Chemical Defense in Marine Organisms

加州大学圣地亚哥斯克里普斯研究所海洋研究部的William Fenical教授在有机和大分子化学项目的支持下，研究了海洋植物和动物抵御多种致病微生物的防御化学物质。六种已知的藻类和无脊椎病原体的生物测定将用于评估1)微生物生长的抑制（抗生素）和2)微生物附着的抑制（抗沉降）。将继续开发针对其他病原体的新检测方法。几种抗真菌代谢物的结构测定研究正在进行中，在该项目过程中发现的新的生物活性代谢物的表征将进行。在有机和大分子化学项目的支持下，Fenical教授正在分离有机化合物，这些化合物被海洋植物和动物用作对抗各种致病微生物的化学防御。这些具有抗真菌或抗生素活性的新型生物活性化合物中的一些可能被证明对控制人类传染病有用。

Professor William Fenical in the Marine Research Division at the University of California, San Diego Scripps Institute is supported by the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program for his studies on the defense chemicals utilized by marine plants and animals against a diversity of pathogenic microbes. Bioassays for six known algal and invertebrate pathogens will be used to assess 1) the inhibition of microbial growth (antibiosis) and 2) the inhibition of microbial attachment (anti-settlement). New assays for additional pathogens will continue to be developed. Structure determination studies of several antifungal metabolites are ongoing and characterization of new bioactive metabolites discovered during the course of this project will be carried out.With the support of the Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program, Professor Fenical is isolating organic compounds which marine plants and animals use as a chemical defense against various pathogenic microbes. There is a possibility that some of these novel bioactive compounds which exhibit antifungal or antibiotic activity may prove useful in controlling human infectious diseases.