The marine sponge Geodia barretti produces a range of secondary metabolites. Two of these compounds were isolated and elucidated guided by their ability to inhibit settlement of cypris larvae of the barnacle Balanus improvisus. The compounds barettin (cyclo-[(6-bromo-8-en-tryptophan)-arginine]) as E/Z mixture and 8,9-dihydrobarettin (cyclo-[6-bromo-tryptophan)-arginine]) were determined by using mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance and quantitative amino acid analysis.The bioactivity of these brominated dipeptides is in the range of antifouling substances used today: EC₅₀ values of 0.9 µM (barettin) and 7.9 µM (8,9-dihydrobarettin). The compounds were successfully synthesised and then tested in a field experiment to evaluate their antifouling properties. The compounds were incorporated in four different commerical, non-toxic marine coatings. The concentrations of the compounds were 0.1 and 0.01% (w/w) and coated panels were exposed to field conditions for eight weeks. The experiment evaluated the effect of barettin and 8,9-dihydrobarettin on recruitment of the barnacle B. improvisus and the blue mussel Mytilus edulis (major Swedish foulers). The most efficient paint was a SPC polymer, for which the reduction of recruitment of B. improvisus was 89% with barettin (0.1%) and 61% with 8,9-dihydrobarettin (0.1%). For M. edulis the reduction of recruitment was 81% with barettin (0.1%) and 72% with 8,9-dihydrobarettin (0.1%) with the same SPC paint. Furthermore, 14 analogs of barettin and dipodazine were synthesised and tested for their ability to inhibit larval settlement. Two of the analogs have a barettin scaffold and twelve have a dipodazine scaffold. Six of the analogs displayed significant settlement inhibition with the most potent inhibitor being benzo[g]dipodazine (EC₅₀ value 0.034 µM). The effect of benzo[g]dipodazine was also shown to be reversible. Finally, an investigation of the mode of action was performed on 5-HT receptors. Barettin demonstrated a specific affinity to 5-HT_2A, 5-HT_2C and 5-HT₄, while 8,9-dihydrobarettin interacted only with 5-HT_2C of the receptor subtypes tested (5-HT₁-5-HT₇).

Marine invertebrates, in particular sponges, represent a source of a wide range of secondary metabolites, many of which have been attributed various defensive capabilities against environmental stress factors. In this thesis sponge-derived low-molecular peptide-like compounds and associated analogs are investigated for bioactivity and pharmacological targets.

The compound bromobenzisoxazolone barettin (cyclo[(6-bromo-8-(6-bromo-benzioxazol -3(1H)-one)-8-hydroxy)tryptophan)]arginine) was isolated from the sponge Geodia barretti and its ability to inhibit larval settlement of the barnacle Balanus improvisus was determined. With an EC₅₀ value of 15 nM, this compound’s antifouling effect was higher than those of the previously reported brominated dipeptides from Geodia barretti, i.e., barettin and 8,9-dihydrobarettin; moreover, this antifouling effect was demonstrated to be reversible. However, the compound lacked affinity for 5-HT_1-7 receptors, whereas barettin possessed specific affinity to 5-HT_2A, 5-HT_2C and 5-HT₄, while 8,9-dihydrobarettin interacted with 5-HT₄. In an attempt to evaluate structure-activity relationships synthesized analogs with barettin and dipodazine scaffolds were investigated for antifouling activity. The analog benso[g]dipodazine, with an EC₅₀ value of 34 nM, displayed the highest settlement inhibition.

The studies of the structure-activity relationships of sponge-derived compounds were extended to cover analogs of agelasines and agelasimines originally isolated from sponges of the genus Agelas. Synthesized (+)-agelasine D and two structurally close analogs were investigated for cytotoxic and antibacterial activity. The profound cytotoxicity and broad spectrum antibacterial activity found prompted a further investigation of structure-activity relationships in 42 agelasine and agelasimine analogs and several characteristics that increased bioactivity were identified.

In conclusion this work has produced new results regarding the potent bioactivity of compounds derived from the sponges Geodia barretti and Agelas spp. and increased SAR knowledge of the fouling inhibition, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity of these compounds.