Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria, such as multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which are not susceptible to most conventional antibiotics, are causing increased concern in healthcare institutions worldwide. The discovery of novel antibacterial compounds for biomedical exploitation is one avenue that is being pursued to combat these problematic bacteria. Marine eukaryotic microalgae are known to produce numerous useful products but have attracted little attention in the search for novel antibiotic compounds. Cell lysates of the marine diatom, Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin, have been reported to display antibacterial activity in vitro, but the compounds responsible have not been fully identified. In this paper, using column chromatography and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, we report the isolation of an antibacterial fatty acid. Mass spectrometry and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed it to be the polyunsaturated fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). We show that EPA is active against a range of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including MRSA, at micromolar concentrations. These data indicate that it could find application in the topical and systemic treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen EJ, Nelson EW (1910) On the artificial culture of marine plankton organisms. J Mar Biol Assoc UK 8:421–474
Aubert M, Pesando D, Gauthier M (1970) Phenomenes d’antibiose d’origine phytoplanctonique en milieu marin: substances antibactériennes produites par une diatomée Asterionella japonica. Rev Intern Océanogr Méd 19–20:69–76
Benkendorff K, Davis AR, Rogers CN, Bremner JB (2005) Free fatty acids and sterols in the benthic spawn of aquatic molluscs, and their associated antimicrobial properties. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 316:29–44
Berland BR, Bonin DJ, Cornu AL, Maestrini SY, Marino J-P (1972) The antibacterial substances of the marine alga Stichochrysis immobilis (Chrysophyta). J Phycol 8:383–392
Borst P, Loos JA, Christ EJ, Slater EC (1962) Uncoupling activity of long-chain fatty acids. Biochim Biophys Acta 62:509–518
Bruce DL, Duff DCB, Antia NJ (1967) The identification of two antibacterial products of the marine planktonic alga Isochrysis galbana. J Gen Microbiol 48:293–298
Budge SM, Parrish CC (1999) Lipid class and fatty acid composition of Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries and Pseudo-nitzschia pungens and effects of lipolytic enzyme deactivation. Phytochemistry 52:561–566
Cerón García MC, Fernández Sevilla JM, Acién Fernández FG, Molina Grima E, García Camacho F (2000) Mixotrophic growth of Phaeodactylum tricornutum on glycerol: growth rate and fatty acid profile. J Appl Phycol 12:239–248
Clarke SR, Mohamed R, Bian L, Routh AF, Kokai-Kun JF, Mond JJ, Tarkowski A, Foster SJ (2007) The Staphylococcus aureus surface protein isdA mediates resistance to innate defenses of human skin. Cell Host & Microbe 1:1–14
Cole JJ (1982) Interactions between bacteria and algae in aquatic ecosystems. Ann Rev Ecol Syst 13:291–314
Cooper S, Battat A, Marsot P, Sylvestre M (1983) Production of antibacterial activities by two Bacillariophyceae grown in dialysis culture. Can J Microbiol 29:338–341
Cooper SF, Battat A, Marsot P, Sylvestre M, Laliberté C (1985) Identification of antibacterial fatty acids from Phaeodactylum tricornutum grown in dialysis culture. Microbios 42:27–36
De Martino A, Meichenin A, Shi J, Pan K, Bowler C (2007) Genetic and phenotypic characterization of Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Bacillariophyceae) accessions. J Phycol 43:992–1009
d’Ippolito G, Tucci S, Cutignano A, Romano G, Cimino G, Miralto A, Fontana A (2004) The role of complex lipids in the synthesis of bioactive aldehydes of the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum. Biochim Biophys Acta 1686:100–107
Duff DCB, Bruce DL, Antia NJ (1966) The antibacterial activity of marine planktonic algae. Can J Microbiol 12:877–884
Findlay JA, Patil AD (1984) Antibacterial constituents of the diatom Navicula delognei. J Nat Prod 47:815–818
Fu M, Koulman A, van Rijssel M, Lützen A, de Boer MK, Tyl MR, Liebezeit G (2004) Chemical characterisation of three haemolytic compounds from the microalgal species Fibrocapsa japonica (Raphidophyceae). Toxicon 43:355–363
Galbraith H, Miller TB (1973b) Physicochemical effects of long chain fatty acids on bacterial cells and their protoplasts. J Appl Bacteriol 36:647–658
Guil-Guerrero JL, Giménez-Giménez A, Robles-Medina A, del Mar Rebolloso-Fuentes M, Belarbi E-H, Esteban-Cerdán L, Molina Grima E (2001) Hexane reduces peroxidation of fatty acids during storage. Eur J Lipid Sci Technol 103:271–278
Jüttner F (2001) Liberation of 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid and other polyunsaturated fatty acids from lipids as a grazer defense reaction in epilithic diatom biofilms. J Phycol 37:744–755
Kabara JJ, Swieczkowski DM, Conley AJ, Truant JP (1972) Fatty acids and derivatives as antimicrobial agents. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2:23–28
Kellam SJ, Walker JM (1989) Antibacterial activity from marine microalgae in laboratory culture. Br Phycol J 24:191–194
Klevens RM, Morrison MA, Nadle J, Petit S, Gershman K, Ray S, Harrison LH, Lynfield R, Dumyati G, Townes JM, Craig AS, Zell ER, Fosheim GE, McDougal LK, Carey RB, Fridkin SK (2007) Invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in the United States. JAMA 298:1763–1771
Knapp HR, Melly MA (1986) Bactericidal effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids. J Infect Dis 154:84–94
Kris-Etherton PM, Harris WS, Appel LJ (2002) Fish consumption, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids, and cardiovascular disease. Circulation 106:2747–2757
