Metabolites from marine invertebrates and their symbiotic microorganisms: molecular diversity discovery, mining, and application

Metabolites from marine organisms have proven to be a rich source for the discovery of multiple potent bioactive molecules with diverse structures. In recent years, we initiated a program to investigate the diversity of the secondary metabolites from marine invertebrates and their symbiotic microorganisms collected from the South China Sea. In this review, representative cases are summarized focusing on molecular diversity, mining, and application of natural products from these marine organisms. To provide a comprehensive introduction to the field of marine natural products, we highlight typical molecules including their structures, chemical synthesis, bioactivities and mechanisms, structure-activity relationships as well as biogenesis. The mining of marine-derived microorganisms to produce novel secondary metabolites is also discussed through the OSMAC strategy and via partial chemical epigenetic modification. A broad prospectus has revealed a plethora of bioactive natural products with novel structures from marine organisms, especially from soft corals, gorgonians, sponges, and their symbiotic fungi and bacteria.