The hidden biotechnological potential of marine invertebrates: The Polychaeta case study

Rodrigo, Ana P.; Costa, Pedro M.

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2019.03.048

Cited by 23 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 107 publications

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“…The overall good stability, after archiving at −20 °C, of major yellow and green pigments from all organs, especially proboscis and epidermis, opens the door for possible applications of these bile-like pigments, a class of substances that is known to be powerfully photodynamic 16 , therefore showing potential for biomedical purposes, e.g. as photosensitisers in photodynamic therapy 15 . In fact, in the cases where true endogenous green pigments have been identified in the Polychaeta, tetrapyrroles were consistently present 4,5 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The reasons mentioned above contribute for rendering porphyrins great interest for biotechnological applications. These include, for instance, as photosensitisers in photodynamic therapy of skin cancer and other diseases, due to the potential ability to generate cytotoxic oxidative radicals when activated by light 10,15 . Likely due to their ability to mediate redox reactions, the effects of porphyrins can be diverse or even seemingly paradoxical, which can be linked, e.g., to photoactivation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The complexity of porphyrin-like pigments in a marine annelid sheds new light on haem metabolism in aquatic invertebrates

Martins

Rodrigo

Cabrita

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

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True green pigments in the animal kingdom are scarce and are almost invariably porphyrinoids. Endogenous porphyrins resulting from the breakdown of haem are usually known as “bile pigments”. The pigmentation of intertidal Polychaeta has long gained attention due to its variety and vivid patterning that often seems incompatible with camouflage, as it occurs with Eulalia viridis, one of the few truly green Polychaeta. The present study combined UV and bright-field microscopy with HPLC to address the presence and distribution of pigments in several organs. The results showed two major types of porphyrin-like pigments, yellowish and greenish in colour, that are chiefly stored as intraplasmatic granules. Whereas the proboscis holds yellow pigments, the skin harbours both types in highly specialised cells. In their turn, oocytes and intestine have mostly green pigments. Despite some inter-individual variation, the pigments tend to be stable after prolonged storage at −20 °C, which has important implications for future studies. The results show that, in a foraging predator of the intertidal where melanins are circumscribed to lining the nervous system, porphyrinoid pigments have a key role in protection against UV light, in sensing and even as chemical defence against foulants and predators, which represents a remarkable adaptive feature.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The complexity of porphyrin-like pigments in a marine annelid sheds new light on haem metabolism in aquatic invertebrates

Martins

Rodrigo

Cabrita

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

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“…The deep sea is the largest ecosystem on earth, with many unique biological resources, including microorganisms and invertebrates [21][22][23]. Marine invertebrates, such as shrimp, have been considered as promising sources for the discovery of bioactive materials [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Crustin from Hydrothermal Vent Shrimp: Antimicrobial Activity and Mechanism

et al. 2021

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Crustin is a type of antimicrobial peptide and plays an important role in the innate immunity of arthropods. We report here the identification and characterization of a crustin (named Crus1) from the shrimp Rimicaris sp. inhabiting the deep-sea hydrothermal vent in Manus Basin (Papua New Guinea). Crus1 shares the highest identity (51.76%) with a Type I crustin of Penaeus vannamei and possesses a whey acidic protein (WAP) domain, which contains eight cysteine residues that form the conserved ‘four-disulfide core’ structure. Recombinant Crus1 (rCrus1) bound to peptidoglycan and lipoteichoic acid, and effectively killed Gram-positive bacteria in a manner that was dependent on pH, temperature, and disulfide linkage. rCrus1 induced membrane leakage and structure damage in the target bacteria, but had no effect on bacterial protoplasts. Serine substitution of each of the 8 Cys residues in the WAP domain did not affect the bacterial binding capacity but completely abolished the bactericidal activity of rCrus1. These results provide new insights into the characteristic and mechanism of the antimicrobial activity of deep sea crustins.

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“…Notwithstanding, marine invertebrates are considered the most promising group of animals possessing toxins in face of their richness. Marine animals such cnidarians (jellyfishes, sea anemones, hydrozoans), echinoderms (starfishes, sea urchins), annelids (polychaetes), nemertines, bryozoans (moss animals), sponges, tunicates and molluscs (gastropods, cephalopods) stand out as toxin-secreting eumetazoans (see Kem, 2005;Zhang, 2015;Rodrigo and Costa, 2019). As examples, recent investigations highlighted bryostatins, which are heterocyclic molecules produced by bryozoans, and other cyclic peptides produced by endosymbiotic micro-organisms from some tunicates, as high-potential compounds for cancer therapeutics (Kem, 2005;Watters, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cephalotoxins: A Hotspot for Marine Bioprospecting?

Gonçalves

Costa

2021

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Molluscs provided one of the pioneering approved pharmaceuticals from the seas: the painkiller ziconotide, developed from an ω-conotoxin isolated from cone snails. As marine biotechnologists are turning towards the immense range of novel bioproducts from marine invertebrates, little attention has been given to cephalotoxins, a group of obscure proteinaceous toxins produced by the salivary glands of coleoids, i.e., octopuses, squids and cuttlefishes. These toxins, for which there is empirical evidence for acting as immobilisers at least against crustaceans, are proteinaceous substances among the many that comprise the venomous mixtures secreted by these animals. Despite the ecological and economical importance of cephalopods, little is known about cephalotoxins, beginning with the actual span of taxa that secrete them. Indeed, cephalopods are long suspected for producing specific toxins as part of their predation and defence mechanisms, making them a promising group of marine animals for the bioprospecting of novel compounds. Despite scant or absent toxicological or otherwise experimental evidence for their bioreactivity, advances in “omics” methods have shed some light in the molecular structure of cephalotoxins. There are reports of cephalotoxins being complex glycoproteins that take part in a myriad of novel compounds being produced by the salivary glands. Still, there is no consensus of cephalotoxins being a conserved form of proteins. As Blue Biotechnology and marine bioprospecting for novel bioreactives are gaining momentum, the present review will provide the state-of-the-art on cephalotoxins, highlighting old and new research and existing gaps in the current knowledge.

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The hidden biotechnological potential of marine invertebrates: The Polychaeta case study

Cited by 23 publications

References 107 publications

The complexity of porphyrin-like pigments in a marine annelid sheds new light on haem metabolism in aquatic invertebrates

The complexity of porphyrin-like pigments in a marine annelid sheds new light on haem metabolism in aquatic invertebrates

A Crustin from Hydrothermal Vent Shrimp: Antimicrobial Activity and Mechanism

Cephalotoxins: A Hotspot for Marine Bioprospecting?

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