Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BIOPTAL (Bioactive Octopus peptides with potential for aquaculture)
Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-08-31
NOVEL PEPTIDES FROM OCTOPUS
The aquaculture industry, vital for global protein supply, is increasingly threatened by microbial infections, worsened by high population densities in fish and shellfish farms. Traditionally, antibiotics have been used to combat these infections; however, around 90% of aquatic bacteria now exhibit resistance to at least one antibiotic, posing risks to both human health and the environment.
To combat this challenge, the EU-funded BIOPTAL project aimed to identify natural alternatives by discovering bioactive peptides from underexplored sources – cephalopods, particularly the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris). Octopuses uniquely adapt to their environment through RNA editing, producing special peptides with potential antimicrobial properties. Using advanced proteomics and transcriptomics techniques, the researchers successfully identified antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that could be effective against bacterial infections in aquaculture and other sectors.
BIOPTAL employed a multidisciplinary approach, screening natural compounds from octopuses and achieving its goal of identifying candidate bioactive peptides for sustainable treatments. These findings could combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria in aquaculture, offering safer and more environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Consequently, the BIOPTAL project contributes to the sustainability of aquaculture and the global effort to reduce antimicrobial resistance, ensuring a safer future for seafood production and human health.
The aquaculture industry, vital for global protein supply, is increasingly threatened by microbial infections, worsened by high population densities in fish and shellfish farms. Traditionally, antibiotics have been used to combat these infections; however, around 90% of aquatic bacteria now exhibit resistance to at least one antibiotic, posing risks to both human health and the environment.
To combat this challenge, the EU-funded BIOPTAL project aimed to identify natural alternatives by discovering bioactive peptides from underexplored sources – cephalopods, particularly the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris). Octopuses uniquely adapt to their environment through RNA editing, producing special peptides with potential antimicrobial properties. Using advanced proteomics and transcriptomics techniques, the researchers successfully identified antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that could be effective against bacterial infections in aquaculture and other sectors.
BIOPTAL employed a multidisciplinary approach, screening natural compounds from octopuses and achieving its goal of identifying candidate bioactive peptides for sustainable treatments. These findings could combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria in aquaculture, offering safer and more environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Consequently, the BIOPTAL project contributes to the sustainability of aquaculture and the global effort to reduce antimicrobial resistance, ensuring a safer future for seafood production and human health.
WORK PERFORMED AND MAIN RESULTS ACHIEVED
The BIOPTAL project focused on addressing the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquaculture by identifying novel bioactive compounds, particularly AMPs from Octopus vulgaris. The project utilized a high-throughput framework for screening natural compounds, employing a multidisciplinary approach combining in vivo challenges, proteogenomics, and computational analyses to discover and characterize octopus AMPs with therapeutic potential.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND MILESTONES
1. Generation of New Omics Data:
The project provided extensive omics data on octopus tissues, including proteomes and transcriptomes from both challenged and unchallenged specimens. This foundational data supports a detailed analysis of AMP families expressed under stress conditions, contributing to the proteogenomic database for cephalopods.
2. Multi-Omics Screening of Bioactive Compounds:
Comprehensive multi-omics high-throughput screening led to the identification of novel AMPs, characterized for their therapeutic potential across industries, especially aquaculture. The analysis integrated proteomic, transcriptomic, and genomic data to identify differentially expressed candidates as next-generation antimicrobial agents.
3. High-Throughput Computational Approach:
Integrative computational analyses predicted the drug-candidate potential of identified peptides, indicating antimicrobial, antifungal, and anticancer properties. This approach combined transcriptomics and proteomics to identify strong candidates for drug development, enabling a robust understanding of their bioactive efficacy.
4. Peptide Candidate Selection for Future Testing:
BIOPTAL shortlisted promising AMPs based on in vivo stimulations and in silico evaluations, laying the groundwork for in vitro testing against pathogenic bacteria affecting aquaculture. These tests will guide the development of sustainable antimicrobial strategies applicable to human health.
5. Contribution to Sustainable Aquaculture:
The project identified bioactive peptides with potential applications in aquaculture as environmentally safe alternatives to conventional antimicrobials. Additionally, the peptides may serve as immunomodulators, enhancing vaccine efficacy for aquaculture species.
6. Insights into Cephalopod Bioactive Compounds:
Investigations provided new insights into immune response mechanisms in cephalopods, revealing AMPs and other immune-related peptides in barrier tissues, glands, and fluids of octopuses. These compounds represent a largely untapped resource for pharmaceutical and industrial applications.
7. Enhancing Public Databases:
BIOPTAL's findings will be publicly accessible in omics databases, expanding proteogenomic data on cephalopods and supporting further research in comparative studies of AMPs from other marine species.
EXPLOITATION AND DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS
Significant efforts were made to disseminate findings to the scientific community and industry stakeholders, including:
• Conferences and Workshops: Participation in international conferences to present project results and foster collaborations (e.g. The Non-Coding Genome, EMBL 2023; AE2023; AQUA2024).
• Outreach: Workshops and seminars aimed at sharing findings with the public, highlighting practical AMP applications in infection prevention.
• Proteogenomic Database Expansion: By providing comprehensive datasets on octopus bioactive compounds, BIOPTAL opened avenues for developing therapeutic agents and improving high-throughput assays for non-model organisms.
CONCLUSION
BIOPTAL established a framework for developing natural peptide-based therapies for aquaculture, with implications for biomedicine and environmental health. Its integrative approach identified promising new AMPs and set a robust foundation for future research into underexplored non-model marine species for biodiscovery of bioactive compounds. By leveraging these discoveries, BIOPTAL contributes to combating antimicrobial resistance and promoting sustainable aquaculture practices.
