FIRST STEPS TOWARDS CELLULAR LOCALIZATION OF (+)-DISCODERMOLIDE, A POTENT ANTITUMORAL POLIKETIDE BIOSYNTHESIZED BY THE CARIBBEAN MARINE SPONGE DISCODERMIA DISSOLUTA

Abstract

Identification of bioactive metabolite cell producers allow driving cell culture experiments for in vitro production, just as elucidation of the possible physiologic function of metabolites. The Caribbean marine sponge Discodermia dissoluta produces the polyketide (+)-discodermolide, a potent antitumoral that has reached clinic trials in humans. In this research, progress was made in identifying the producing cells by cell dissociation, separation into fractions by centrifugation on Percoll® density gradients, and detection of (+)-discodermolide presence by thin layer chromatography. The fractions recovered showed cells of different morphological characteristics, including cyanobacteria, filamentous bacteria, choanocytes, archaeocytes, among others. It was possible to identify an irregular but consistent pattern of (+)-dicordemolide production in the fractions that contained one or more kind of sponge granular cells, indicating that metabolite production seems to be related to the sponge and not with the associated microorganisms.