Discovery of New Marine Natural Products using Omics approaches

A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 12621

Special Issue Editors

School of Computing, Engineering, & Physical Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley PA1 2BE, UK
Interests: bioactive microbial natural products; marine bacteria; marine endophytes; structure elucidation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, the re-isolation rate of known marine natural compounds increased which is rather disappointing and wastes time and resources. Exploring different marine habitats could lead to biodiversity, and hence chemical diversity. This Special Issue will cover the scope of discovery, isolation and structure characterization of marine natural products using but not limited to one of the following approaches:

  1. Different Omics approaches
  2. Genomics and epigenetics approaches
  3. Bioassay-guided approaches
  4. Elicitation
Prof. Dr. Usama Ramadan Abdelmohsen

Prof. Dr. Mostafa Rateb
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Marine Drugs is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • under-explored
  • isolation
  • omics
  • OSMAC
  • co-culture
  • elicitors
  • epigenetics
  • bioassay-guided
  • elicitation

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 4010 KiB  
Article
Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Properties of Malapterurus electricus Skin Fish Methanolic Extract in Arthritic Rats: Therapeutic and Protective Effects
by Abeer H. Elmaidomy, Esraa M. Mohamed, Hanan F. Aly, Eman A. Younis, Shams Gamal Eldin Shams, Faisal H. Altemani, Mubarak A. Alzubaidi, Mohammed Almaghrabi, Adnan Al Harbi, Faisal Alsenani, Ahmed M. Sayed and Usama Ramadan Abdelmohsen
Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(10), 639; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20100639 - 14 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2250
Abstract
The protective and therapeutic anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potency of Malapterurus electricus (F. Malapteruridae) skin fish methanolic extract (FE) (300 mg/kg.b.wt/day for 7 days, orally) was tested in monosodium urate(MSU)-induced arthritic Wistar albino male rats’ joints. Serum uric acid, TNF-α, IL-1β, NF-𝜅B, MDA, GSH, [...] Read more.
The protective and therapeutic anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potency of Malapterurus electricus (F. Malapteruridae) skin fish methanolic extract (FE) (300 mg/kg.b.wt/day for 7 days, orally) was tested in monosodium urate(MSU)-induced arthritic Wistar albino male rats’ joints. Serum uric acid, TNF-α, IL-1β, NF-𝜅B, MDA, GSH, catalase, SOD, and glutathione reductase levels were all measured. According to the findings, FE significantly reduced uric acid levels and ankle swelling in both protective and therapeutic groups. Furthermore, it has anti-inflammatory effects by downregulating inflammatory cytokines, primarily through decreased oxidative stress and increased antioxidant status. All the aforementioned lesions were significantly improved in protected and treated rats with FE, according to histopathological findings. iNOS immunostaining revealed that protected and treated arthritic rats with FE had weak positive immune-reactive cells. Phytochemical analysis revealed that FE was high in fatty and amino acids. The most abundant compounds were vaccenic (24.52%), 9-octadecenoic (11.66%), palmitic (34.66%), stearic acids (14.63%), glycine (0.813 mg/100 mg), and alanine (1.645 mg/100 mg). Extensive molecular modelling and dynamics simulation experiments revealed that compound 4 has the potential to target and inhibit COX isoforms with a higher affinity for COX-2. As a result, we contend that FE could be a promising protective and therapeutic option for arthritis, aiding in the prevention and progression of this chronic inflammatory disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery of New Marine Natural Products using Omics approaches)
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14 pages, 3059 KiB  
Article
Neoechinulin A as a Promising SARS-CoV-2 Mpro Inhibitor: In Vitro and In Silico Study Showing the Ability of Simulations in Discerning Active from Inactive Enzyme Inhibitors
by Hani A. Alhadrami, Gaia Burgio, Bathini Thissera, Raha Orfali, Suzan E. Jiffri, Mohammed Yaseen, Ahmed M. Sayed and Mostafa E. Rateb
Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(3), 163; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20030163 - 24 Feb 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 2823
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and its continuing emerging variants emphasize the need to discover appropriate treatment, where vaccines alone have failed to show complete protection against the new variants of the virus. Therefore, treatment of the infected cases is critical. This paper discusses the [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its continuing emerging variants emphasize the need to discover appropriate treatment, where vaccines alone have failed to show complete protection against the new variants of the virus. Therefore, treatment of the infected cases is critical. This paper discusses the bio-guided isolation of three indole diketopiperazine alkaloids, neoechinulin A (1), echinulin (2), and eurocristatine (3), from the Red Sea-derived Aspergillus fumigatus MR2012. Neoechinulin A (1) exhibited a potent inhibitory effect against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro with IC50 value of 0.47 μM, which is comparable to the reference standard GC376. Despite the structural similarity between the three compounds, only 1 showed a promising effect. The mechanism of inhibition is discussed in light of a series of extensive molecular docking, classical and steered molecular dynamics simulation experiments. This paper sheds light on indole diketopiperazine alkaloids as a potential structural motif against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Additionally, it highlights the potential of different molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation approaches in the discrimination between active and inactive structurally related Mpro inhibitors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery of New Marine Natural Products using Omics approaches)
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10 pages, 1362 KiB  
Article
Hemimycalins C–E; Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Alkaloids with Hydantoin and 2-Iminoimidazolidin-4-one Backbones from the Red Sea Marine Sponge Hemimycale sp.
by Lamiaa A. Shaala and Diaa T. A. Youssef
Mar. Drugs 2021, 19(12), 691; https://doi.org/10.3390/md19120691 - 02 Dec 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2749
Abstract
In the course of our continuing efforts to identify bioactive secondary metabolites from Red Sea marine sponges, we have investigated the sponge Hemimycale sp. The cytotoxic fraction of the organic extract of the sponge afforded three new compounds, hemimycalins C–E (1 [...] Read more.
In the course of our continuing efforts to identify bioactive secondary metabolites from Red Sea marine sponges, we have investigated the sponge Hemimycale sp. The cytotoxic fraction of the organic extract of the sponge afforded three new compounds, hemimycalins C–E (13). Their structural assignments were obtained via analyses of their one- and two-dimensional NMR spectra and HRESI mass spectrometry. Hemimycalin C was found to differ from the reported hydantoin compounds in the configuration of the olefinic moiety at C-5–C-6, while hemimycalins D and E were found to contain an 2-iminoimidazolidin-4-one moiety instead of the hydantoin moiety in previously reported compounds from the sponge. Hemimycalins C–E showed significant antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans and cytotoxic effects against colorectal carcinoma (HCT 116) and the triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery of New Marine Natural Products using Omics approaches)
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9 pages, 1687 KiB  
Article
Expression and Characterization of a Novel Cold-Adapted and Stable β-Agarase Gene agaW1540 from the Deep-Sea Bacterium Shewanella sp. WPAGA9
by Wenxin Wang, Jianxin Wang, Ruihua Yan, Runying Zeng, Yaqiang Zuo, Dingquan Wang and Wu Qu
Mar. Drugs 2021, 19(8), 431; https://doi.org/10.3390/md19080431 - 29 Jul 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1763
Abstract
The neoagaro-oligosaccharides, degraded from agarose by agarases, are important natural substances with many bioactivities. In this study, a novel agarase gene, agaW1540, from the genome of a deep-sea bacterium Shewanella sp. WPAGA9, was expressed, and the recombinant AgaW1540 (rAgaW1540) displayed the maximum activity [...] Read more.
The neoagaro-oligosaccharides, degraded from agarose by agarases, are important natural substances with many bioactivities. In this study, a novel agarase gene, agaW1540, from the genome of a deep-sea bacterium Shewanella sp. WPAGA9, was expressed, and the recombinant AgaW1540 (rAgaW1540) displayed the maximum activity under the optimal pH and temperature of 7.0 and 35 °C, respectively. rAgaW1540 retained 85.4% of its maximum activity at 0 °C and retained more than 92% of its maximum activity at the temperature range of 20–40 °C and the pH range of 4.0–9.0, respectively, indicating its extensive working temperature and pH values. The activity of rAgaW1540 was dramatically suppressed by Cu2+ and Zn2+, whereas Fe2+ displayed an intensification of enzymatic activity. The Km and Vmax of rAgaW1540 for agarose degradation were 15.7 mg/mL and 23.4 U/mg, respectively. rAgaW1540 retained 94.7%, 97.9%, and 42.4% of its maximum activity after incubation at 20 °C, 25 °C, and 30 °C for 60 min, respectively. Thin-layer chromatography and ion chromatography analyses verified that rAgaW1540 is an endo-acting β-agarase that degrades agarose into neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose as the main products. The wide variety of working conditions and stable activity at room temperatures make rAgaW1540an appropriate bio-tool for further industrial production of neoagaro-oligosaccharides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery of New Marine Natural Products using Omics approaches)
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Review

