Molecular Interactions as Drivers of
Changes in Marine Ecosystems
6
Fanny Defranoux and Ernesto Mollo
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
2 Bioactive Metabolites from the Invasive Green Alga Caulerpa cylindracea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
3 Bioactive Metabolites from the Invasive Seagrass Halophila stipulacea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
4 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Abstract
Among the factors affecting community dynamics, bioactive natural products act
as mediators of key biological processes, including competition, predation,
defense, and reproduction. Their chemical diversity thus critically contributes to
the stability of ecological systems. Accordingly, research in chemical ecology
provides useful information for a better understanding of ecosystem functioning
and biodiversity. On the other hand, the potential of bioactive molecules produced
by invasive species to become disruptive to native communities has been recently
emphasized in the literature, raising novel and urgent questions about the interactions of invasive metabolites with macromolecular counterparts of ecological
and ecotoxicological interest. Relevant issues strongly emerged in the Mediterranean Sea where the green alga Caulerpa cylindracea and the seagrass
Halophila stipulacea, both exotic macrophytes containing peculiar bioactive
compounds, have become invasive. In particular, the study of these two species
has led to the production of a recent literature focusing on “alien biomolecules”
and their potential impact on the native community. This chapter summarizes the
obtained results by giving special emphasis to the urgent need for individuating
molecular interactions that are likely to exert cascade effects at all levels of
biological organization, from molecules to ecosystems.
F. Defranoux · E. Mollo (*)
Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council of Italy, Pozzuoli, Italy
e-mail: emollo@icb.cnr.it
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
J.-M. Mérillon, K. G. Ramawat (eds.), Co-Evolution of Secondary Metabolites,
Reference Series in Phytochemistry, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96397-6_64
121
Changes in Marine Ecosystems
6
Fanny Defranoux and Ernesto Mollo
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
2 Bioactive Metabolites from the Invasive Green Alga Caulerpa cylindracea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
3 Bioactive Metabolites from the Invasive Seagrass Halophila stipulacea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
4 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Abstract
Among the factors affecting community dynamics, bioactive natural products act
as mediators of key biological processes, including competition, predation,
defense, and reproduction. Their chemical diversity thus critically contributes to
the stability of ecological systems. Accordingly, research in chemical ecology
provides useful information for a better understanding of ecosystem functioning
and biodiversity. On the other hand, the potential of bioactive molecules produced
by invasive species to become disruptive to native communities has been recently
emphasized in the literature, raising novel and urgent questions about the interactions of invasive metabolites with macromolecular counterparts of ecological
and ecotoxicological interest. Relevant issues strongly emerged in the Mediterranean Sea where the green alga Caulerpa cylindracea and the seagrass
Halophila stipulacea, both exotic macrophytes containing peculiar bioactive
compounds, have become invasive. In particular, the study of these two species
has led to the production of a recent literature focusing on “alien biomolecules”
and their potential impact on the native community. This chapter summarizes the
obtained results by giving special emphasis to the urgent need for individuating
molecular interactions that are likely to exert cascade effects at all levels of
biological organization, from molecules to ecosystems.
F. Defranoux · E. Mollo (*)
Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council of Italy, Pozzuoli, Italy
e-mail: emollo@icb.cnr.it
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
J.-M. Mérillon, K. G. Ramawat (eds.), Co-Evolution of Secondary Metabolites,
Reference Series in Phytochemistry, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96397-6_64
121