Lacey RW, Lord VL (1981) Sensitivity of staphylococci to fatty acids: novel inactivation of linolenic acid by serum. J Med Microbiol 14:41–49
Laser H (1952) Adaption of Bacillus subtilis to fatty acids. Biochem J 51:57–62
Liang Y, Beardall J, Heraud P (2006) Changes in growth, chlorophyll fluorescence and fatty acid composition with culture age in batch cultures of Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Chaetoceros muelleri (Bacillariophyceae). Bot Mar 49:165–173
Lincoln RA, Strupinski K, Walker JM (1991) Bioactive compounds from algae. Life Chem Rep 8:97–183
Mayali X, Azam F (2004) Algicidal bacteria in the sea and their impact on algal blooms. J Eukaryot Microbiol 51:139–144
Miller RD, Brown KE, Morse SA (1977) Inhibitory activity of fatty acids on the growth of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Infect Immun 17:303–312
Molina Grima E, García Camacho F, Acién Fernández FG (1999) Production of EPA from Phaeodactylum tricornutum. In: Cohen Z (ed) Chemicals from microalgae. Taylor and Francis, London, pp 57–92
Moreno VJ, de Moreno JEA, Brenner RR (1979) Biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Lipids 14:15–19
Norton TA, Melkonian M, Andersen RA (1996) Algal biodiversity. Phycologia 35:308–326
Office for National Statistics (2007) Report: deaths involving MRSA: England and Wales, 2001–2005. Health Stat Q 33:76–81
Ohta S, Chang T, Kawashima A, Nagate T, Murase M, Nakanishi H, Miyata H, Kondo M (1994) Anti methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) activity by linolenic acid isolated from the marine microalga Chlorococcum HS-101. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 52:673–680
Parrish CC, Wangersky PJ (1987) Particulate and dissolved lipid classes in cultures of Phaeodactylum tricornutum grown in cage culture turbidostats with a range of nitrogen supply rates. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 35:119–128
Patil V, Källqvist T, Olsen E, Vogt G, Gislerød HR (2007) Fatty acid composition of 12 microalgae for possible use in aquaculture feed. Aquacult Int 15:1–9
Pesando D (1972) Étude chimique et structurale d’une substance lipidique antibiotique produite par une diatomée marine: Asterionella japonica. Rev Intern Océanogr Méd 25:49–69
Petschow BW, Batema RP, Ford LL (1996) Susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to bactericidal properties of medium-chain monoglycerides and free fatty acids. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 40:302–306
Relf JM, Chisholm JRS, Kemp GD, Smith VJ (1999) Purification and characterization of a cysteine-rich 11.5-kDa antibacterial protein from the granular haemocytes of the shore crab, Carcinus maenas. Eur J Biochem 264:350–357
Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (Committee on Toxicity) (2004) Advice on fish consumption: benefits and risks. The Stationary Office, Norwich
Sheu CW, Freese E (1972) Effects of fatty acids on growth and envelope proteins of Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol 111:516–524
Siron R, Giusti G, Berland B (1989) Changes in the fatty acid composition of Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Dunaliella tertiolecta during growth and under phosphorus deficiency. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 55:95–100
Sun CQ, O’Connor CJ, Roberton AM (2003) Antibacterial actions of fatty acids and monoglycerides against Helicobacter pylori. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 36:9–17
Thormar H, Isaacs CE, Brown HR, Barshatzky MR, Pessolano T (1987) Inactivation of enveloped viruses and killing of cells by fatty acids and monoglycerides. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 31:27–31
Tincu JA, Taylor SW (2004) Antimicrobial peptides from marine invertebrates. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 48:3645–3654
US Food and Drug Administration (1997) Substances affirmed as generally recognized as safe: menhaden oil. Federal Register 62:30751–30757
Viso AC, Pesando D, Baby C (1987) Antibacterial and antifungal properties of some marine diatoms in culture. Bot Mar 30:41–45
Wang L-L, Johnson EA (1992) Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes by fatty acids and monoglycerides. Appl Environ Microbiol 58:624–629
Ward OP, Singh A (2005) Omega-3/6 fatty acids: Alternative sources of production. Process Biochem 40:3627–3652
Yongmanitchai W, Ward OP (1991) Growth of and omega-3 fatty acid production by Phaeodactylum tricornutum under different culture conditions. Appl Environ Microbiol 57:419–425
Yongmanitchai W, Ward OP (1992) Separation of lipid classes from Phaeodactylum tricornutum using silica cartridges. Phytochemistry 31:3405–3408
Acknowledgment
NMR and mass spectrometry experimentation was kindly performed by Dr. Tomas Lebl (School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews) and Dr. Catherine Botting (School of Biology, University of St Andrews), respectively. Dr. Peter Coote (School of Biology, University of St Andrews) kindly gifted the strains of B. cereus, B. weihenstephanensis, C. glabrata, C. neoformis, MRSA252, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The Staphylococcus aureus strain was kindly gifted by Prof. Simon Foster (Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield). This work was funded by a BBSRC studentship (BBS/S/M/2003/10490) with additional support from Aquapharm Bio-Discovery Ltd.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Desbois, A.P., Mearns-Spragg, A. & Smith, V.J. A Fatty Acid from the Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum is Antibacterial Against Diverse Bacteria Including Multi-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Mar Biotechnol 11, 45–52 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10126-008-9118-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10126-008-9118-5