title: Heterologously expressed β-hydroxyl fatty acids from a metagenomic library of a marine sponge.
abstract: Functional screening based on the antibacterial activity of a metagenomic library of the Japanese marine sponge, Discodermia calyx, afforded three β-hydroxyl fatty acids: 3-hydroxypalmitic acid, 3-hydroxylauric acid and 3-hydroxymyristic acid, heterologously expressed in an antibacterial clone, pDC113. 3-Hydroxypalmitic acid showed moderate antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus and Candida albicans. A sequence analysis of the insert DNA revealed 23 putative ORFs, with most sharing homology to bacterial fatty acid synthase II and lipid A biosynthesis enzymes. The other ORFs were probably transmembrane proteins involved in lipid A biosynthesis. Although lipid A was not detected under our experimental conditions, the production of β-hydroxyl fatty acids as components of lipid A were enhanced in pDC113.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wakimoto
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Egami
authors.forename: Hiromichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kenmoku
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asakawa
authors.forename: Ikuro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Abe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000187:drug effects*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015698:Genomic Library; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011161:Porifera / Q000235:genetics*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005227:Fatty Acids