Natural product diversity of actinobacteria in the Atacama Desert

Abstract

The Atacama Desert of northern Chile is considered one of the most arid and extreme environment on Earth. Its core region was described as featuring "Mars-like" soils that were at one point deemed too extreme for life to exist. However, recent investigations confirmed the presence of diverse culturable actinobacteria. In the current review, we discuss a total of 46 natural products isolated to date representing diverse chemical classes characterized from different actinobacteria isolated from various locations in the Atacama Desert. Their reported biological activities are also discussed.

Dark, rare and inspirational microbial matter in the extremobiosphere: 16 000 m of bioprospecting campaigns

“…The fact that natural products occupy a much greater area and variety of chemical space and chemical scaffolds than combinatorial synthetic compounds provides a compelling a priori reason for prioritizing them in the search for novel drugs. The former problem of rediscovery of products is now greatly minimized or prevented by sophisticated methods for organism and chemical dereplication [66]. It is becoming apparent that expanded chemical novelty is to be found by screening rare or poorly researched microbial taxa particularly among actinobacteria (e.g.…”

“…forest soil [73], street sediments [74]) we opine that the case for prioritizing extreme biomes is sound as it moves bioprospecting action away from well-probed terrestrial streptomycetes towards microbial communities that have evolved under harsh selective conditions during the course of which novel biochemistry has been generated [75]. As Rateb et al report [66], a total of 46 natural products representing diverse chemical classes have been isolated from Atacama Desert actinobacteria during the past 7 years. Symbiotic associations frequently have evolved in harsh selective environments and there is increasing recognition of them producing a wealth of new chemical space in insect [76] and marine invertebrate [77] mutualisms, for example.…”

Draft Genome Sequences of Two Novel Cellulolytic Streptomyces Strains Isolated from South African Rhizosphere Soil

“…Streptomyces species are known for their diverse metabolic potential, wide range of antibiotic biosynthesis capabilities, and ability to degrade unique compounds, such as lignocellulose, keratin, xylan, pectin, cellulose, lignin, chitin, and styrene (1–4). They also produce various hydrolytic enzymes, such as amylase, lipase, esterase, gelatinase, xylanase, and cellulases.…”

Hypersaline Lagoons from Chile, the Southern Edge of the World

“…Likewise, what is the microbiological and macroscopic (zooplanktonic) diversity salty lagoons harbor, and how latitudinal, climatic, lagoon-specific conditions, or anthropic perturbations modulate such diversity? Their microbiological diversity has received significant attention due to the potential economic benefits attached to the metabolic responses evolved to cope with extreme conditions (antioxidant pigments, hydrolytic enzymes) [13][14][15]. While the stress response in the prokaryotic world tends to be unidimensional, multicellular systems experience critical life conditions at all levels of functionality; in other words, adaptation takes place at different domains, from the individual (molecular-cellular-physiological) to the population level.…”

“…The importance of saline lakes and lagoons in the twenty-first century was highlighted by Williams [3], who in 2003 predicted they would be shrinking by 2025. Other reviews have also highlighted the fragility of these unique ecosystems [2,4], while recent literature pinpoints the biotechnological importance of the microbiological diversity they harbor [12][13][14][15] as an argument to protect them [14]. This chapter focusses on Chilean hypersaline lagoons (or Lagunas) located at contrasting latitudinal and altitudinal settings at the southern edge of the world, i.e., southwest of South America (below 18° latitude south).…”