Tag: natural products
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Chlorinated Dictyostelium compounds as strong antibacterials
New chlorinated compounds from slime mold mirror powerful antibacterial activity Dictyostelium discoideum, a soil-dwelling cellular slime mold, continues to surprise scientists with its chemical arsenal. Researchers have identified a family of chlorinated natural products produced by this organism, expanding our understanding of how microbes in the soil defend themselves against rivals and predators. In recent…
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Chlorinated compounds from slime mold show antibiotic potential
Slime mold produces potent chlorinated antibiotics Soil-dwelling cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum is emerging as a source of novel antibiotics. In recent work published by FEBS Open Bio, researchers report that this single-celled organism not only makes previously known chlorinated compounds but can also be coaxed to produce additional ones that demonstrate notable antimicrobial activity.…
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Mitraphylline Production in Plants Reveals Cancer-Fighting Potential
Breakthrough maps how plants assemble mitraphylline In a collaborative effort spanning Canada and the United States, researchers have uncovered the molecular steps plants use to produce mitraphylline, a rare spirooxindole alkaloid with potential anti-cancer properties. The discovery, led by doctoral student Tuan-Anh Nguyen under the guidance of Dr. Thu-Thuy Dang at UBC Okanagan, builds on…
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Unlocking Nature’s Blueprint: How Plants Produce Cancer-Fighting Mitraphylline
New chapter in natural product science: how plants craft mitraphylline Researchers at the University of British Columbia Okanagan have unveiled the plant-based blueprint for mitraphylline, a rare natural compound in the spirooxindole family with potential cancer-fighting properties. This discovery not only answers a long-standing question about how plants assemble these complex molecules but also offers…
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Chlorinated Compounds from Slime Mold Show Strong Antibacterial Activity
New insights into a soil microbe’s chemical arsenal Dictyostelium discoideum, a cellular slime mold thriving in soil, has long fascinated scientists for its ability to switch from single cells to a coordinated multicellular form. Now, researchers have uncovered a new facet of this organism: it produces chlorinated natural products with notable antibacterial activity. Building on…
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Mitraphylline Production in Plants: Enzymes Revealed
Scientists unlock how plants create cancer-fighting mitraphylline In a breakthrough that could transform how powerful natural products are sourced, researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan have mapped the enzymes that make mitraphylline, a rare spirooxindole alkaloid with potential anti-cancer properties. The discovery builds on a landmark finding from 2023 and opens the…