Book Review Cite This: J. Nat. Prod. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
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Review of Chemical Ecology: The Ecological Impacts of Marine Natural Products that impact their growth, and their interesting morphological differences from land plants. This chapter spends most of its content in two ways: either describing phenolic compounds isolated or found in seagrasses, with details of each class of compounds’ function in seagrass and variations, if known, or addressing ecological factors of natural products, such as herbivory or microbial intercommunication. Chapter 5, “The Evolution of Marine Herbivores in Response to Algal Secondary Metabolites”, by Erik E. Sotka, Veijo Jormalainen, and Alistair G. B. Poore, addresses the ecology and evolution of marine herbivores based on seaweed’s herbivory defenses. Particularly interesting are the review of adaptive physiology in these organisms, such as the role of efflux transporters and sequestration of natural products in protecting herbivores from harm. This chapter discusses both micro- and macroevolution of herbivores in detail, including the contribution of genetic variation, and discusses differential impacts of secondary compounds on variable sizes of herbivores. Chapter 6, entitled “The Role of Natural Products in Structuring Microbial Communities of Marine Algae”, by Jennifer M. Sneed and Melany P. Puglisi, is one of the more novel chapters, as it discusses local marine microbiomes. This chapter thoroughly reviews antimicrobial compounds in marine plants, with extensive attention on algal surface bacterial communities and the impact of natural products from algae on marine bacterial life. Chapter 7, entitled “New Insights into the Chemical Ecology of Vibrio cholera”, by Jason R. Graff and David C. Rowley, targets how secondary compounds of marine origin impact V. cholera, the bacterium that causes cholera. This is a dynamic chapter, with a well-explained background and connection to human health. Diagrams, graphs, and colorful microscopy photos are presented to illustrate discussed concepts such as V. cholera’s colonization of phytoplankton, thus entering the food chain and potentially causing an outbreak. Chapter 8, entitled “Interactions between Microorganisms as Modulators of Natural Product Biosynthesis”, by Amy L. Lane and Taylor A. Lundy, covers the potential modulation of biosynthetic pathways of natural product production in marine organisms, with a particular focus on organism interactions as a tool. This chapter is exhaustive in its scope and makes great use of diagrams and tables, as well as compound figures, to illustrate concepts. The authors detail the application of chemical and basic sciences techniques in this field, making this chapter a great place to refer students at all levels of marine natural product study. Chapter 9, “The Role of Signals, Cues, and Defensive Compounds”, by Emily K. Prince and Kelsey L. PoulsonEllestad, takes us through the role of natural products in both ecological defense and offense of certain marine organisms.
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Chemical Ecology: The Ecological Impacts of Marine Natural Products. Edited by Melany P. Puglisi and Mikel A. Becerro. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA. 2018. Hardback and eBook, 400 pp. Hardback $199.95, eBook $52.16, 6month rental $28.98, 12-month rental $34.77. ISBN 978-04294-5346-5.