The BIOPTAL project focused on addressing the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquaculture by identifying novel bioactive compounds, particularly AMPs from Octopus vulgaris. The project utilized a high-throughput framework for screening natural compounds, employing a multidisciplinary approach combining in vivo challenges, proteogenomics, and computational analyses to discover and characterize octopus AMPs with therapeutic potential.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND MILESTONES
1. Generation of New Omics Data:
The project provided extensive omics data on octopus tissues, including proteomes and transcriptomes from both challenged and unchallenged specimens. This foundational data supports a detailed analysis of AMP families expressed under stress conditions, contributing to the proteogenomic database for cephalopods.
2. Multi-Omics Screening of Bioactive Compounds:
Comprehensive multi-omics high-throughput screening led to the identification of novel AMPs, characterized for their therapeutic potential across industries, especially aquaculture. The analysis integrated proteomic, transcriptomic, and genomic data to identify differentially expressed candidates as next-generation antimicrobial agents.
3. High-Throughput Computational Approach:
Integrative computational analyses predicted the drug-candidate potential of identified peptides, indicating antimicrobial, antifungal, and anticancer properties. This approach combined transcriptomics and proteomics to identify strong candidates for drug development, enabling a robust understanding of their bioactive efficacy.
4. Peptide Candidate Selection for Future Testing:
BIOPTAL shortlisted promising AMPs based on in vivo stimulations and in silico evaluations, laying the groundwork for in vitro testing against pathogenic bacteria affecting aquaculture. These tests will guide the development of sustainable antimicrobial strategies applicable to human health.
5. Contribution to Sustainable Aquaculture:
The project identified bioactive peptides with potential applications in aquaculture as environmentally safe alternatives to conventional antimicrobials. Additionally, the peptides may serve as immunomodulators, enhancing vaccine efficacy for aquaculture species.
6. Insights into Cephalopod Bioactive Compounds:
Investigations provided new insights into immune response mechanisms in cephalopods, revealing AMPs and other immune-related peptides in barrier tissues, glands, and fluids of octopuses. These compounds represent a largely untapped resource for pharmaceutical and industrial applications.
7. Enhancing Public Databases:
BIOPTAL's findings will be publicly accessible in omics databases, expanding proteogenomic data on cephalopods and supporting further research in comparative studies of AMPs from other marine species.
EXPLOITATION AND DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS
Significant efforts were made to disseminate findings to the scientific community and industry stakeholders, including:
• Conferences and Workshops: Participation in international conferences to present project results and foster collaborations (e.g. The Non-Coding Genome, EMBL 2023; AE2023; AQUA2024).
• Outreach: Workshops and seminars aimed at sharing findings with the public, highlighting practical AMP applications in infection prevention.
• Proteogenomic Database Expansion: By providing comprehensive datasets on octopus bioactive compounds, BIOPTAL opened avenues for developing therapeutic agents and improving high-throughput assays for non-model organisms.
CONCLUSION
BIOPTAL established a framework for developing natural peptide-based therapies for aquaculture, with implications for biomedicine and environmental health. Its integrative approach identified promising new AMPs and set a robust foundation for future research into underexplored non-model marine species for biodiscovery of bioactive compounds. By leveraging these discoveries, BIOPTAL contributes to combating antimicrobial resistance and promoting sustainable aquaculture practices.
The BIOPTAL project has made significant strides beyond existing knowledge by generating new omics data from both challenged and unchallenged cephalopods. Through integrative multi-omics analyses, we applied innovative and interdisciplinary approaches, enhancing future biodiscovery in non-model marine organisms and improving the efficiency of biotechnological candidate screening.
The project also facilitated the supervision and training of Master's students, contributing original research findings that advance our understanding of bioactive compounds and host-pathogen defense mechanisms in cephalopods. The collaborative co-supervision of a Bachelor student and an international Ph.D. candidate has further extended the research scope, fostering international networking and disseminating findings to the scientific community and public.
The impacts of BIOPTAL extend beyond academia, contributing to a skilled workforce prepared to tackle challenges in biodiscovery and biotechnology. The methodologies and findings have significant socio-economic implications, providing natural sources for future therapeutic and aquafeed development. These advancements are expected to improve efficiency in addressing antimicrobial resistance and reduce costs in biotechnology and protein production for human consumption.
Ultimately, BIOPTAL enhances sustainability by making diverse proteomes and transcriptomes available for exploration, fostering innovation that aligns with societal needs and environmental goals. Through these efforts, BIOPTAL contributes to the development of effective and sustainable solutions in aquaculture and beyond.
The project also facilitated the supervision and training of Master's students, contributing original research findings that advance our understanding of bioactive compounds and host-pathogen defense mechanisms in cephalopods. The collaborative co-supervision of a Bachelor student and an international Ph.D. candidate has further extended the research scope, fostering international networking and disseminating findings to the scientific community and public.
The impacts of BIOPTAL extend beyond academia, contributing to a skilled workforce prepared to tackle challenges in biodiscovery and biotechnology. The methodologies and findings have significant socio-economic implications, providing natural sources for future therapeutic and aquafeed development. These advancements are expected to improve efficiency in addressing antimicrobial resistance and reduce costs in biotechnology and protein production for human consumption.
Ultimately, BIOPTAL enhances sustainability by making diverse proteomes and transcriptomes available for exploration, fostering innovation that aligns with societal needs and environmental goals. Through these efforts, BIOPTAL contributes to the development of effective and sustainable solutions in aquaculture and beyond.