DEEP SEA
The darkest corner of the world
Biotechnological applications derived from deep sea organisms
Medical and pharmaceutical
(+)-Discodermolide was isolated from the deep-sea sponge Discodermia found to be a potent inhibitor of tumor cell growth in several MDR cancer cell lines and inducer of accelerated cell senescence [1]; the chemical also possess immunosuppressive properties [2] and can act as neuroprotective agent [3].
Deep sea ceriantharians were discovered emitting bright green fluorescence (GFP named cerFP505). Despite being derived from an animal adapted to complete darkness and low temperatures, its brightness and photostability are comparable to those GFP from shallow water species. Therefore, findings disclose the deep sea as a potential source of GFP-like molecular marker proteins which performs well in human cell line at 37°C [4].
The deep-sea sponge, Forcepia species, produces a compounds called lasonolides, which exhibit promising biomedical properties, having the ability to kill lung, breast, and other cancer cells [5]. It can be found at depth of 1230m at the North Atlantic Ocean.
The Alvinella pompejana is a deep-sea worm that can be found at near hydrothermal vents. It is one of the animal known with the most thermo tolerant activity on Earth. The first antibiotic peptide from deep sea organism known as alvinellacin was isolated from this organism, serves a role in the first line of defence against microbial invasion. The antimicrobial peptide (AMP) isolated is the potential candidate for developing marine-derived drug [6].
B. thermophilus is a mussel species found at the deep sea hydrothermal vent [7]. It produces bioactive lipid ceramide derivatives known as bathymodiolamides A and B. The derivatives were found to affect numerous physiological function such as apoptosis (programmed cell death), cell differentiation and so on. It was suggested the derivates are potential drug candidates for cancer and diabetes.
Industrial
Deinococcus geothermalis is a moderately thermophilic bacterium isolated from deep-ocean subsurfaces [8]. It is capable of producing thermostable peptidase with alkaliphilic properties [9]. The peptidase produced by the bacterium has exhibited stable activity at 60 degree celcius while it also able to function well in alkali condition at pH 9. The peptidase with such properties are reported to have application in the detergent industry.
Pyrococcus furiosus, a hyperthermophilic bacterium which thrives best at a temperature of 100℃, enabling it to produce thermostability enzymes such as ferritin (for development of potential tool in mitigating industrial biofouling by phosphate limitation or to remove arsenate from drinking water) [10], β-glucosidase (used to break down lactose to produce low lactose milk) [11], DNA polymerase (to produce thermostable Pfu DNA polymerase for PCR used to detect certain diseases) [12].
Heat resistant enzyme Taq DNA polymerase is named after the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus. It is frequently used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) - a method for greatly amplifying short segments of DNA [13]. Taq DNA polymerase is still used in lab although is its lack of the 3' to 5' exonuclease proofreading activity.
Alteromonas macleodii subsp. fijiensis biovar deepsane is a deep-sea bacterium isolated from polychaete annelid Alvinella pompejana. This strain is able to produce high molecular weight exopolysaccharide(EPS, a type of biopolymer) known as HYD657 [14]. The EPS (HYD 657) is used as an active ingredients in cosmetics such as abyssine cream [15]. It is the first marine exopolysaccharide (EPS) to be marketed for application in cosmetic industry[14].
References:
-
Smith III, AB, Sugasawa, K, Atasoylu, O, Yang, C-PH & Horwitz, SB 2011, 'Design and Synthesis of (+)-Discodermolide–Paclitaxel Hybrids Leading to Enhanced Biological Activity', Journal of medicinal chemistry, vol. 54, no. 18, pp. 6319-6327.
-
Longley, RE, Gunasekera, SP, Faherty, D, McLane, J & Dumont, F 1993, 'Immunosuppression by discodermolide', Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, vol. 696, no. 1, pp. 94-107.
-
Forman, MS, Trojanowski, JQ & Lee, VM 2004, 'Neurodegenerative diseases: a decade of discoveries paves the way for therapeutic breakthroughs', Nature medicine, vol. 10, no. 10, pp. 1055-1063.
-
Vogt, A, D'Angelo, C, Oswald, F, Denzel, A, Mazel, CH, Matz, MV, Ivanchenko, S, Nienhaus, GU & Wiedenmann, J 2008, 'A green fluorescent protein with photoswitchable emission from the deep sea', PloS one, vol. 3, no. 11, p. e3766.
-
Stevely, J & Sweat, D 2008, 'Florida’s Marine Sponges', Exploring the Potential and Protecting theResource. SeaGrant.
-
Tasiemski, A, Jung, S, Boidin-Wichlacz, C, Jollivet, D, Cuvillier-Hot, V, Pradillon, F, Vetriani, C, Hecht, O, Sönnichsen, FD & Gelhaus, C 2014, 'Characterization and function of the first antibiotic isolated from a vent organism: the extremophile metazoan Alvinella pompejana', PloS one, vol. 9, no. 4, p. e95737.
-
Andrianasolo, EH, Haramaty, L, McPhail, KL, White, E, Vetriani, C, Falkowski, P & Lutz, R 2011, 'Bathymodiolamides A and B, ceramide derivatives from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent invertebrate mussel, Bathymodiolus thermophilus', Journal of natural products, vol. 74, no. 4, pp. 842-846.
-
Pietrow, O, Panek, A, & Synowiecki, J 2013, ‘Extracellular proteolytic activity of Deinococcus geothermalis’, African Journal of Biotechnology, vol. 12, no. 25, pp. 4020-4027.
-
Dalmaso, G. Z. L., Ferreira, D., & Vermelho, A. B. 2015, ‘Marine extremophiles: a source of hydrolases for biotechnological applications’, Marine drugs, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 1925-1965.
-
Sevcenco, A-M, Paravidino, M, Vrouwenvelder, JS, Wolterbeek, HT, van Loosdrecht, MC & Hagen, WR 2015, 'Phosphate and arsenate removal efficiency by thermostable ferritin enzyme from Pyrococcus furiosus using radioisotopes', Water research, vol. 76, pp. 181-186.
-
Li, B, Wang, Z, Li, S, Donelan, W, Wang, X, Cui, T & Tang, D 2013, 'Preparation of lactose-free pasteurized milk with a recombinant thermostable β-glucosidase from Pyrococcus furiosus', BMC biotechnology, vol. 13, no. 1, p. 73.
-
Chong, SS, Eichler, EE, Nelson, DL & Hughes, MR 1994, 'Robust amplification and ethidium‐visible detection of the fragile X syndrome CGG repeat using Pfu polymerase', American journal of medical genetics, vol. 51, no. 4, pp. 522-526.
-
Chien, A, Edgar, DB & Trela, JM 1976, 'Deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase from the extreme thermophile Thermus aquaticus', Journal of bacteriology, vol. 127, no. 3, pp. 1550-1557.
-
1. Lelchat, F., Cozien, J., Le Costaouec, T., Brandilly, C., Schmitt, S., Baudoux, A. Collieu-Jouault, S. & Boisset, C. 2014, ‘Exopolysaccharide biosynthesis and biodegradation by a marine hydrothermal Alteromonas sp. Strain’, Applied microbiology and biotechnology, vol. 99, no. 8, pp.1-11.
-
Petit, A. C., Noiret, N., Guezennec, J., Gondrexon, N., & Colliec-Jouault, S. 2007, ‘Ultrasonic depolymerization of an exopolysaccharide produced by a bacterium isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent polychaete annelid’, Ultrasonics sonochemistry, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 107-112