Study of the secondary metabolism from endophytic fungus (associated to marine red algae of Bostrychia genus) under the influence of chemical and/or epigenetic modulators

• Grant number: 12/01175-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): January 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Hosana Maria Debonsi
• Grantee: Ana Paula Porfirio Padovini
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Among the most promising new bioactive substance sources, the natural products have been noted since the ancient civilization. However, in the last few decades, new ecological niches had gained importance becoming alternative to natural products research. In this way, the investigation and consequently the natural products knowledge concerning biosynthesis pathways developed for particular microorganisms isolated from marine red algae constitutes a promising area to be explored. So, being based on results already gotten by the group of research QOAM-NPPNS/FCFRP-USP, with respect to the culture and bioprospection of endophytic fungus, a new goal has being employed in our laboratory. Currently, the new metabolites discovery from microorganisms belonged to the sea, comes being guided by means of differentiated techniques, among them, the chemical and/or epigenetic elicitation, using for this proposal a large variety of modulators. In such a way, according to the principle that endophytic organism are carbonic skeletons differentiated producers, which presents expressive biological potential assortment, the investigation of these products becomes important aiming innovative molecules pharmaceutical inputs. Thus, the present project has as objective the structural elucidation of isolated metabolites produced by fungi Acremonium sp., isolated from Bostrychia tenella. Parallel, recent genomic studies show that the fungus, even presenting high biosynthetic machinery, in laboratory conditions cannot express all of the pathways responsible for bioactive metabolites synthesis. As option to this limitation, intending to increase the genetic expression of genes responsible for secondary metabolites production, the epigenetic modulators addition in culture medium could be the most interesting alternative. Therefore, based on previously results obtained by the research group, this project shows a second goal: to isolate and elucidate the compounds got by means of epigenetic strategies using the fungi Botryosphaeria sp., isolated from marine red algae Bostrychia radicans (found in Rio Escuro mangrove - Ubatuba - SP).It is worth mentioning that this project is linked to the research project recently approved by FAPESP (BIOTA/FAPESP: Process Number 2011/50836-2), entitled "Stress and environmental chemistry and epigenetic modulation: strategies for exploitation of biological and metabolic profile of endophytic fungi and marine cyanobacteria", justifying the importance of this work for Scientific Initiation for our research group. (AU)