetics, provided their selective toxicity is confirmed.     

Bioactive Peptides from Marine Ascidians and Future Drug Development–A Review

Marine ascidians are considered as one of the richest sources of bioactive compounds. The extraction and utilization of marine peptides have been attracted much attention owing to their potential health benefits. Most of the bioactive compounds from marine ascidians are already in different phases of the clinical and preclinical pipeline. They can be used in different functional and nutraceutical values due to their antineoplastic, antihypertensive, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. The screening in vivo and in vitro bioassays are coupled to the purification process for the exploration of its biological interest which is of great value. The growing significance to study marine natural products results from the discovery of novel pharmacological tools including potent anticancer drugs and other drugs are in clinical/pre-clinical trials. The present review highlights the recent research progress in marine ascidians’ peptides and its prospects for the future pharmaceutical development.     

Dinoflagellates,diatoms, and their viruses

Since the first discovery of the very high virus abundance in marine environments, a number of researchers were fascinated with the world of "marine viruses", which had previously been mostly overlooked in studies on marine ecosystems. In the present paper, the possible role of viruses infecting marine eukaryotic microalgae is enlightened, especially summarizing the most up-to-the-minute information of marine viruses infecting bloom-forming dinoflagellates and diatoms. To author's knowledge, approximately 40 viruses infecting marine eukaryotic algae have been isolated and characterized to different extents. Among them, a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) virus "HcV" and a single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) virus "HcRNAV" are the only dinoflagellate-infecting (lytic) viruses that were made into culture; their hosts are a bivalve-killing dinoflagellate Heterocapsa circularisquama. In this article, ecological relationship between H. circularisquama and its viruses is focused. On the other hand, several diatom-infecting viruses were recently isolated and partially characterized; among them, one is infectious to a pen-shaped bloom-forming diatom species Rhizosolenia setigera; some viruses are infectious to genus Chaetoceros which is one of the most abundant and diverse diatom group. Although the ecological relationships between diatoms and their viruses have not been sufficiently elucidated, viral infection is considered to be one of the significant factors affecting dynamics of diatoms in nature. Besides, both the dinoflagellate-infecting viruses and diatom-infecting viruses are so unique from the viewpoint of virus taxonomy; they are remarkably different from any other viruses ever reported. Studies on these viruses lead to an idea that ocean may be a treasury of novel viruses equipped with fascinating functions and ecological roles.     

海洋曲霉来源的新天然产物

海洋真菌由于其遗传背景复杂、代谢产物种类多且产量高,已成为海洋微生物新天然产物的主要来源,从我们对2010–2013年初的海洋微生物来源新天然产物的统计来看,研究最多的是曲霉属(Aspergillus)真菌,占海洋真菌来源新天然产物的31%。本文从菌株来源、化合物结构及其生物活性等方面,综述了自1992年第一个海洋曲霉天然产物到2014年8月已报道的共512个海洋曲霉来源的新天然产物。这些海洋天然产物具有丰富的化学多样性,且36%的化合物表现出细胞毒、抑菌、抗氧化和抗寄生虫等生物活性;含氮化合物是其主要的结构类型、约占曲霉源海洋天然产物总数的52%,也是出现活性化合物比例最高的结构类型、约40%的含氮化合物具有生物活性,其中脱氢二酮哌嗪生物碱halimide的化学衍生物plinabulin已结束II期临床研究,并于2015年第三季度开始在美国和中国进行III期临床研究,用于治疗转移性的晚期非小细胞肺癌。     

海洋细菌抗菌和细胞毒活性的初步研究

从不同海域的生物、海水和海泥中分离海洋细菌,利用琼脂扩散法和MTT法对细菌培养液的乙酸乙酯提取物进行了抗菌和细胞毒活性筛选。比较了活性菌株与来源的相关性．结果表明,在分离的341株海洋细菌中。42株细菌的代谢产物具有抗菌活性,7株具有细胞毒活性,其中来源于海洋无脊椎动物和海藻的活性菌株比例(22％和11％)大于来源于海水和海泥的细菌(7％和5％)．细菌分类鉴定结果显示,具有活性的细菌大部分属于假单胞菌属、发光杆菌属、梭状芽孢杆菌属、交替单胞菌属和黄杆菌属．     

From "carpet" mechanism to de-novo designed diastereomeric cell-selective antimicrobial peptides

Living organisms of all types produce a large repertoire of gene-encoded, net positively charged, antimicrobial peptides as part of their innate immunity to microbial invasion. Despite significant variations in composition, length and secondary structure most antimicrobial peptides are active in micromolar concentrations, suggesting a common general mechanism for their mode of action. Many antimicrobial peptides bind bacterial phospholipid membranes up to a threshold concentration, followed by membrane permeation/disintegration (the "carpet" mechanism). Recent data suggest that the details of the permeation pathways may vary for different peptides and are assigned to different modes of action. Accumulating data reveal that the molecular basis for cell selectivity is the ability of peptides to specifically bind the negatively charged bacterial membrane, as well as their oligomeric state in solution and in the membrane. Based on the "carpet" mechanism and the role of the peptide oligomeric state, a novel group of diastereomeric (containing D- and L-amino acids) antimicrobial peptides were developed. These peptides may serve as promising templates for the future designs of antimicrobial peptides.     

