Search for mole cular probes from non-utilized marine resources of coral reef twilight zone

为了发现新的生物活性分子，我们检查了从珊瑚礁边缘地带收集的海洋无脊椎动物的代谢物，该边缘地带的深度范围在40米到150米之间。海绵亚铁的亲脂性提取物具有较强的细胞毒性。分离后，通过光谱分析和衍生物制备得到一系列细胞毒素，命名为sergamides a - f。由于西沙酰胺A抑制培养细胞的细胞因子活性，因此怀疑该分子可能靶向细胞骨架蛋白肌动蛋白。通过荧光标记的1肌动蛋白，我们可以证实西拉酰胺A抑制了f -肌动蛋白的解聚，促进了g -肌动蛋白的聚合。其作用方式与phalloidin和jasaspamide相似。发现海绵藻含有适度的细胞毒素。通过对其提取物的分离，得到了7种具有海绵状骨架的二萜化合物。通过对其核磁共振数据的解释和与文献的比较，对其结构进行了鉴定。在本研究中，我们发现海绵二萜在不同的采集地点存在差异。在Kunigami村采集到一株柳珊瑚Ellisella sp.，发现含有新的briarane类二萜。其中一些被证明是细胞分裂抑制剂。此外，我们在冲绳岛珊瑚礁黄昏带采集了44只海洋无脊椎动物标本，通过筛选获得了几种已知的生物活性分子。由于这项研究仍在进行中，我希望我们能从中分离出更多新的生物活性分子。

In order to discover new bioactive molecules, we examined metabolites of marine invertebrates collected from the coral reef twilight zone, where can be defined as depth range between 40 m and 150 m.A lipophilic extract of the sponge Suberites japonicus showed strong cytotoxicity,. After separation, a series of cytotoxins named sergamides A-F were obtained by analyzing their spectroscopic data and by making derivatives. As seragamide A inhibited cytokinc sis of cultured cells, it was suspected that the molecule might target the cytoskeletal protein actin. By using fluorescent-labeled 1 actin, we could confirm that seragamide A inhibited depolymerization of F-actin and facilitated polymerization of G-actin. This mode of action was similar to those of phalloidin and jaspamide. The sponge Dysidea cf. arenaria was found to contain moderate cytotoxins. By separating its extract, we obtained totally seven new diterpenes having spongian class skeleton. Their structures were elucidated by interpreting their NMR data and also by comparing the data with those reported. During this study we found that there exists variation on the spongian diterpenes with collection sites.A gorgonian coral Ellisella sp. was collected at Kunigami village and was found to contain new briarane class diterpenes. Some of them was shown to be cytokinesis inhibitors.In addition, we collected totally 44 specimens of marine invertebrates from the coral reef twilight zone along Okinawa Island, and obtained several known bioactive molecules after screening. As this research is still an on-going project, I hope we can isolate more new bioactive molecules from them.