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23 pages, 22577 KiB  
Review
Expression of the Antimicrobial Peptide Piscidin 1 and Neuropeptides in Fish Gill and Skin: A Potential Participation in Neuro-Immune Interaction
by Giacomo Zaccone, Gioele Capillo, Jorge Manuel Oliveira Fernandes, Viswanath Kiron, Eugenia Rita Lauriano, Alessio Alesci, Patrizia Lo Cascio, Maria Cristina Guerrera, Michal Kuciel, Krystyna Zuwala, Jose Manuel Icardo, Atsushi Ishimatsu, Ryosuke Murata, Takafumi Amagai, Antonino Germanà and Marialuisa Aragona
Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(2), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20020145 - 17 Feb 2022
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3811
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are found widespread in nature and possess antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities. Due to their multifunctional properties, these peptides are a focus of growing body of interest and have been characterized in several fish species. Due to their similarities in amino-acid [...] Read more.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are found widespread in nature and possess antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities. Due to their multifunctional properties, these peptides are a focus of growing body of interest and have been characterized in several fish species. Due to their similarities in amino-acid composition and amphipathic design, it has been suggested that neuropeptides may be directly involved in the innate immune response against pathogen intruders. In this review, we report the molecular characterization of the fish-specific AMP piscidin1, the production of an antibody raised against this peptide and the immunohistochemical identification of this peptide and enkephalins in the neuroepithelial cells (NECs) in the gill of several teleost fish species living in different habitats. In spite of the abundant literature on Piscidin1, the biological role of this peptide in fish visceral organs remains poorly explored, as well as the role of the neuropeptides in neuroimmune interaction in fish. The NECs, by their role as sensors of hypoxia changes in the external environments, in combination with their endocrine nature and secretion of immunomodulatory substances would influence various types of immune cells that contain piscidin, such as mast cells and eosinophils, both showing interaction with the nervous system. The discovery of piscidins in the gill and skin, their diversity and their role in the regulation of immune response will lead to better selection of these immunomodulatory molecules as drug targets to retain antimicrobial barrier function and for aquaculture therapy in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery of New Marine Natural Products using Omics approaches)
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