Desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry reveals surface-mediated antifungal chemical defense of a tropical seaweed.

ABSTRACT: Organism surfaces represent signaling sites for attraction of allies and defense against enemies. However, our understanding of these signals has been impeded by methodological limitations that have precluded direct fine-scale evaluation of compounds on native surfaces. Here, we asked whether natural products from the red macroalga Callophycus serratus act in surface-mediated defense against pathogenic microbes. Bromophycolides and callophycoic acids from algal extracts inhibited growth of Lindra thalassiae, a marine fungal pathogen, and represent the largest group of algal antifungal chemical defenses reported to date. Desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) imaging revealed that surface-associated bromophycolides were found exclusively in association with distinct

SUBMITTER: Lane AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2678663 | biostudies-literature | 2009 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature