UC San Diego

Marine cyanobacteria are a rich source of biologically relevant molecules with diverse therapeutic bioactivity and structural diversity. Many natural products have been isolated and characterized from marine cyanobacteria, however, bioinformatic analyses into their genomes have revealed the wealth of biosynthetic gene clusters yet to be linked to any known natural products. In this work, we sought to further explore the metabolic potential of these cyanobacteria and work toward conservation of these precious biological resources. We discovered a novel linear depsipeptide, hectoramide B, from the tropical filamentous cyanobacteria, Moorena producens JHB, through a co-culture competition experiment. We further identified the putative biosynthetic gene cluster associated with hectoramide B. Additionally, we successfully developed and optimized cryopreservation methods for some of the cyanobacterial strains within the Gerwick lab collection. In conclusion, alternative methods, like co-culture competition experiments, can be employed to discover novel compounds from this rich source of natural products. Additionally, cryopreservation can be a valuable tool for the long-term preservation of these cultures. Both avenues can further develop the field of marine natural products toward novel drug discovery and conservation efforts of these valuable biological resources.