Recent advances on marine mollusk-derived natural products: chemistry, chemical ecology and therapeutical potential

Abstract

This review summarizes the recent advances on the interesting secondary metabolites from marine mollusks, focusing on their structural features, possible chemo-ecological significance, and promising biological activities.

Bioactive Cembranoids from the Coral Sarcophyton trocheliophorum of Ximao Island

“…However, the biosynthesis of the diverse and bioactive cembranoids remains elusive. Recent reports on the identifications of terpene synthases, including cembrane synthase, from marine invertebrates, − have proved that marine animals contain functional genes responsible for the biosynthesis of bioactive terpenoids, which are likely used as a “chemical weapon” against predators. , These previous reports have opened the door to elucidate the biosynthesis of bioactive, soft coral-derived cembranoids. Because these compounds are often found in extremely low yield, understanding their biosynthetic pathways could allow for their overproduction in genetically engineered systems to assist downstream drug development of cembranoids and to assist efforts in chemical ecology to protect coral ecosystems.…”

Impact of Marine Chemical Ecology Research on the Discovery and Development of New Pharmaceuticals

“…Certain species of sacoglossans are known to consume algae and digest the algal cells but maintaining functional chloroplasts. A recent study by Torres and co-workers provided experimental evidence of the involvement of sequestered chloroplasts in the production of defensive polypropionates in certain mollusk species, such as E. chlorotica and E. timida [ 4 , 47 ]. Interestingly, from metatranscriptomic analysis, about 26% of the transcriptional activity of the obligate marine bacterium Ca.…”

“…However, since its early beginnings in the 1980′s, numerous marine natural products have been investigated for their ecological functions. A wide range of chemically mediated interactions have been explored, including predator–prey and seaweed–herbivore interactions, chemical defenses against fouling organisms and pathogenic marine microbes, competitive interactions, settlement cues, and interactions between planktonic organisms [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Currently, there is a great research interest in the nature of chemical signals or infochemicals regulating the host–microbial interactions of marine holobionts as well as marine planktons, which form the basis of the marine food web and have a significant influence on carbon and nutrient cycles [ 5 , 6 ].…”

Terpene synthases and pathways in animals: enzymology and structural evolution in the biosynthesis of volatile infochemicals

“…19,20 While many of these compounds share core linear or cyclic scaffolds with terpenes made by terrestrial animals, they typically carry groups with other characteristic atoms such as halogens, nitrogen, and sulfur that affect water solubility and lead to considerable structural diversity. 19 Similar to mollusks, octocorals including so corals are known as a rich source of bioactive sesquiterpenes and diterpenes (e.g. lophotoxin, 9, a cembranoid diterpene from Leptogorgia chilensis, Fig.…”