A new class of natural anthelmintics targeting lipid metabolism.

Parasitic helminths are a major global health threat, infecting nearly one-fifth of the human population and causing significant losses in livestock and crops. Resistance to the few anthelmintic drugs is increasing. Here, we report a set of avocado fatty alcohols/acetates (AFAs) that exhibit nematocidal activity against four veterinary parasitic nematode species: Brugia pahangi, Teladorsagia circumcincta and Heligmosomoides polygyrus, as well as a multidrug resistant strain (UGA) of Haemonchus contortus.

A statistical framework for high-content phenotypic profiling using cellular feature distributions.

High-content screening (HCS) uses microscopy images to generate phenotypic profiles of cell morphological data in high-dimensional feature space. While HCS provides detailed cytological information at single-cell resolution, these complex datasets are usually aggregated into summary statistics that do not leverage patterns of biological variability within cell populations. Here we present a broad-spectrum HCS analysis system that measures image-based cell features from 10 cellular compartments across multiple assay panels.

Advanced identification of global bioactivity hotspots via screening of the metabolic fingerprint of entire ecosystems.

Natural products (NP) are a valuable drug resource. However, NP-inspired drug leads are declining, among other reasons due to high re-discovery rates. We developed a conceptual framework using the metabolic fingerprint of entire ecosystems (MeE) to facilitate the discovery of global bioactivity hotspots.

Identification of a 3-Alkylpyridinium Compound from the Red Sea Sponge with Inhibitory Activity against the West Nile Virus NS3 Protease.

Viruses are underrepresented as targets in pharmacological screening efforts, given the difficulties of devising suitable cell-based and biochemical assays. In this study we found that a pre-fractionated organic extract of the Red Sea sponge was able to inhibit the West Nile Virus NS3 protease (WNV NS3). Using liquid chromatography⁻mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the identity of the bioactive compound was determined as a 3-alkylpyridinium with / = 190.

β-Actin-dependent global chromatin organization and gene expression programs control cellular identity.

During differentiation and development, cell fate and identity are established by waves of genetic reprogramming. Although the mechanisms are largely unknown, during these events, dynamic chromatin reorganization is likely to ensure that multiple genes involved in the same cellular functions are coregulated, depending on the nuclear environment. In this study, using high-content screening of embryonic fibroblasts from a β-actin knockout (KO) mouse, we found major chromatin rearrangements and changes in histone modifications, such as methylated histone (H)3-lysine-(K)9.

Anti-cancer agents in Saudi Arabian herbals revealed by automated high-content imaging.

Natural products have been used for medical applications since ancient times. Commonly, natural products are structurally complex chemical compounds that efficiently interact with their biological targets, making them useful drug candidates in cancer therapy. Here, we used cell-based phenotypic profiling and image-based high-content screening to study the mode of action and potential cellular targets of plants historically used in Saudi Arabia's traditional medicine.

Bioactive Potential of Marine Macroalgae from the Central Red Sea (Saudi Arabia) Assessed by High-Throughput Imaging-Based Phenotypic Profiling.

Marine algae represent an important source of novel natural products. While their bioactive potential has been studied to some extent, limited information is available on marine algae from the Red Sea. This study aimed at the broad discovery of new bioactivities from a collection of twelve macroalgal species from the Central Red Sea.

Microbial community composition of deep-sea corals from the Red Sea provides insight into functional adaption to a unique environment.

Microbes associated with deep-sea corals remain poorly studied. The lack of symbiotic algae suggests that associated microbes may play a fundamental role in maintaining a viable coral host via acquisition and recycling of nutrients. Here we employed 16 S rRNA gene sequencing to study bacterial communities of three deep-sea scleractinian corals from the Red Sea, Dendrophyllia sp.

High-resolution phenotypic profiling of natural products-induced effects on the single-cell level.

Natural products (NPs) are highly evolved molecules making them a valuable resource for new therapeutics. Here we demonstrate the usefulness of broad-spectrum phenotypic profiling of NP-induced perturbations on single cells with imaging-based High-Content Screening to inform on physiology, mechanisms-of-actions, and multi-level toxicity. Our technology platform aims at broad applicability using a comprehensive marker panel with standardized settings streamlined towards an easy implementation in laboratories dedicated to natural products research.

Alkaloids from the Sponge Stylissa carteri Present Prospective Scaffolds for the Inhibition of Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1).

The sponge Stylissa carteri is known to produce a number of secondary metabolites displaying anti-fouling, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activity. However, the anti-viral potential of metabolites produced by S. carteri has not been extensively explored.

Turf algae-mediated coral damage in coastal reefs of Belize, Central America.

Many coral reefs in the Caribbean experienced substantial changes in their benthic community composition during the last decades. This often resulted in phase shifts from scleractinian coral dominance to that by other benthic invertebrate or algae. However, knowledge about how the related role of coral-algae contacts may negatively affect corals is scarce.

Aqueous extracts of the marine brown alga Lobophora variegata inhibit HIV-1 infection at the level of virus entry into cells.

In recent years, marine algae have emerged as a rich and promising source of molecules with potent activities against various human pathogens. The widely distributed brown alga Lobophora variegata that is often associated with tropical coral reefs exerts strong antibacterial and antiprotozoal effects, but so far has not been associated with specific anti-viral activities. This study investigated potential HIV-1 inhibitory activity of L.

EASY-HIT: HIV full-replication technology for broad discovery of multiple classes of HIV inhibitors.

HIV replication assays are important tools for HIV drug discovery efforts. Here, we present a full HIV replication system (EASY-HIT) for the identification and analysis of HIV inhibitors. This technology is based on adherently growing HIV-susceptible cells, with a stable fluorescent reporter gene activated by HIV Tat and Rev.

Coral mucus functions as an energy carrier and particle trap in the reef ecosystem.

Zooxanthellae, endosymbiotic algae of reef-building corals, substantially contribute to the high gross primary production of coral reefs, but corals exude up to half of the carbon assimilated by their zooxanthellae as mucus. Here we show that released coral mucus efficiently traps organic matter from the water column and rapidly carries energy and nutrients to the reef lagoon sediment, which acts as a biocatalytic mineralizing filter. In the Great Barrier Reef, the dominant genus of hard corals, Acropora, exudes up to 4.