Other Publication Details
Mandatory Fields
Book Reviews
Kennedy, J,Marchesi, JR,Dobson, ADW
2007
May
Metagenomic approaches to exploit the biotechnological potential of the microbial consortia of marine sponges
Validated
1
()
Optional Fields
metagenomics marine sponges natural products NATURAL-PRODUCT (+)-DISCODERMOLIDE LARGE-SCALE SYNTHESIS BARRIER-REEF SPONGE UNCULTIVATED BACTERIAL SYMBIONT CANDIDATE PHYLUM PORIBACTERIA POLYKETIDE SYNTHASE GENE SOIL DNA LIBRARIES HETEROLOGOUS EXPRESSION CYANOBACTERIAL SYMBIONT THEONELLA-SWINHOEI
Natural products isolated from sponges are an important source of new biologically active compounds. However, the development of these compounds into drugs has been held back by the difficulties in achieving a sustainable supply of these often-complex molecules for pre-clinical and clinical development. Increasing evidence implicates microbial symbionts as the source of many of these biologically active compounds, but the vast majority of the sponge microbial community remain uncultured. Metagenomics offers a biotechnological solution to this supply problem. Metagenomes of sponge microbial communities have been shown to contain genes and gene clusters typical for the biosynthesis of biologically active natural products. Heterologous expression approaches have also led to the isolation of secondary metabolism gene clusters from uncultured microbial symbionts of marine invertebrates and from soil metagenomic libraries. Combining a metagenomic approach with heterologous expression holds much promise for the sustainable exploitation of the chemical diversity present in the sponge microbial community.
11
20
DOI 10.1007/s00253-007-0875-2
Grant Details