Unlocking the potential of bacterial endophytes from medicinal plants for drug discovery

Abstract

Among the plant‐associated microorganisms, the so‐called endophytes continue to attract much attention because of their ability not only to protect host plants from biotic and abiotic stress factors, but also the potential to produce bioactive secondary metabolites. The latter property can elicit growth‐promoting effects on plants, as well as boost the production of plant‐specific secondary metabolites with valuable pharmacological properties. In addition, endophyte‐derived secondary metabolites may be a rich source for the discovery of drugs to treat various diseases, including infections and cancer. However, the full potential of endophytes to produce bioactive secondary metabolites is often not revealed upon conventional cultivation in the laboratory. New advances in genomics and metabolic engineering offer exciting opportunities for the exploration and exploitation of endophytes' biosynthetic potential. This review focuses on bacterial endophytes of medicinal plants, some of their secondary metabolites and recent advances in deciphering their biosynthesis. The latter may assist in genetic engineering efforts aimed at the discovery of novel bioactive compounds with the potential to be developed into drugs.

High-throughput sequencing-based analysis of the composition and diversity of the endophyte community in roots of Stellera chamaejasme

“…In addition, Plants can also recruit microorganisms from the surrounding soil environment by regulating the secretion of metabolites, and these microorganisms subsequently enter the plant through the root system to help the host resist stress from environmental changes 23 . Furthermore, some endophyte-derived secondary metabolites may be important sources for the discovery of drugs to treat various diseases 24 . Therefore, the study of endophytes in the roots of medicinal plants has great significance for the in-depth exploration of the interactions between plants and external environmental factors, the physiological mechanisms of plants, the interactions between medicinal plants and external environmental factors, and the synthesis of metabolites.…”

Genomes and secondary metabolomes of Streptomyces spp. isolated from Leontopodium nivale ssp. alpinum

“…Interactions between the community members likely involve secondary metabolites as growth-inhibiting and/or signaling molecules produced by some of its members in response to the excessive proliferation of the others ( Scherlach and Hertweck, 2020 ). Thus, the bioprospecting of microorganisms inhabiting medicinal plants is a promising way to discover novel natural products in this yet underexplored environmental niche ( Zotchev, 2024 ). These natural products may serve as lead molecules for the development of drugs to treat various diseases, including infections and cancer ( Atanasov et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Streptomyces species are frequently isolated from various environmental sources, including medicinal plants ( Golinska et al, 2015 ; Wu et al, 2021 ). The isolation of novel species and/or novel bioactive molecules from endophytic streptomycetes derived from medicinal plants has shown great potential ( Zotchev, 2024 ). European medicinal plants represent a rather untapped source of streptomycetes and compounds isolated from them.…”

Table_1.XLSX

“…Interactions between the community members likely involve secondary metabolites as growth-inhibiting and/or signaling molecules produced by some of its members in response to the excessive proliferation of the others (Scherlach and Hertweck, 2020). Thus, the bioprospecting of microorganisms inhabiting medicinal plants is a promising way to discover novel natural products in this yet underexplored environmental niche (Zotchev, 2024). These natural products may serve as lead molecules for the development of drugs to treat various diseases, including infections and cancer (Atanasov et al, 2021).…”

“…Streptomyces species are frequently isolated from various environmental sources, including medicinal plants (Golinska et al, 2015;Wu et al, 2021). The isolation of novel species and/or novel bioactive molecules from endophytic streptomycetes derived from medicinal plants has shown great potential (Zotchev, 2024). European medicinal plants represent a rather untapped source of streptomycetes and compounds isolated from them.…”