Anti-vibriosis bioactive molecules from Arctic Penicillium sp. Z2230

Abstract

Abstract Vibrio species (Vibrio sp.) is a class of gram-negative aquatic bacteria that causes vibriosis in aquaculture and leads to big economic losses. Antibiotics have been used to control vibriosis, but concerns on antibiotic resistance keep raising. Natural products are important sources of drug lead compounds that provide potential antibiotic alternatives. In this study, seven compounds were isolated from the Arctic endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. Z2230 and determined for the structures. Among these seven compounds, compounds 3, 4, and 5 showed anti-Vibrio activity, and the antibacterial mechanisms were explored by molecular docking. The results suggested that the anti-Vibrio activities could come from the inhibition of bacterial peptide deformylase (PDF). The data indicate that these Penicillium-derived compounds are potential lead molecules for developing novel anti-Vibrio agents, and PDF is a promising antibacterial target. This study expands the bioactive diversity of polar endophytic fungi by showing a good example in which the secondary metabolites of a polar microbe are a good source of natural medicine.