Natural product discovery

Question 1

What is a definition of natural product

Answer 1

A secondary metabolite produced by a microorganism (archaea, bacteria or fungi) or plant

Question 2

What is the lifecycle of a filamentous actinomyces?

Answer 2

See diagram.

Spore dispersal –> spore germination –> outgrowth of substrate feeding mycelium –> Formation of reproductive aerial hypae (NP produced) –> chromosome seggregation –> spore formation.

Question 3

When are natural products produced?

Answer 3

Get lots of antibiotics products during the switch from substrate growth to aerial growth

Question 4

Describe the Waksman platform

Answer 4

1) . Isolate actinomycete bacteria
2) . Antibacterial bioassay screen
3) . Fermentation
4) . Bioactivity-guided fractionation/purification
5) . Chemical characterisation

Question 5

When did the golden era start?

Answer 5

After Flemming discovered penicillin (beta lactam antibiotic) and Waksman discovered Streptomycin (TB drug), major class were discovered from this until the 1960’s