An assessment of natural product discovery from marine (sensu strictu) and marine-derived fungi.
The natural products community has been investigating secondary metabolites from marine fungi for several decades, but when one attempts to search for validated reports of new natural products from marine fungi, one encounters a literature saturated with reports from 'marine-derived' fungi. Of the 1000+ metabolites that have been characterized to date, only approximately 80 of these have been isolated from species from exclusively marine lineages. These metabolites are summarized here along with the lifestyle and habitats of their producing organisms. Furthermore, we address some of the reasons for the apparent disconnect between the stated objectives of discovering new chemistry from marine organisms and the apparent neglect of the truly exceptional obligate marine fungi. We also offer suggestions on how to reinvigorate enthusiasm for marine natural products discovery from fungi from exclusive marine lineages and highlight the need for critically assessing the role of apparently terrestrial fungi in the marine environment.
Department of Chemistry, University of Prince Edward Island , 550 University Ave., Charlottetown , Prince Edward Island , Canada C1A 4P3 ; Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island , 550 University Ave., Charlottetown , Prince Edward Island , Canada C1A 4P3 ; Nautilus Biosciences Canada, Duffy Research Center, University of Prince Edward Island , 550 University Ave., Charlottetown , Prince Edward Island , Canada C1A 4P3.
David P
DP
Overy
Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras , P. O. Box 23360, San Juan 00931 , Puerto Rico.
Paul
P
Bayman
Department of Chemistry, University of Prince Edward Island , 550 University Ave., Charlottetown , Prince Edward Island , Canada C1A 4P3 ; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island , 550 University Ave., Charlottetown , Prince Edward Island , Canada C1A 4P3 ; Nautilus Biosciences Canada, Duffy Research Center, University of Prince Edward Island , 550 University Ave., Charlottetown , Prince Edward Island , Canada C1A 4P3.
Russell G
RG
Kerr
Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center , 1881 East Rd., Houston , TX 77054 , USA.
Gerald F
GF
Bills
marine biodiversity; marine mycology; osmotolerance; secondary metabolites