Bioprospection of cyanobacteria: screening cyanopeptides for pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications

• Grant number: 09/05474-5
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2010
• End date: May 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Maria Estela Stenico
• Grantee: Maria Estela Stenico
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Marcos Nogueira Eberlin ; Marli de Fátima Fiore ; Roberto Gomes de Souza Berlinck
• Associated scholarship(s): 10/09867-9 - Bioprospection of cyanobacteria: screening cyanopeptides for pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications, BP.JP

Abstract

Cyanobacteria are oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria that occur in a variety of habitats. Preliminary studies, conducted in the laboratory of Molecular Ecology of Cyanobacteria (CENA/USP), using isolated strains from several Brazilian regions, showed a great metabolic diversity of cyanobacteria for the production of cyanopeptides synthesized by the non-ribosomal pathway. The cyanobacterial biosynthesis of non-ribosomal peptides is catalyzed by enzymes named polyketide synthase (PKS) and non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS), whose gene sequences are known. The aim of this study is the bioprospection of cyanopeptides, with pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications. For this, it is proposed to detect, purify and identify secondary metabolites produced by cyanobacteria and study their biological activities. The PCR technique will be employed to detect genes involved in the biosynthesis of NRPS and PKS, which will indicate potentially toxin-producing strains or useful drugs. The gene coding for aeruginosin synthetase, a thrombin and tripsin inhibitor, will also be search. Considering that there is a few studies about the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of cyanopeptides, experiments will be conduct in order to evaluate their biological effects, such as anti-mutagenicity, apoptose induction, and protease inhibition. The cyanopeptides will be purified and identified using advanced techniques, such as LC-MS, Q-TOF and FTICR-MS. The structure of novel cyanopeptides will be elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data. (AU)

Scientific publications

(6)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SILVA-STENICO, MARIA ESTELA; KANENO, RAMON; ZAMBUZI, FABIANA ALBANI; VAZ, MARCELO G. M. V.; ALVARENGA, DANILLO O.; FIORE, MARLI FATIMA. Natural Products from Cyanobacteria with Antimicrobial and Antitumor Activity. CURRENT PHARMACEUTICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY, v. 14, n. 9, p. 820-828, OCT 2013. (09/05474-5, 10/18732-0, 11/20307-8, 11/08092-6, 10/09867-9)

SILVA-STENICO, M. E.; RIGONATO, J.; LEAL, M. G.; VAZ, M. G. M. V.; ANDREOTE, A. P. D.; FIORE, M. F.. Non-Ribosomal Halogenated Protease Inhibitors from Cyanobacterial Isolates as Attractive Drug Targets. Current Medicinal Chemistry, v. 19, n. 30, p. 5205-5213, OCT 2012. (10/09867-9, 09/15402-1, 09/05474-5, 10/18732-0)

SILVA-STENICO, MARIA ESTELA; VIEIRA, FELIPE D. P.; GENUARIO, DIEGO B.; SILVA, CAROLINE S. P.; MORAES, LUIZ ALBERTO B.; FIORE, MARLI FATIMA. Decolorization of textile dyes by cyanobacteria. Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society, v. 23, n. 10, p. 1863-1870, OCT 2012. (06/01671-2, 10/09867-9, 10/00321-3, 09/05474-5)

SILVA-STENICO, MARIA ESTELA; RIGONATO, JANAINA; LORENZI, ADRIANA STURION; PAIVA AZEVEDO, MARIA TERESA; SANT'ANNA, CELIA LEITE; FIORE, MARLI FATIMA. Bioactive Cyanopeptides Produced by Sphaerocavum brasiliense Strains (Cyanobacteria). Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society, v. 26, n. 10, p. 2088-2096, OCT 2015. (10/09867-9, 09/05474-5)

SILVA-STENICO, MARIA ESTELA; LORENZI, ADRIANA STURION; TESCHKE, OMAR; PAMPLONA SILVA, CAROLINE SOUZA; ETCHEGARAY, AUGUSTO; FIORE, MARLI FATIMA. Antimicrobial Cyanopeptide Action on Bacterial Cells Observed with Atomic Force Microscopy. CURRENT NANOSCIENCE, v. 9, n. 1, p. 141-148, FEB 2013. (06/01671-2, 09/05474-5, 10/09867-9, 03/12529-4)

LAUGHINGHOUSE, HAYWOOD DAIL; PRA, DANIEL; SILVA-STENICO, MARIA ESTELA; RIEGER, ALEXANDRE; FRESCURA, VIVIANE DAL-SOUTO; FIORE, MARLI FATIMA; TEDESCO, SOLANGE BOSIO. Biomonitoring genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of Microcystis aeruginosa (Chroococcales, Cyanobacteria) using the Allium cepa test. Science of The Total Environment, v. 432, p. 180-188, AUG 15 2012. (10/09867-9, 09/05474-5)