软珊瑚(Sinularia flexibilis)和柳珊瑚(Plexaura homomalla)化学防御物质研究进展

软珊瑚(Sinularia flexibilis)和柳珊瑚(Plexaura homomalla)属于海洋低等无脊椎动物,虽然这些动物自身缺乏有效的物理防御手段,却能在竞争激烈的海洋环境中生存与繁衍,这主要是依靠其次级代谢产物的化学防御作用.这些次级代谢产物聚积在体内或释放到环境中,作用主要体现在抵御捕食者、抗病原微生物、克生与防附着等方面.珊瑚化学防御物质的研究有助于探讨珊瑚与其环境中其它生物的化学生态关系,属于海洋化学生态学研究的重要内容之一,其研究方法和思路对海洋活性天然产物乃至海洋新药先导化合物的发现,具有重要的启迪作用.综述了软珊瑚和柳珊瑚化学防御物质的研究进展,并阐释了软珊瑚和柳珊瑚中具有拒捕食、克生、防生物附着等生物活性的次级代谢产物的结构及其化学防御作用.     

Antimicrobial activity of marine sponge Clathria indica (Dendy, 1889)

Sponges are sessile filter feeders that have developed efficient defense mechanisms against foreign invaders such as viruses, bacteria or eukaryotic organisms. Antimicrobial peptides are known as major components of the innate immune defense system in marine invertebrates. The aim of the present work was to study the antimicrobial properties of the Indian sponge Clathria indica with special reference to the identification of antimicrobial peptides. Crude methanolic extract and its chloroform, n-butanol and aqueous fractions were tested against 16 human pathogens which include eleven bacteria with four of them being multidrug resistant and five pathogenic fungi. All fractions showed effective antibacterial activity against common and multidrug-resistant Salmonella typhi and antifungal activity against C. albicans and C. neoformans. However, they were ineffective against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. Chloroform fraction being the most potent among the fractions tested on chemical investigation was indicative of the presence of peptides as evidenced by ninhydrin positive spots on TLC and presence of peptide bonds by NMR. Its ESI-MS showed presence of several peptides in the range of m/z 850 to 980. Structure of three peptides has been tentatively assigned by ESI-MS/MS or tandem mass analysis, on the basis of the amino acid sequence established. The results clearly show that the sponge C. indica represent an interesting source of marine invertebrates-derived antimicrobial peptides in the development of new strategies to treat various infectious diseases.     

Chemical defensive substances of soft corals and gorgonians

Despite lack of efficient physical protection in the highly competitive and hostile environment, the marine invertebrates including soft corals and gorgonians can survive, mainly relying on their chemical defensive system by a series of secondary metabolites accumulating in their bodies or releasing to their surroundings. The chemical defensive functions of these secondary metabolites were found to serve as antipredatory, antimicrobial, allelopathy and antifouling agents. Study on chemical defensive substances from corals and gorgonians is one of the most important topics in marine chemical ecology. The research results could help us to understand the chemical ecological relationships between corals and their surrounding organisms. The research strategy and methodology played an enlightening role in the discovery of bioactive natural products and the generation of new drug lead compounds from marine sources. The chemical defensive substances from soft corals and gorgonians were reviewed. This review focused on the structures of these secondary metabolites as well as their functions including antipredatory, allelopathy and antifouling activities.     

Chemical defensive substances of soft corals and gorgonians

Despite lack of efficient physical protection in the highly competitive and hostile environment, the marine invertebrates including soft corals and gorgonians can survive, mainly relying on their chemical defensive system by a series of secondary metabolites accumulating in their bodies or releasing to their surroundings. The chemical defensive functions of these secondary metabolites were found to serve as antipredatory, antimicrobial, allelopathy and antifouling agents. Study on chemical defensive substances from corals and gorgonians is one of the most important topics in marine chemical ecology. The research results could help us to understand the chemical ecological relationships between corals and their surrounding organisms. The research strategy and methodology played an enlightening role in the discovery of bioactive natural products and the generation of new drug lead compounds from marine sources. The chemical defensive substances from soft corals and gorgonians were reviewed. This review focused on the structures of these secondary metabolites as well as their functions including antipredatory, allelopathy and antifouling activities.     

