Chemical Defenses in Medusozoa
Cnidarian defensive strategies are commonly associated with the toxins they synthesize. Because toxins have negative, sometimes lethal, effects on humans, research has focused on them for medical and biotechnological applications. However, Cnidaria possess a variety of defensive systems complementin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Marine Drugs |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/23/6/229 |
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| author | Oliver J. Lincoln Jonathan D. R. Houghton Muhammad Zakariya Chiara Lauritano Isabella D’Ambra |
| author_facet | Oliver J. Lincoln Jonathan D. R. Houghton Muhammad Zakariya Chiara Lauritano Isabella D’Ambra |
| author_sort | Oliver J. Lincoln |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cnidarian defensive strategies are commonly associated with the toxins they synthesize. Because toxins have negative, sometimes lethal, effects on humans, research has focused on them for medical and biotechnological applications. However, Cnidaria possess a variety of defensive systems complementing toxins. In recent decades, ecological and biotechnological studies have shed light on these systems, particularly in Anthozoa, while the knowledge of defensive systems different from toxins has remained limited in Medusozoa (Cubozoa, Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa and Staurozoa). In this review, we collected the scattered information available in the literature and organized it into four main topics: UV-light protection compounds, antioxidants, antimicrobial peptides, and endosymbionts. Within the topics, we found the largest amount of data refers to antimicrobial activities, which suggests this line of research as a potential exploitation of this group of organisms often appearing in large aggregates. We also found that some Medusozoa have been studied in detail as model organisms, although the close phylogenetic relationship among classes suggests that some defensive strategies may be common to other members of different classes. Indeed, an integrated understanding of defensive systems has the potential to inform not only ecological and evolutionary frameworks, but also biotechnological applications—from the identification of novel antioxidants or antimicrobial agents to the valorization of Medusozoan biomass. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ad9c55c5bdcd49e8b96c6efbdb0a6798 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1660-3397 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Marine Drugs |
| spelling | doaj-art-ad9c55c5bdcd49e8b96c6efbdb0a67982025-08-20T03:16:34ZengMDPI AGMarine Drugs1660-33972025-05-0123622910.3390/md23060229Chemical Defenses in MedusozoaOliver J. Lincoln0Jonathan D. R. Houghton1Muhammad Zakariya2Chiara Lauritano3Isabella D’Ambra4School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, Co. Antrim, UKSchool of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast BT9 5DL, Co. Antrim, UKResearch Centre for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Plentzia Marine Station, University of Basque Country (PiE-EHU/UPV), 48620 Plentzia, SpainEcosustainable Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Acton n. 55, 80133 Naples, ItalyIntegrative Marine Ecology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, ItalyCnidarian defensive strategies are commonly associated with the toxins they synthesize. Because toxins have negative, sometimes lethal, effects on humans, research has focused on them for medical and biotechnological applications. However, Cnidaria possess a variety of defensive systems complementing toxins. In recent decades, ecological and biotechnological studies have shed light on these systems, particularly in Anthozoa, while the knowledge of defensive systems different from toxins has remained limited in Medusozoa (Cubozoa, Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa and Staurozoa). In this review, we collected the scattered information available in the literature and organized it into four main topics: UV-light protection compounds, antioxidants, antimicrobial peptides, and endosymbionts. Within the topics, we found the largest amount of data refers to antimicrobial activities, which suggests this line of research as a potential exploitation of this group of organisms often appearing in large aggregates. We also found that some Medusozoa have been studied in detail as model organisms, although the close phylogenetic relationship among classes suggests that some defensive strategies may be common to other members of different classes. Indeed, an integrated understanding of defensive systems has the potential to inform not only ecological and evolutionary frameworks, but also biotechnological applications—from the identification of novel antioxidants or antimicrobial agents to the valorization of Medusozoan biomass.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/23/6/229photoprotectionantimicrobial peptidesantioxidantsendosymbiontsecologybiotechnology |
| spellingShingle | Oliver J. Lincoln Jonathan D. R. Houghton Muhammad Zakariya Chiara Lauritano Isabella D’Ambra Chemical Defenses in Medusozoa Marine Drugs photoprotection antimicrobial peptides antioxidants endosymbionts ecology biotechnology |
| title | Chemical Defenses in Medusozoa |
| title_full | Chemical Defenses in Medusozoa |
| title_fullStr | Chemical Defenses in Medusozoa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Chemical Defenses in Medusozoa |
| title_short | Chemical Defenses in Medusozoa |
| title_sort | chemical defenses in medusozoa |
| topic | photoprotection antimicrobial peptides antioxidants endosymbionts ecology biotechnology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/23/6/229 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT oliverjlincoln chemicaldefensesinmedusozoa AT jonathandrhoughton chemicaldefensesinmedusozoa AT muhammadzakariya chemicaldefensesinmedusozoa AT chiaralauritano chemicaldefensesinmedusozoa AT isabelladambra chemicaldefensesinmedusozoa |