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Marine Drugs
Special Issues
Chemical Defense in Marine Organisms II
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Chemical Defense in Marine Organisms II

A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Chemoecology for Drug Discovery".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 14845

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Adrianna Ianora

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
Interests: marine biotechnology; marine chemical ecology; drug discovery; marine organisms
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Chiara Lauritano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via F. Acton 55, 80133 Naples, Italy
Interests: microalgae; drug discovery; gene mining; marine biotechnology; transcriptomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Marine organisms have evolved several mechanisms to survive in extremely varied, hostile environments in terms of light, temperature, salinity, pressure, and predation. The harsh chemical and physical conditions of the marine environment have favored the production of a great variety of molecules in marine organisms that are unique in terms of diversity, structural, and functional features. These compounds represent a huge reservoir of new bioactive compounds with great pharmaceutical potential.

As with the first edition that closed in 2020 (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/marinedrugs/special_issues/Chemical_Defense), the second edition aims to highlight recent discoveries on chemical defensive strategies adopted by marine organisms in order to survive. This Special Issue includes the regulation and activation of biosynthetic pathways, the production of defensive metabolites and evaluation of their possible biotechnological applications (e.g., for the treatment of human pathologies).

Dr. Adrianna Ianora
Dr. Chiara Lauritano
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Marine Drugs is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • defense strategies
  • stress responses
  • toxins
  • secondary metabolites
  • marine organisms
  • enzymatic pathway activation
  • bioactive compounds
  • biotechnological applications

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 5776 KiB  
Article
Modulation of SREBP Expression and Fatty Acid Levels by Bacteria-Induced ER Stress Is Mediated by Hemocyanin in Penaeid Shrimp
by Zishu Huang, Xiaoyu Zheng, Zeyan Chen, Zhihong Zheng, Defu Yao, Shen Yang, Yueling Zhang and Jude Juventus Aweya
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(3), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21030164 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2228
Abstract
Many environmental and pathogenic insults induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in animals, especially in aquatic ecosystems, where these factors are crucial for life. In penaeid shrimp, pathogens and environmental stressors induce hemocyanin expression, but the involvement of hemocyanin in ER stress response is [...] Read more.
Many environmental and pathogenic insults induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in animals, especially in aquatic ecosystems, where these factors are crucial for life. In penaeid shrimp, pathogens and environmental stressors induce hemocyanin expression, but the involvement of hemocyanin in ER stress response is unknown. We demonstrate that in response to pathogenic bacteria (Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Streptococcus iniae), hemocyanin, ER stress proteins (Bip, Xbp1s, and Chop), and sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP) are induced to alter fatty acid levels in Penaeus vannamei. Interestingly, hemocyanin interacts with ER stress proteins to modulate SREBP expression, while ER stress inhibition with 4-Phenylbutyric acid or hemocyanin knockdown attenuates the expression of ER stress proteins, SREBP, and fatty acid levels. Contrarily, hemocyanin knockdown followed by tunicamycin treatment (ER stress activator) increased their expression. Thus, hemocyanin mediates ER stress during pathogen challenge, which consequently modulates SREBP to regulate the expression of downstream lipogenic genes and fatty acid levels. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism employed by penaeid shrimp to counteract pathogen-induced ER stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Defense in Marine Organisms II)
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14 pages, 1255 KiB  
Article
Chemosensory-Related Genes in Marine Copepods
by Vittoria Roncalli, Marco Uttieri, Iole Di Capua, Chiara Lauritano and Ylenia Carotenuto
Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(11), 681; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20110681 - 29 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1896
Abstract
Living organisms deeply rely on the acquisition of chemical signals in any aspect of their life, from searching for food, mating and defending themselves from stressors. Copepods, the most abundant and ubiquitous metazoans on Earth, possess diversified and highly specified chemoreceptive structures along [...] Read more.
Living organisms deeply rely on the acquisition of chemical signals in any aspect of their life, from searching for food, mating and defending themselves from stressors. Copepods, the most abundant and ubiquitous metazoans on Earth, possess diversified and highly specified chemoreceptive structures along their body. The detection of chemical stimuli activates specific pathways, although this process has so far been analyzed only on a relatively limited number of species. Here, in silico mining of 18 publicly available transcriptomes is performed to delve into the copepod chemosensory genes, improving current knowledge on the diversity of this multigene family and on possible physiological mechanisms involved in the detection and analysis of chemical cues. Our study identifies the presence of ionotropic receptors, chemosensory proteins and gustatory receptors in copepods belonging to the Calanoida, Cyclopoida and Harpacticoida orders. We also confirm the absence in these copepods of odorant receptors and odorant-binding proteins agreeing with their insect specificity. Copepods have evolved several mechanisms to survive in the harsh marine environment such as producing proteins to respond to external stimulii. Overall, the results of our study open new possibilities for the use of the chemosensory genes as biomarkers in chemical ecology studies on copepods and possibly also in other marine holozooplankters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Defense in Marine Organisms II)
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12 pages, 5593 KiB  
Article
Expression Plasticity of Peroxisomal Acyl-Coenzyme A Oxidase Genes Implies Their Involvement in Redox Regulation in Scallops Exposed to PST-Producing Alexandrium
by Moli Li, Yangrui Wang, Zhihong Tang, Huizhen Wang, Jingjie Hu, Zhenmin Bao and Xiaoli Hu
Mar. Drugs 2022, 20(8), 472; https://doi.org/10.3390/md20080472 - 24 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2178
Abstract
Filter-feeding bivalves can accumulate paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) produced by toxic microalgae, which may induce oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Peroxisomal acyl-coenzyme A oxidases (ACOXs) are key enzymes functioning in maintaining redox and lipid homeostasis, but their roles in PST response in bivalves [...] Read more.
Filter-feeding bivalves can accumulate paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) produced by toxic microalgae, which may induce oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Peroxisomal acyl-coenzyme A oxidases (ACOXs) are key enzymes functioning in maintaining redox and lipid homeostasis, but their roles in PST response in bivalves are less understood. Herein, a total of six and six ACOXs were identified in the Chlamys farreri and Patinopecten yessoensis genome, respectively, and the expansion of ACOX1s was observed. Gene expression analysis revealed an organ/tissue-specific expression pattern in both scallops, with all ACOXs being predominantly expressed in the two most toxic organs, digestive glands and kidneys. The regulation patterns of scallop ACOXs after exposure to different PST-producing algaes Alexandrium catenella (ACDH) and A. minutum (AM-1) were revealed. After ACDH exposure, more differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in C. farreri digestive glands (three) and kidneys (five) than that in P. yessoensis (two), but the up-regulated DEGs showed similar expression patterns in both species. In C. farreri, three DEGs were found in both digestive glands and kidneys after AM-1 exposure, with two same CfACOX1s being acutely and chronically induced, respectively. Notably, these two CfACOX1s also showed different expression patterns in kidneys between ACDH (acute response) and AM-1 (chronic response) exposure. Moreover, inductive expression of CfACOXs after AM-1 exposure was observed in gills and mantles, and all DEGs in both tissues were up-regulated and their common DEGs exhibited both acute and chronic induction. These results indicate the involvement of scallop ACOXs in PST response, and their plasticity expression patterns between scallop species, among tissues, and between the exposure of different PST analogs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Defense in Marine Organisms II)
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Review

