Exploring novel bioactive compounds from marine microbes.
The historical paradigm of the deep ocean as a biological 'desert' has shifted to one of a 'rainforest' owing to the isolation of many novel microbes and their associated bioactive compounds. Recently, there has been an explosion of information about novel bioactive compounds that have been isolated from marine microbes in an effort to further explore the relatively untapped marine microbes and their secondary metabolites for drug discovery. The microbes are recovered and purified from the ocean by both conventional and innovative isolation methods to obtain those previously thought to be 'uncultivable'. To overcome the difficulties and limitations associated with cultivation techniques, several DNA-based molecular methods have been developed to bypass the culture-dependent bottleneck. Bioactive compounds isolated using the above strategies have not only shown importance in biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications but have also increased our understanding of the diversity of marine microbiota, ecosystem functions and the exploitable biology.
Zhang
Lixin
L
Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510663, China. zhang_lixin@gibh.ac.cn
An
Rong
R
Wang
Jinping
J
Sun
Nuo
N
Zhang
Si
S
Hu
Jiangchun
J
Kuai
Jun
J
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000639:trends*; D007218:Industrial Microbiology / Q000639:trends*; D008386:Marine Biology; D009792:Oceans and Seas
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents