Terragen Diversity, Inc.

Terragen Discovery Inc.

Barbara Waters

Julian E Davies

Geeta Saxena

Vivian Miao

Seow Kah Tong

Yap Wai Ho

Lichen-derived organic acids such as vulpinic acid and usnic acid have been found to be effective inhibitors of eukaryotic protein kinase activity. Thus, eukaryotic protein kinase activity present in a sample or organism can be inhibited by adding to the sample or organism an effective inhibitory amount of a lichen-derived organic acid.

Method for inhibiting eukaryotic protein kinases

A number of bacterial cultures were screened for the ability to inhibit sporulation using a strain Streptomyces 85E. Evaluations of the cultures which tested positive in this assay led to the discovery that lipopeptide biosurfactants such as surfactin and viscosin are effective inhibitors of eukaryotic protein kinase activity. Thus, a method for inhibiting eukaryotic protein kinase activity present in a sample or organism includes the step of adding to the sample or organism an effective inhibitory amount of a lipopeptide biosurfactant.

Degenerate primers which hybridize with various classes of antibiotic biosynthesis genes were used to amplify fragments of DNA from soil and lichen extracts. Cloning and sequencing of the amplified products showed that these products included a variety of novel and previously uncharacterized antibiotic biosynthesis gene sequences, the products of which have the potential to be active as antibiotics, immunosuppressors, antitumor agents, etc. Thus, antibiotic biosynthesis genes can be recovered from soil or lichens by a combining a sample with a pair of amplification primers under conditions suitable for polymerase chain reaction amplification, wherein the primer set is a degenerate primer set selected to hybridize with conserved regions of known antibiotic biosynthetic pathway genes, for example Type I and Type II polyketide synthase genes, isopenicillin N synthase genes, and peptide synthetase genes; cycling the combined sample through a plurality of amplification cycles to amplify DNA complementary to the primer set; and isolating the amplified DNA.

Method for isolation of biosynthesis genes for bioactive molecules

Materials can be assayed for activity as an inhibitor of post-translational protein phosphorylation by adding the material to a growing culture of a prokaryotic organism such as a streptomycete; allowing the culture to grow for a period of time in the presence of the material; and observing the culture for altered development relative to development of the prokaryotic organism grown in the absence of the material. Observation of altered development is indicative that the material has activity as an inhibitor of post-translational protein phosphorylation. In particular, the material to be tested can be added to a growing culture of the prokaryotic organism by placing a carrier disk bearing the material on a freshly seeded plate. Inhibition of the development of aerial mycelia and spore formation is an indicator that the material has activity as an inhibitor of post-translational protein phosphorylation.

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Delta, Canada

Barbara Waters