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21 pages, 3508 KiB  
Review
Structures and Anti-Allergic Activities of Natural Products from Marine Organisms
by Na Chen, Shanshan Zhang, Ansar Javeed, Cuiqin Jian, Yi Liu, Jinlyu Sun, Shandong Wu, Peng Fu and Bingnan Han
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(3), 152; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21030152 - 25 Feb 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3034
Abstract
In recent years, allergic diseases have occurred frequently, affecting more than 20% of the global population. The current first-line treatment of anti-allergic drugs mainly includes topical corticosteroids, as well as adjuvant treatment of antihistamine drugs, which have adverse side effects and drug resistance [...] Read more.
In recent years, allergic diseases have occurred frequently, affecting more than 20% of the global population. The current first-line treatment of anti-allergic drugs mainly includes topical corticosteroids, as well as adjuvant treatment of antihistamine drugs, which have adverse side effects and drug resistance after long-term use. Therefore, it is essential to find alternative anti-allergic agents from natural products. High pressure, low temperature, and low/lack of light lead to highly functionalized and diverse functional natural products in the marine environment. This review summarizes the information on anti-allergic secondary metabolites with a variety of chemical structures such as polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, and peptides, obtained mainly from fungi, bacteria, macroalgae, sponges, mollusks, and fish. Molecular docking simulation is applied by MOE to further reveal the potential mechanism for some representative marine anti-allergic natural products to target the H1 receptor. This review may not only provide insight into information about the structures and anti-allergic activities of natural products from marine organisms but also provides a valuable reference for marine natural products with immunomodulatory activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Defense in Marine Organisms II)
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31 pages, 893 KiB  
Review
Exploring Oceans for Curative Compounds: Potential New Antimicrobial and Anti-Virulence Molecules against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
by Daniela Coppola, Carmine Buonocore, Morgan Palisse, Pietro Tedesco and Donatella de Pascale
Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21010009 - 23 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4262
Abstract
Although several antibiotics are already widely used against a large number of pathogens, the discovery of new antimicrobial compounds with new mechanisms of action is critical today in order to overcome the spreading of antimicrobial resistance among pathogen bacteria. In this regard, marine [...] Read more.
Although several antibiotics are already widely used against a large number of pathogens, the discovery of new antimicrobial compounds with new mechanisms of action is critical today in order to overcome the spreading of antimicrobial resistance among pathogen bacteria. In this regard, marine organisms represent a potential source of a wide diversity of unique secondary metabolites produced as an adaptation strategy to survive in competitive and hostile environments. Among the multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is undoubtedly one of the most important species due to its high intrinsic resistance to different classes of antibiotics on the market and its ability to cause serious therapeutic problems. In the present review, we first discuss the general mechanisms involved in the antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa. Subsequently, we list the marine molecules identified up until now showing activity against P. aeruginosa, dividing them according to whether they act as antimicrobial or anti-virulence compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Defense in Marine Organisms II)
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