Erlidawati Erlidawati, Chessy Rima Mustika, Musri Musman, Diah Astika Winahyu, Viqqi Kurnianda
The Indonesian marine sponge Plakortis simplex is recognized for its natural products (NPs), particularly those within the terpenoid class. Given the structural diversity of these NPs, we hypothesized that endosymbiotic microorganisms contribute to the chemical diversity within this marine eukaryotic system. Following a chemical analysis of P. simplex and a metagenomic study of biosynthesis gene clusters, we identified the presence of austinol (1) and its oxidation product, dehydroaustinol (2), through spectroscopic analysis. Further metagenomic analysis suggested that the biosynthesis gene clusters responsible for the production of compound 1 were derived from the symbiotic marine fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Additionally, the identification of characteristic gene clusters for Polyketide Synthase (PKS) and Terpenoid Cyclase from the Farnesyl Pyrophosphate (FPP) precursor confirmed the synthesis of compounds 1 and 2 as members of the meroterpenoid class. Our findings also revealed that specific genes catalyze the chemical reactions necessary for completing the synthesis of these final products. The processes involved, including in-silico studies, are described here. © 2025 Visagaa Publishing House.
Department of Chemistry Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Indonesia; Department of Pharmacy and Food Analysis, Faculty of Medicine, Malahayati University, Indonesia; Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Marine and Fisheries, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, University of the Ryukyus, Japan
Research at a Glance
Register to unlock
Topics & SDG Alignment
Register to unlock
Collaboration
Register to unlock
Author Profile (Selected)
Register to unlock
References Overview
Register to unlock
Journal & Source
Register to unlock
Metadata & Integrity
Register to unlock