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Review
. 2022 Mar 29:13:790339.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.790339. eCollection 2022.

Heterorhabditis and Photorhabdus Symbiosis: A Natural Mine of Bioactive Compounds

Ripu Daman Parihar  1 , Urvashi Dhiman  2 , Anil Bhushan  3   4 , Prashant Kumar Gupta  5 , Prasoon Gupta  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Heterorhabditis and Photorhabdus Symbiosis: A Natural Mine of Bioactive Compounds

Ripu Daman Parihar et al. Front Microbiol. .

Abstract

Phylum Nematoda is of great economic importance. It has been a focused area for various research activities in distinct domains across the globe. Among nematodes, there is a group called entomopathogenic nematodes, which has two families that live in symbiotic association with bacteria of genus Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus, respectively. With the passing years, researchers have isolated a wide array of bioactive compounds from these symbiotically associated nematodes. In this article, we are encapsulating bioactive compounds isolated from members of the family Heterorhabditidae inhabiting Photorhabdus in its gut. Isolated bioactive compounds have shown a wide range of biological activity against deadly pathogens to both plants as well as animals. Some compounds exhibit lethal effects against fungi, bacteria, protozoan, insects, cancerous cell lines, neuroinflammation, etc., with great potency. The main aim of this article is to collect and analyze the importance of nematode and its associated bacteria, isolated secondary metabolites, and their biomedical potential, which can serve as potential leads for further drug discovery.

Keywords: Heterorhabditis; Photorhabdus; anti-inflammatory and anticancer; antimicrobial; antiprotozoal; nematodes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Life cycle of entomopathogenic nematodes showing infective juveniles (IJs) enter into the host body and release symbiotic bacteria from the gut to kill the host. The nematode reproduces inside the dead cadaver, and IJs are released into the soil in search of a new host.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Schematic representation of insect’s immune response and mode of action of Photorhabdus compounds in arresting immune system leading to mortality (PLA2, phospholipase A2; AA, arachidonic acid; LA, linoleic acid; PG, prostaglandin; LTs, leukotrienes; EETs, epoxyeicosatrienoic acids; ProPO, prophenoloxidase; AMP, antimicrobial peptides; PO, phenol oxidase; Tcs, toxin complexes; Mcf, make caterpillars floppy; Pvc, Photorhabdus virulence cassettes; Pir, insect-related protein).
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Chemical structure of antiprotozoal compounds (1–3).
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Chemical structure of antifungal compounds (4–10).
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Chemical structure of cytotoxic compounds (11–16).
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Chemical structure of anti-inflammatory compounds (17–18).
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 7
Chemical structure of insecticidal compounds (19–20).
FIGURE 8
FIGURE 8
Chemical structure of other compounds (21–23).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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