Discussion

The aim of Marine Fungi is to evaluate the potential of secondary metabolites from fungi associated with marine macro-organisms to provide lead compounds for the development of cancer treatments. Extracts from fermentations of fungi isolated from Mediterranean sponges, Indonesian corals and Chilean macroalgae were screened against a preliminary cell line panel comprising the 786-0, M14 and MCF-7 tumour cell lines. Extracts from fermentations of the sponge-associated strain MF458, subsequently identified as Tolypocladium geodes, were found to have potent anti-tumour effects with predominantly anti-proliferative rather than overtly cytotoxic profiles. As small-scale assay-guided fractionation did not reveal the obvious presence of compounds known to have anti-tumour properties, larger scale fermentations were commissioned. Extracts of these fermentations are rich in diverse secondary metabolites purification and structural characterisation has revealed the presence of compounds expressed by five different biosynthetic pathways. While some of these have been identified as compounds known to have effects on mammalian cells – pyridoxatin, cyclosporins and efrapeptins – other minor components are new compounds that have not previously been described, and their anti-tumour properties are being assessed.

Bethlehem Kebede,1 Anjali Prashar,1 Stephen Wrigley,1 Johanna Silber,2 Antje Labes2
1. Hypha Discovery Ltd., Russell Building, Brunel Science Park, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PQ, UK
2. Kieler Wirkstoff-Zentrum am Helmholtz-Zentrum fur Ozeanforschung (GEOMAR), Am Kiel-Kanal 44, 24106 Kiel, Germany