Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Napoli, Italy.
Nat Prod Rep. 2018 Dec 12;35(12):1241-1250. doi: 10.1039/c8np00045j.
Covering: up to 2018 Ovothiols are sulfur-containing natural products biosynthesized by marine invertebrates, microalgae, and bacteria. These compounds are characterized by unique chemical properties suggestive of numerous cellular functions. For example, ovothiols may be cytoprotectants against oxidative stress, serve as building blocks of more complex structures and may act as molecular messengers for inter- and intracellular signaling. Detailed understanding of ovothiol physiological role in marine organisms may unearth novel concepts in cellular redox biochemistry and highlight the therapeutic potential of this antioxidant. The recent discovery of ovothiol biosynthetic genes has paved the way for a systematic investigation of ovothiol-modulated cellular processes. In this highlight we review the early research on ovothiol and we discuss key questions that may now be addressed using genome-based approaches. This highlight article provides an overview of recent progress towards elucidating the biosynthesis, function and potential application of ovothiols.
截至 2018 年，卵巯基化合物是由海洋无脊椎动物、微藻和细菌生物合成的含硫天然产物。这些化合物具有独特的化学性质，暗示了它们具有多种细胞功能。例如，卵巯基化合物可能是对抗氧化应激的细胞保护剂，作为更复杂结构的构建块，并可能作为细胞间和细胞内信号传递的分子信使。深入了解卵巯基化合物在海洋生物中的生理作用可能会揭示细胞氧化还原生物化学中的新概念，并突出这种抗氧化剂的治疗潜力。卵巯基化合物生物合成基因的最新发现为系统研究卵巯基化合物调节的细胞过程铺平了道路。在这篇重点介绍中，我们回顾了早期关于卵巯基化合物的研究，并讨论了现在可以使用基于基因组的方法来解决的关键问题。本文重点介绍了阐明卵巯基化合物生物合成、功能和潜在应用的最新进展。
