Chemical Defense in Marine Organisms

加州大学圣地亚哥分校斯克里普斯研究所海洋研究部的威廉·费尼奇教授因其对海洋动植物利用的防御化学物质对抗各种病原体的研究而得到有机和高分子化学计划的支持。已知的六种藻类和无脊椎动物病原体的生物测定将用于评估1)微生物生长的抑制(抗菌)和2)微生物附着的抑制(抗沉降)。将继续开发更多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，并将对在该项目过程中发现的新的生物活性代谢物进行表征。在有机化学和高分子化学计划的支持下，Fenical教授正在分离海洋动植物用作对抗各种病原微生物的化学防御的有机化合物。其中一些具有抗真菌或抗生素活性的新型生物活性化合物有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.