We will develop methods that cause the de novo synthesis of biologically active allelochemicals by encrusting marhae organisms. We will test these "tag metabolites" (allelochemicals) for antitumor activity. These methods are designed to determine the potential for "tag metabolite" production within a given benthic ecosystem and can be incorporated into on-going systematic marine organism acquisition programs to enhance productivity. Representatives of the following invertebrate Phyla will be used in the ecological stress experiments: Porifera (sponges), Cnidaria (corals), Bryozoa (ectoprocts), and Urochordata (tunicates). Phase I will develop protocols that ecologically stress encrusting marine invertebrates to produce "tag metabolites". Phase II will expand these efforts to other geographic regions. Phase II will further the investigation by laboratory culture application of the field experiments using those organisms that produce pharmacologically interesting compounds; lead candidates will be patented and licensed to the government or to pharmaceutical companies further development. It is anticipated that "tag metabolites" with activity in the target therapeutic groups will be novel compounds of interest to the pharmaceutical industry. Awardee's statement of the potential commercial applications of the research: Natural Products will be screened for pharmaceutical activities in several target therapeutic groups by NCI and by collaborative pharmaceutical companies. Lead candidates that are novel compounds will be patented and licensed to others for development.National Cancer Institute (NCI)
