Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40035794›Full record

ArticleMicrobial ecology2025

The Cyanobacterial Oxadiazine Nocuolin A Shows Broad-Spectrum Toxicity Against Protozoans and the Nematode C. elegans.

Ana R Vieira, Francisco Camacho, Maria L Sousa, Sara Luelmo, Nuno Santarém, Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva, Pedro N Leão

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Microbial ecology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ana R VieiraInterdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal.
Francisco CamachoInterdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal.
Maria L SousaInterdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal.
Sara LuelmoInstitute for Research and Innovation in Health (I3s), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Nuno SantarémInstitute for Research and Innovation in Health (I3s), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Anabela Cordeiro-da-SilvaInstitute for Research and Innovation in Health (I3s), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Pedro N LeãoInterdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal. pleao@ciimar.up.pt.

Funding

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia 2021.04285.CEECIND/CP1663/CT0004Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia 2022.04572.PTDCHorizon 2020 952374
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cyanobacteria, known to be rich sources of valuable natural products (NPs) with relevant biological properties, are a unique subject to study the interplay between chemistry and ecology. Cultivation of cyanobacteria as isolated strains may only reveal a small fraction of their NPs. In contrast, investigating microbial interactions from an ecological perspective is a particularly fruitful approach to unveil both new chemistry and bioactivity. Cyanobacteria and amoebae are known to co-exist in diverse environments, but the interaction between these organisms has been poorly investigated. Defense strategies against grazer organisms may rely on morphological changes including biofilm formation or increased motility; however, secretion of toxic metabolites seems to be more effective on this regard. Among the most structurally unique cyanobacterial secondary metabolites is nocuolin A, an 1,2,3-oxadiazine metabolite isolated from the cyanobacterial strain Nodularia sp. LEGE 06071 that exhibits potent anti-proliferative activity against several human cancer lines, associated with impairment of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. In this work, we show that nocuolin A is toxic against two well-known model amoebae, Acanthamoeba and Dictyostelium, leading to amoebae encystation and decrease in viability. In addition, in lawn grazing assays, we observed that Nodularia sp. LEGE 06071, the producer strain of nocuolin A, was not grazed by amoeba, while a related strain, which does not produce detectable levels of nocuolin A, was. These results support the possible involvement of nocuolin A as a chemical mediator during the interaction between these organisms. Furthermore, we show that this cyanobacterial metabolite also exhibits potent toxicity against other protozoan organisms and a free-living nematode, making it an interesting broad-spectrum scaffold for the development of antiprotozoal or anti-helminthic drugs.

Indexed as

Caenorhabditis elegansCyanobacteriaDictyosteliumAnimalsAmoebae grazingC. elegansCyanobacteriaNocuolin AProtozoaToxic effect

Identifiers

PMID40035794
PMCPMC11880066

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.