Biological Investigations of Natural Products from Local Marine Sponges

Previously in our laboratory, three potential new dragmacidin-like alkaloids were isolated from two local marine sponges (Coscinoderm lanuga and Aplysina fulva). Spectroscopic studies on these isolated materials indicate that these new alkaloids contain a bis(indole) functional group indicating a relationship to dragmacidins. Dragmacidins are a newly discovered class of alkaloids that have a wide range of biological activities such as inhibitors of protein phosphatases and pharmacological activities such as anti-viral, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer agents. Our research is currently focused on determining if these isolates are activators or inhibitors of protein phosphatases via an analogue assay utilizing alkaline phosphatase and a true non-radioactive in vitro assay utilizing protein phosphatase 2A and a phosphoserine peptide. All current results will be presented.