Exploring Bacteria from Extreme Environments in Chilean Patagonia for Antitrypanosomal Metabolites
7 affiliations
- 1Instituto Butantan , , Av. Vital 1500 , , ,
- 2Federal University of the ABC , , , ,
- 3Instituto Butantan , , Av. Vital Brazil, 1500 , , ,
- 4Shoolini University , , , ,
- 5University of Southampton , , , ,
- 6Universidad de La Frontera , , ,
- 7Federal University of Technology , , , ,
Abstract
Extreme environments are recognized as valuable reservoirs of microbial diversity and chemical novelty. Adapted to harsh environmental conditions, bacteria isolated from extreme environments exhibit unique biosynthetic capabilities associated with the production of structurally diverse bioactive metabolites. Chagas disease (CD), caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, remains one of the most important neglected tropical diseases, affecting approximately eight million people worldwide. Current chemotherapy relies on only two drugs, benznidazole and nifurtimox, both associated with toxicity and therapeutic limitations. The search for new antitrypanosomal agents has therefore intensified, directing attention to underexplored microbial resources such as bacteria isolated from extreme environments, which are known for their remarkable biosynthetic potential and chemical diversity. In this context, the present study investigated the anti-T. cruzi potential of extracts obtained from sediment-associated microbial communities from the Magallanes Region of Chilean Patagonia. By using 16S rRNA sequencing, seven bacterial isolates from extreme environments were identified as belonging to the genus Roseovarius spp., Loktanella spp., Pseudarthrobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp., Psychroflexus spp., and Cyclobacterium spp. The antiparasitic activity of the extracts was determined in trypomastigotes, resulting in potent IC50 values ranging from 2 to 18 μg/mL. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the Cyclobacterium plantarum extract led to the putative identification of VAS8, a phosphatidylethanolamine derivative, as its active constituent. VAS8 exhibited activity against both trypomastigote (IC50 = 49 μM) and intracellular amastigote (IC50 = 19 μM) forms of T. cruzi, while showing no significant cytotoxicity toward mammalian host cells (CC50 > 150 μM). Spectrofluorimetric and fluorescence microscopy studies using SYTOX Green demonstrated a time/concentration-dependent permeabilization of the plasma membrane after VAS8 incubation with trypomastigotes. These findings highlight bacteria isolated from extreme environments as a promising source of antitrypanosomal metabolites and phosphatidylethanolamines as attractive scaffolds for the development of new therapies against Chagas disease.
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BibTeX
@article{albuquerque2026exploring,
title = {{Exploring Bacteria from Extreme Environments in Chilean Patagonia for Antitrypanosomal Metabolites}},
author = {Vanessa Albuquerque and Julia Maria Godoi Lima and Marina de Monroe Gonçalves and Jose Aparecido Ferreira de Lima and Ravi Kant and Myron Christodoulides and Daniel Carvalho Pimenta and João Henrique Ghilardi Lago and Cledir Santos and Andre Gustavo Tempone},
journal = {ACS Omega},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6c07469},
url = {https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/11/42/65164/5450224/Exploring-Bacteria-from-Extreme-Environments-in},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Exploring Bacteria from Extreme Environments in Chilean Patagonia for Antitrypanosomal Metabolites
AU - Vanessa Albuquerque
AU - Julia Maria Godoi Lima
AU - Marina de Monroe Gonçalves
AU - Jose Aparecido Ferreira de Lima
AU - Ravi Kant
AU - Myron Christodoulides
AU - Daniel Carvalho Pimenta
AU - João Henrique Ghilardi Lago
AU - Cledir Santos
AU - Andre Gustavo Tempone
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/13
JO - ACS Omega
DO - 10.1021/acsomega.6c07469
UR - https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/11/42/65164/5450224/Exploring-Bacteria-from-Extreme-Environments-in
AB - Extreme environments are recognized as valuable reservoirs of microbial diversity and chemical novelty. Adapted to harsh environmental conditions, bacteria isolated from extreme environments exhibit unique biosynthetic capabilities associated with the production of structurally diverse bioactive metabolites. Chagas disease (CD), caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, remains one of the most important neglected tropical diseases, affecting approximately eight million people worldwide. Current chemotherapy relies on only two drugs, benznidazole and nifurtimox, both associated with toxicity and therapeutic limitations. The search for new antitrypanosomal agents has therefore intensified, directing attention to underexplored microbial resources such as bacteria isolated from extreme environments, which are known for their remarkable biosynthetic potential and chemical diversity. In this context, the present study investigated the anti-T. cruzi potential of extracts obtained from sediment-associated microbial communities from the Magallanes Region of Chilean Patagonia. By using 16S rRNA sequencing, seven bacterial isolates from extreme environments were identified as belonging to the genus Roseovarius spp., Loktanella spp., Pseudarthrobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp., Psychroflexus spp., and Cyclobacterium spp. The antiparasitic activity of the extracts was determined in trypomastigotes, resulting in potent IC50 values ranging from 2 to 18 μg/mL. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the Cyclobacterium plantarum extract led to the putative identification of VAS8, a phosphatidylethanolamine derivative, as its active constituent. VAS8 exhibited activity against both trypomastigote (IC50 = 49 μM) and intracellular amastigote (IC50 = 19 μM) forms of T. cruzi, while showing no significant cytotoxicity toward mammalian host cells (CC50 > 150 μM). Spectrofluorimetric and fluorescence microscopy studies using SYTOX Green demonstrated a time/concentration-dependent permeabilization of the plasma membrane after VAS8 incubation with trypomastigotes. These findings highlight bacteria isolated from extreme environments as a promising source of antitrypanosomal metabolites and phosphatidylethanolamines as attractive scaffolds for the development of new therapies against Chagas disease.
SN - 2470-1343
ER -