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his long overdue book on marine chemical ecology highlights the numerous breakthroughs in the field over the past decades. Laid out over 400 pages, it utilizes the knowledge and experience of over 30 respected international authors. The information contained in this book is comprehensive, highlighting how far this field has come in a relatively short period. We reviewed this reference as an eBook, and several of the online features are very useful, such as an index linking to pages where terms are used, links to specific figures throughout the text, and linked chapter subsection headings. Chapter 1 is entitled “Marine Natural Products with Pharmacological Properties”, by David J. Newman and Gordon M. Cragg. While most readers will be familiar with these authors’ reviews of marine natural products, they take a different approach in this chapter by focusing on noncancer active marine metabolites. There is an excellent section on the current status of molluscan-derived peptide toxins, made famous with the development of the pharmaceutical Prialt. The remainder of the chapter is dedicated to the description of the diverse biological activity and chemical structures of brominated metabolites. Chapter 2, entitled “The Status of Marine Chemical Ecology in Antarctica: Form and Function of Unique High-Latitude Chemistry”, by Jacqueline L. von Salm, Kathryn M. Schoenrock, James, B. McClintock, Charles D. Amsler, and Bill J. Baker, highlights the progress of marine chemical ecology in this unique environment. The authors explore the role of this chemical-rich environment, showcasing examples from sequestration of algal metabolites to the role of pigments. The impact of climate change on secondary metabolite production on this particularly vulnerable ecosystem is reviewed and discussed. The hand-drawn illustrations of the Antarctic fauna are a particularly nice touch. Chapter 3 is entitled “From the Tropics to the Poles: Chemistry Defense Strategies in Sea Slugs (Mollusca: Heterobranchia)”, by Conxita Avila, Laura Núñez-Pons, and Juan Moles. This comprehensive chapter reviews the secondary metabolites of the chemical powerhouses that are Heterobranchia. This chapter is well structured, with the chemistry described by taxonomic group thoroughly outlined within the introduction. Additionally, these authors go on to review the biosynthetic origin of these metabolites as well as their ecological role and evolution. Chapter 4, entitled “The Chemical Ecology of Seagrasses”, by Kathryn L. Van Alstyne and Dianna K. Padilla, opens with a well-written introduction to seagrass, environmental factors © XXXX American Chemical Society and American Society of Pharmacognosy
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DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.9b00131 J. Nat. Prod. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
Journal of Natural Products
Book Review
Certain species are provided here as examples, and this chapter also includes a section discussing activated chemical defenses. There is great use here of diagrams alongside compound figures to demonstrate key concepts. Chapter 10 is entitled “Chemical Ecology of Marine Invertebrate Larval Settlement”, by Tilmann Harder, Jan Tebben, Mareen Möller, and Peter J. Schupp. Harder et al. describe advancements in the complex mechanism by which different marine invertebrate larvae settle. The authors do an excellent job highlighting the challenges in designing and executing experiments to identify the true settlement cues. The table summarizing the various cues for each species is particularly useful. Chapter 11, entitled “Chemical Ecology of Marine Bryozoans”, by Grace Lim-Fong and Rian Kabir, showcases the diversity of the chemical compounds isolated from bryozoans as well as their ecological roles. They continue to highlight research focused on the distribution of these molecules within the tissue of the animal as well as the biosynthetic origin of these metabolites. Chapter 12 is entitled “Spatial and Temporal Variability in Sponge Chemical Defense”, by Sven Rohde and Peter J. Schupp. In this chapter, the authors focus on the variability of the sponge secondary metabolites rather than a review of Porifera chemical ecology. Rohde and Schupp discuss the importance of sponges to the benthic community as well as highlight key studies into the distribution of chemically defended versus chemically nondefended species. While it has been established that many sponges are chemically defended, this chapter focuses on the variability of these defenses as well as the rationale behind this inconsistency, ranging from seasonal variation to activated defenses with astonishing examples of each. Overall, the ecological focus of all contributions in this book allows for a broad understanding of the various interactions between organisms and the role of natural products in marine ecology. This book is a comprehensive overview of marine microbial and plant ecology and would be a great starting place for those entering the fields of marine ecology, marine natural product chemistry, or marine microbiology. The chapters are all informative, and most take a considered view on gaps in the science, leaving the curious reader plenty of ideas on pursuing future research. One downside to this text is the large absence of pictures or data to supplement concepts. Marine organisms are exquisite, and more photography would have added to our enthusiasm for learning about marine chemical ecology. With the ongoing threat of climate change and ecosystem disruption, perhaps an additional chapter discussing the impact these factors have on chemical ecology might have been warranted. Although appropriate for those new to marine study, there is enough scholarship and detail here to provide experts with updated information and well-reviewed aspects of marine science. A hardback copy might be best as a shared resource at $199.95, but eBook versions are available starting at $52.16, with 6- and 12-month rentals available. This is a great way to offer access to this book and allows smaller teams, individuals, or students an option to utilize this text.
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Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Diabetes, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Notes
The authors declare no competing financial interest.
Ryan Young
Department of Zoology, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Amy C. Keller
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DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.9b00131 J. Nat. Prod. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