Surface Colonization by Marine Roseobacters: Integrating Genotype and Phenotype

The Roseobacter clade is a broadly distributed, abundant, and biogeochemically relevant group of marine bacteria. Representatives are often associated with organic surfaces in disparate marine environments, suggesting that a sessile lifestyle is central to the ecology of lineage members. The importance of surface association and colonization has been demonstrated recently for select strains, and it has been hypothesized that production of antimicrobial agents, cell density-dependent regulatory mechanisms, and morphological features contribute to the colonization success of roseobacters. Drawing on these studies, insight into a broad representation of strains is facilitated by the availability of a substantial collection of genome sequences that provides a holistic view of these features among clade members. These genome data often corroborate phenotypic data but also reveal significant variation in terms of gene content and synteny among group members, even among closely related strains (congeners and conspecifics). Thus, while detailed studies of representative strains are serving as models for how roseobacters transition between planktonic and sessile lifestyles, it is becoming clear that additional studies are needed if we are to have a more comprehensive view of how these transitions occur in different lineage members. This is important if we are to understand how associations with surfaces influence metabolic activities contributing to the cycling of carbon and nutrients in the world''s oceans.The Roseobacter lineage is an abundant marine bacterial group whose members mediate key biogeochemical processes and have been the subject of several recent reviews (e.g., references 7, 11, and 91). While roseobacters are broadly distributed across diverse marine environments, roseobacter abundance is often highest near phytoplankton blooms or macroalgae, or in association with organic particles, suggesting that cell-surface interactions are a defining feature of lineage members. This is supported by culture-independent studies identifying roseobacters as ubiquitous and rapid colonizers of a variety of inorganic and organic marine surfaces, including marine algae and dinoflagellates (19, 20, 51). Though little is known of the exact mechanism(s) that roseobacters employ to physically associate with eukaryotic cell surfaces or particles, several cultivated strains have been shown to be capable of surface colonization (8, 71). Furthermore, laboratory-based studies confirm expression of traits expected to be important in colonization success, including possession of holdfast structures, motility, and chemotaxis, as well as production of quorum sensing (QS) molecules and antimicrobial metabolites in select strains. Despite the recognized importance of roseobacters in natural systems and the numerous (∼40) genome sequences that are, or are to soon be, publicly available (7), laboratory investigations of phenotypes expected to contribute to the ecological success of roseobacters are limited. Thus, a comparative genome analysis of functions likely to contribute to, or even define, different colonizing abilities can provide a more holistic view of how widely distributed and conserved these features are among diverse clade members and may facilitate hypothesis-driven research in some areas.     

酶法制备海洋活性肽及其功能活性研究进展

海洋生物活性肽(Marine biological active peptide)是从海洋生物中提取的具有优化机体代谢环境、有益于机体健康的一类多肽。酶法制备海洋生物活性肽是目前最常用的制备方法,是通过适当的蛋白酶水解海洋生物蛋白来制备生物活性肽的一种方法。海洋生物活性肽在降血压、抗氧化、抗凝血及抗菌等方面效果显著,对治疗和预防疾病具有巨大潜力。介绍海洋生物活性肽在酶解制备及其生物学功能方面国内外研究进展,为进一步开展海洋活性多肽研究提供参考。     

The Fresh-water Invertebrate Fauna: Problems and Solutions for Evolutionary Success

The volume of salt waters of the world is more than 10,000 timesthe highly fragmented volume of inhabitable fresh waters, yetthe latter has come to support a rich and euryokous fauna. Inmaking the salt-brackish-fresh transition, the fresh-water (carbonate)fauna has developed clusters of new adaptations. The vast majorityof marine species are restricted to a narrow and monotonouschemical environment, but most freshwater species thrive inhabitats exhibiting a wide (e.g., 10-fold) range of dissolvedsalts, featuring high carbonates, low sodium chloride, and lowpotassium. In comparison with their ancestral marine forms, the temperatefresh-water fauna is generally characterized by: (1) much moreefficient osmoregulatory systems, (2) smaller body size, (3)lower reproductive potential, (4) loss of specializedlarvalstages, (5) a wide variety of anabiotic devices and strategies,(6) well developed low temperature tolerances, (7) aestivationstages in adults, (8) a remarkable facility for overland geographicalmigration and ecesis by disseminules, (9) facility and adaptationsfor withstanding prolonged habitat silting, (10) adaptationsto swift unidirectional currents by many lotic species, and(11) a more general ability to live anaerobically. Certain characters of the marine biota have usually been lostduring transition and ecesis in the fresh-water environment,such as bioluminescence, bright body coloration, and distinctivebright color patterns. Morphological embellishments in the marinebiota are common, including cirri, palps, setation, protuberances,and respiratory devices, but such structures are uncommon amongfresh-water species. It is suggested that respiratory stratagemshave been developed to an excessive and "unnecessary" degreeamong many marine forms, as well as in a few fresh-water insectsand most Eubranchiopoda.