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Review
. 2021 May 12;19(1):72.
doi: 10.1186/s43141-021-00156-9.

Secondary metabolites and biodiversity of actinomycetes

Manal Selim Mohamed Selim  1 , Sayeda Abdelrazek Abdelhamid  2 , Sahar Saleh Mohamed  1
Affiliations
Review

Secondary metabolites and biodiversity of actinomycetes

Manal Selim Mohamed Selim et al. J Genet Eng Biotechnol. .

Abstract

Background: The ability to produce microbial bioactive compounds makes actinobacteria one of the most explored microbes among prokaryotes. The secondary metabolites of actinobacteria are known for their role in various physiological, cellular, and biological processes.

Main body: Actinomycetes are widely distributed in natural ecosystem habitats such as soil, rhizosphere soil, actinmycorrhizal plants, hypersaline soil, limestone, freshwater, marine, sponges, volcanic cave-hot spot, desert, air, insects gut, earthworm castings, goat feces, and endophytic actinomycetes. The most important features of microbial bioactive compounds are that they have specific microbial producers: their diverse bioactivities and their unique chemical structures. Actinomycetes represent a source of biologically active secondary metabolites like antibiotics, biopesticide agents, plant growth hormones, antitumor compounds, antiviral agents, pharmacological compounds, pigments, enzymes, enzyme inhibitors, anti-inflammatory compounds, single-cell protein feed, and biosurfactant.

Short conclusions: Further highlight that compounds derived from actinobacteria can be applied in a wide range of industrial applications in biomedicines and the ecological habitat is under-explored and yet to be investigated for unknown, rare actinomycetes diversity.

Keywords: Actinomycetes; Bioactive compound; Biodiversity; Secondary metabolites.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Aerial mycelium of Streptomyces sp.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Different types of spore surface of Streptomyces sp. a (spiny), b (smooth), and c (warty)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Earthworm casting
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Distribution of the discovered antibiotics according to their origin a (number), and b (percentage) [48]
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Production of pigmented secondary metabolites by Streptomyces colonies [63]
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
A panoramic view of Streptomyces coelicolor including the blue antibiotic actinorhodin is excreted into the medium and into aqueous droplets on the hydrophobic surface of the colony [63]
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Global enzyme industry market in the years a (2011), and b (2016) [72]
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Growth in number of patents issued for important industrial enzymes over past few decades [72]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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