306
J. Querellou et al.
(pers comm). Transformation with homologous recombination has been demonstrated in the red microalga Cyanidioschyzon merolae (Minoda et al. 2004). Among
the heterokonts, transformation has been reported in, for example, the diatoms
Thalassiosira pseudonana and Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Poulsen et al. 2006,
Kroth 2007) and in the brown kelp Saccharina (Laminaria) japonica (Jiang et al.
2002, 2003).
8.4.10 Marine Fungi
Terrestrial fungi are important sources of biomolecules such as antibiotics and there
is also a growing interest in marine fungi as a rich source of anticancer, antibacterial,
anti-parasite, anti-inflammatory and antiviral agents (see reviews by Bhadury et al.
2006 and Raghukumar 2008). Examples of products from marine fungi include alkaloids with possible anticancer compounds from Penicillium citrinum (Tsuda et al.
2004), Fusarium sp (Ebel 2006) and Apiospora montagnei (Klemke et al. 2004) all
isolated from seaweeds. Another example is the polyketide ascosalipyrrolidinone-A
isolated from the Ascochyta salicorniae (Osterhage et al. 2000) with potential antimalarial activity. One marine fungi, also present in cheese and dairy products, has
been sequenced, the marine yeast Debaryomyces hansenii (Dujon et al. 2004). This
yeast has, for example, been studied for its xylose metabolism (e.g. Sampaio et al.
2004).
8.4.11 Metazoans
One outstanding example of the possibilities of marine biotechnology is the discovery, description and development of fluorescent proteins as important tools in
cell biology research. Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie and Roger Y. Tsien were
awarded the Nobel Price in chemistry in 2008 for their research on the green fluorescent protein. The first fluorescent protein was discovered in the jellyfish Aequorea
victoria (Shimomura et al. 1962); the gene for this protein was later cloned by
Prasher et al. (1985) and used by Chalfie et al. (1994) to study gene expression
in E. coli and C. elegans. Fluorescent proteins were later found in other marine
organisms such as hydrozoans, anthozoans and copepods. These fluorescent proteins have been modified to generate numerous commercial products with different
spectral characteristics (Mocz 2007).
Sponges and their associated microorganisms produce numerous compounds
with bioactive potential; however supply of biological material has been a limiting factor. The use of an approach of heterologous expression of genes found with
metagenomics approach, the cultivation of associated microorganism in the absence
of sponges, and the establishment of sponge cell lines have the potential to solve the
problem of supply (Wijffels 2008).
J. Querellou et al.
(pers comm). Transformation with homologous recombination has been demonstrated in the red microalga Cyanidioschyzon merolae (Minoda et al. 2004). Among
the heterokonts, transformation has been reported in, for example, the diatoms
Thalassiosira pseudonana and Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Poulsen et al. 2006,
Kroth 2007) and in the brown kelp Saccharina (Laminaria) japonica (Jiang et al.
2002, 2003).
8.4.10 Marine Fungi
Terrestrial fungi are important sources of biomolecules such as antibiotics and there
is also a growing interest in marine fungi as a rich source of anticancer, antibacterial,
anti-parasite, anti-inflammatory and antiviral agents (see reviews by Bhadury et al.
2006 and Raghukumar 2008). Examples of products from marine fungi include alkaloids with possible anticancer compounds from Penicillium citrinum (Tsuda et al.
2004), Fusarium sp (Ebel 2006) and Apiospora montagnei (Klemke et al. 2004) all
isolated from seaweeds. Another example is the polyketide ascosalipyrrolidinone-A
isolated from the Ascochyta salicorniae (Osterhage et al. 2000) with potential antimalarial activity. One marine fungi, also present in cheese and dairy products, has
been sequenced, the marine yeast Debaryomyces hansenii (Dujon et al. 2004). This
yeast has, for example, been studied for its xylose metabolism (e.g. Sampaio et al.
2004).
8.4.11 Metazoans
One outstanding example of the possibilities of marine biotechnology is the discovery, description and development of fluorescent proteins as important tools in
cell biology research. Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie and Roger Y. Tsien were
awarded the Nobel Price in chemistry in 2008 for their research on the green fluorescent protein. The first fluorescent protein was discovered in the jellyfish Aequorea
victoria (Shimomura et al. 1962); the gene for this protein was later cloned by
Prasher et al. (1985) and used by Chalfie et al. (1994) to study gene expression
in E. coli and C. elegans. Fluorescent proteins were later found in other marine
organisms such as hydrozoans, anthozoans and copepods. These fluorescent proteins have been modified to generate numerous commercial products with different
spectral characteristics (Mocz 2007).
Sponges and their associated microorganisms produce numerous compounds
with bioactive potential; however supply of biological material has been a limiting factor. The use of an approach of heterologous expression of genes found with
metagenomics approach, the cultivation of associated microorganism in the absence
of sponges, and the establishment of sponge cell lines have the potential to solve the
problem of supply (Wijffels 2008).