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From sepiamelanin to chemical ecology of opisthobranchs and diatoms: an exciting 40 years game in the field of marine natural products

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Abstract

This paper reports the lecture delivered on the occasion of the “Ceremony of Professional Recognition” to the author at the 6th European Conference on Marine Natural Products (Porto, Portugal, 19–23 July 2009). The most recent results obtained studying opisthobranchs and diatoms at ICB are presented after a synthetic overview of the most significant moves played during this exciting 40 years game in the field of Marine Natural Products. In a symbolic manner this career is compared to a chess game. After the “romantic” opening dedicated to the study of natural black (melanin) and red-brown (phaeomelanins) pigments in the prestigious group of Rodolfo A. Nicolaus, the research on marine organisms started in 1969 and rapidly led to the characterization of an impressive number of new compounds exhibiting very unusual structures. Substantially, the “structure hunt” ended with the publication of a series of alkaloids with absolutely unprecedented structural features: the saraines. Slowly, the scientific interest shifted “from structure to function”. Opisthobranchs were selected as models to investigate. The majority of the protective allomones possessed by opisthobranch molluscs are sequestered through the food chain from algae and invertebrates. However, opisthobranchs were also able to biosynthesize many compounds structurally related to typical molecules possessed by their prey. These aspects “from function to ecology, to biosynthesis, to evolution” are discussed in detail.

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Acknowledgments

The author wants to express his deepest gratitude to all his co-authors who, being more than 300, it is impossible to enumerate here. Particular thanks to the teachers: Rodolfo A. Nicolaus, Mario Piattelli, Luigi Minale, Ernesto Fattorusso; to the colleagues: Salvatore De Stefano, Guido Sodano, Raffaele Riccio, Enrico Trivellone, Antonio Malorni, Raffaella Puliti; to the younger colleagues: Margherita Gavagnin, Angelo Fontana, Letizia Ciavatta, Aldo Spinella, Vincenzo Di Marzo, Guido Villani, Ernesto Mollo; to the youngest colleagues: Adele Cutignano, Emiliano Manzo, Giuliana d’Ippolito, Marianna Carbone. But, the success in the scientific activity is also due to the relevant contributions offered by persons that rarely are present among the authors. Because of this particular gratitude has to be expressed to Raffaele Turco and Franco Castelluccio. Among the numerous international collaborations, the author is particular grateful to Conxita Avila (Spain), Yuewei Guo (China), Vassilios Roussis (Greece), Solimabi Wahidulla (India), Issa Fakhr (Egypt), Mary Garson (Australia) and Michael Ghiselin (USA). This latter also offered precious advice to improve this paper. Finally deep thanks are due to the Chairman of the 6th European Conference on Marine Natural Products (Porto, Portugal, July 2009), Anake Kijjoa, for having offered to the author the extraordinary opportunity to present an overview of his career.

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  1. Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare (ICB), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Comprensorio Olivetti, via Campi Flegrei, 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, Napoli, Italy

    Guido Cimino

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  1. Guido Cimino
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Correspondence to Guido Cimino.

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This paper is dedicated to the memory of Rodolfo A. Nicolaus, Father of the Chemistry of Natural Products in Italy, Paul J. Scheuer, Father of the Marine Natural Products in the World and Constantinos Vagias elegant scientist and irreplaceable friend.

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Cimino, G. From sepiamelanin to chemical ecology of opisthobranchs and diatoms: an exciting 40 years game in the field of marine natural products. Phytochem Rev 9, 547–556 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-010-9199-4

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