Bioactive Potential of Proteins from Deep Sea Organisms

Abstract

Marine environment rich in prokaryotes and eukaryotes is a reservoir of novel bioactive molecules with wide chemical diversity. For this study, deep sea organisms were collected by dredging and trawling during FORV Sagar Sampada Cruise # 291 Leg I and Cruise # 305. Around 60 different marine organisms were sampled and screened for antimicrobial compounds and proteins against an array of human pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Vibrio cholerae by agar well diffusion method and disc diffusion method. Solvents such as ethanol, methanol, chloroform, butanol and 5% acetic acid were used. Thin layer chromatography and bioautography assays of bioactive extracts confirmed the presence of antimicrobial compounds in them. The separation of the compound was done using cyclograph. Ray fish, star fish, Loligo sp., spider crab, Maxmulleria sp. and mussel showed presence of an antimicrobial protein that was purified by TLC, cation exchange chromatography and tricine-SDS PAGE.