Isolation of Nannocystis species from Iran and exploring their natural products

Several different techniques were employed for the isolation of Nannocystis from various sources. A polyphasic approach was used for identification. Twelve strains of N. pusilla, N. exedens, and N. konarekensis with distinctive distribution between climates were identified. The bioactivity was examined against a panel of eight bacteria, two yeasts, and one fungus; cytotoxicity was tested on the L929 fibroblast cell line. Eleven strains mainly inhibit Gram-positive bacteria, and only one isolate was cytotoxic. The extracts analysis by HPLC and LC-MS were compared to Myxobase, and eight different compounds were detected; a correlation was observed between compounds and producing species. 70% of strains had the potential to produce structurally diverse compounds. Nannochelins and althiomycin were the most abundant metabolites. The discovery of a new species of Nannocystis and the high potentiality of strains to produce secondary metabolites encourage further sampling and in-depth analysis of extracts to find new active metabolites.