Marine Filamentous Cyanobacteria: A Review on Biodiversity, Biosynthetic Potential, and Bioactive Natural Product Research

Marine filamentous cyanobacteria have been a productive source of biologically active and structurally unique natural products, some of which have inspired the production of analogs with documented therapeutic efficacy in the clinic. Here we provide a perspective on their ecological, biochemical and chemical attributes that help make them notable organisms in the environment as well as in marine biotechnology. We provide a selection of marine cyanobacterial natural product examples that illustrate some of their dominant metabolic trends, and support these with a discussion of the biosynthetic pathways giving rise to these metabolites. This is followed by discussion of specific natural products with cancer cell cytotoxic, antimicrobial, antiparasitic and antiviral properties. We complement these human-relevant biological properties with a discussion of those metabolites with potential utility in promoting aquatic and terrestrial animal health. We conclude by highlighting research possibilities with marine filamentous cyanobacteria that could contribute highly to future marine biotechnologies.