Exploring the Biosynthetic Potential of Marine Actinobacteria Through Genome Mining

Actinobacteria isolated from marine environments are currently gaining substantial attention due to their ability to produce a wide range of bioactive compounds with diverse biological activities. Structurally unique and emerging bioactive compounds extracted from marine actinobacteria have been found to have profound biotechnological applications. Recent advancements in bioinformatics and high-throughput sequencing have facilitated the emergence of genome mining as a prominent strategy for uncovering the biosynthetic potential of marine actinobacteria, surpassing traditional culturing methods. The diverse range of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs) identified in actinobacterial genomes, which includes non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), polyketide synthases (PKSs), terpenoids and RiPPs and their functions will be discussed. Moreover, the chapter examines genome mining tools, such as antiSMASH, PRISM, BAGEL, and ClusterFinder, used to detect the secondary metabolites produced by marine actinobacteria. Further, this chapter will explore challenges and future prospects of combining genome mining with metabolomics and synthetic biology to enhance the discovery and production of novel secondary metabolites from rare and unculturable marine microorganisms.