I don't think you have to make changes for the sake of making changes. It's fine for its purpose.
I meant in the broader sense... why study coral protein expression and its molecular pathways (thus linked to their genetics)? because of novel compounds with potential medical applications.
a quick search in Web of Sci found these on the first page of results:
Bioactive pregnane-type steroids from the soft coral Scleronephthya gracillimum
Author(s): Fang, HY (Fang, Hui-Yu)1; Liaw, CC (Liaw, Chih-Chuang)1,4; Chao, CH (Chao, Chih-Hua)1; Wen, ZH (Wen, Zhi-Hong)1; Wu, YC (Wu, Yang-Chang)2; Hsu, CH (Hsu, Chi-Hsin)1; Dai, CF (Dai, Chang-Feng)3; Sheu, JH (Sheu, Jyh-Horng)1,4
Source: TETRAHEDRON Volume: 68 Issue: 47 Pages: 9694-9700 Published: NOV 25 2012
Times Cited: 0 (from Web of Science)
Cited References: 36 [ view related records ] Citation Map
Abstract: Nine new steroids, sclerosteroids A-1 (1, 5, 6, 8-13), along with 18 known metabolites (2-4, 7, 14-27), were isolated from the soft coral Scleronephthya gracillimum. These structures were elucidated on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configurations of sugar moieties in steroidal glycosides 10-13 were determined by HPLC analysis of the o-tolylthiocarbamate derivatives of the liberated sugars from hydrolysis of these steroidal giycosides. Cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities of these compounds were measured in vitro. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Pavidolides A-E, new cembranoids from the soft coral Sinularia pavida
Author(s): Shen, S (Shen, Shi)1; Zhu, HJ (Zhu, Huajie)2; Chen, DW (Chen, Dawei)1; Liu, D (Liu, Dong)1; van Ofwegen, L (van Ofwegen, Leen)3; Proksch, P (Proksch, Peter)4; Lin, WH (Lin, Wenhan)1
Source: TETRAHEDRON LETTERS Volume: 53 Issue: 43 Pages: 5759-5762 DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2012.08.049 Published: OCT 24 2012
Times Cited: 0 (from Web of Science)
Cited References: 20 [ view related records ] Citation Map
Abstract: Five new cembrane-based diterpenoids, namely pavidolides A-E (1-5) were isolated from the marine soft coral Sinularia pavida, together with sarcophytin and chatancin. The structures of new compounds were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analysis. Pavidolide B (2) possesses an unprecedented 6,5,7-tricarbocyclic nucleus, whereas pavidolide C (3) is characteristic of an unusual C-5 and C-9 conjuncted cembranoid. Pavidolides C and D showed moderate antifouling activity against the larval settlement of barnacle Balanus amphitrite, while pavidolides B and C exhibited inhibitory activity against the human leukemia cell line HL-60. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Proteomic profiling of the 11-dehydrosinulariolide-treated oral carcinoma cells Ca9-22: Effects on the cell apoptosis through mitochondrial-related and ER stress pathway.
Author(s): Liu, Chih-I; Wang, Robert Yung-Liang; Lin, Jen-Jie; Su, Jui-Hsin; Chiu, Chien-Chih; Chen, Jiing-Chuan; Chen, Jeff Yi-Fu; Wu, Yu-Jen
Source: Journal of proteomics Volume: 75 Issue: 18 Pages: 5578-89 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2012.07.037 Published: 2012-Oct-22 (Epub 2012 Aug 03)
[ PubMed Related Articles ]
Abstract: An oral squamous cell carcinoma Ca9-22 cell line was treated with 11-dehydrosinulariolide, an active compound isolated from the soft coral Sinularia leptoclados, in order to evaluate the effect of this compound on cell growth and protein expression. Cell proliferation was strongly inhibited by 11-dehydrosinulariolide treatment. The 2-DE master maps of control and treated Ca9-22 cells were generated by analysis with the PDQuest software. The comparison between such maps showed up- and down-regulation of 23 proteins, of which 14 were upregulated and 9 were downregulated. The proteomic studies described here have identified some proteins, which are involved in the mitochondrial dysfunction and ER-stress pathway and imply that 11-dehydrosinulariolide induces cell apoptosis through either mitochondrial dysfunction-related or ER stress pathway. Based on this observation, several proteins related to apoptosis pathway were explored for the potential roles involved in this drug-induced cytotoxicity. Furthermore, Salubrinal, an ER stress inhibitor, is able to protect the cell from 11-dehydrosinulariolide-induced apoptosis in a physiological dosage. The significance of these studies illustrates the potential development of anticancer drugs from the natural derivatives of soft coral. Copyright 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Digital Marine Bioprospecting: Mining New Neurotoxin Drug Candidates from the Transcriptomes of Cold-Water Sea Anemones
Author(s): Urbarova, I (Urbarova, Ilona)1,2; Karlsen, BO (Karlsen, Bard Ove)1,2; Okkenhaug, S (Okkenhaug, Siri)1,2; Seternes, OM (Seternes, Ole Morten)3; Johansen, SD (Johansen, Steinar D.)1,2,4; Emblem, A (Emblem, Ase)1,2
Source: MARINE DRUGS Volume: 10 Issue: 10 Pages: 2265-2279 DOI: 10.3390/md10102265 Published: OCT 2012
Times Cited: 0 (from Web of Science)
Cited References: 45 [ view related records ] Citation Map
Abstract: Marine bioprospecting is the search for new marine bioactive compounds and large-scale screening in extracts represents the traditional approach. Here, we report an alternative complementary protocol, called digital marine bioprospecting, based on deep sequencing of transcriptomes. We sequenced the transcriptomes from the adult polyp stage of two cold-water sea anemones, Bolocera tuediae and Hormathia digitata. We generated approximately 1.1 million quality-filtered sequencing reads by 454 pyrosequencing, which were assembled into approximately 120,000 contigs and 220,000 single reads. Based on annotation and gene ontology analysis we profiled the expressed mRNA transcripts according to known biological processes. As a proof-of-concept we identified polypeptide toxins with a potential blocking activity on sodium and potassium voltage-gated channels from digital transcriptome libraries.
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