Secondary Metabolites from Deep-Sea Derived Microorganisms

Microorganisms obtained from the deep sea are a rich source of marine natural products with distinctive chemical structures and bioactivities. In this review, we will provide a retrospective of outstanding research within the scope of deep-sea (≥1000 m) microbial natural products, which has produced up to 442 compounds by the end of 2017. Approximetely, 60% of these structures have demonstrated various biological activities with more than 30% showing cytotoxic function. In this review, we particularly summarize those successful research on secondary metabolites produced by deep-sea derived microorganisms with inclusion of structural characteristics, biological activities, together with biogenetic origins and taxonomic features of the source microorganisms, from which, we expect to provide more comprehensive understanding of small molecules obtained from deep-sea environment and benefit the ongoing scholarly endeavors in the search for novel pharmaceutical agents from the deep-sea derived microorganisms.