Actinomycetes from diverse Malaysian habitats and ecosystems
Nurul ‘Izzah Mohd Sarmin A B * , Geok Yuan Annie Tan C * and Noraziah Mohamad Zin DA
B
C
D
Dr Nurul ‘Izzah Mohd Sarmin is a Senior Lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). She has successfully isolated a novel endophytic actinomycete, Streptomyces kebangsaanensis, from a Malaysian ethnomedicinal plant. Her research studies include anti-biofilm activity of endophytic actinomycetes and medicinal plants against multi-species oral biofilms, particularly on the role of quorum-sensing systems in regulating microbial resistance mechanisms, to reduce antimicrobial resistance. She is currently working on isolating anti-biofilm compounds from Dipterocarpaceous plants and peptides from endophytic bacteria. |
Dr Geok Yuan Annie Tan is a Professor in Microbiology & Molecular Genetics at the Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya. She has been working with actinomycetes since 1998, particularly in the aspects of diversity and taxonomy. She has expanded her research interests to include natural product discovery, bacterial diversity and microbiome studies. Professor Tan is a Life Member and the current Assistant Secretary of the Malaysian Society for Microbiology. |
Dr Noraziah Mohamad Zin is a Professor in Medical Microbiology at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Her research interests include pathogenic bacteria, bacterial metabolites and their applications in addressing antimicrobial resistance. Professor Nora is a Life Member of the Malaysian Society for Microbiology. |
Abstract
Malaysia, one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, supports diverse ecosystems that harbour rich microbial communities, including actinomycetes. These Gram-positive, high-GC-content bacteria occur in terrestrial soil, marine sediments and plant tissues, where they contribute to nutrient cycling, plant growth promotion, pathogen suppression and the production of bioactive metabolites. This review covers studies from 2010 to 2024 on the diversity of actinomycetes isolated from Malaysian ecosystems. Several novel actinomycete species were reported from Malaysian environments, predominantly mangrove soils in Peninsular Malaysia, with fewer studies in East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak). While Malaysian mangroves and marine sediments have been frequently sampled, rainforest ecosystems remain underexplored despite their exceptional plant diversity. Malaysian actinomycetes exhibit promising pharmaceutical and agricultural applications, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer and insecticidal activities, as well as plant growth-promoting traits. However, few studies have incorporated genome-based approaches or systematic screening of biosynthetic gene clusters. Expanding biogeographic surveys and integrating high-throughput genomic and metabolomic methods are essential to unlock the full biotechnological potential of Malaysia’s actinomycetes.
Keywords: actinobacteria, microbial diversity, plant-associated bacteria, secondary metabolites, Streptomyces.
Dr Nurul ‘Izzah Mohd Sarmin is a Senior Lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). She has successfully isolated a novel endophytic actinomycete, Streptomyces kebangsaanensis, from a Malaysian ethnomedicinal plant. Her research studies include anti-biofilm activity of endophytic actinomycetes and medicinal plants against multi-species oral biofilms, particularly on the role of quorum-sensing systems in regulating microbial resistance mechanisms, to reduce antimicrobial resistance. She is currently working on isolating anti-biofilm compounds from Dipterocarpaceous plants and peptides from endophytic bacteria. |
Dr Geok Yuan Annie Tan is a Professor in Microbiology & Molecular Genetics at the Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya. She has been working with actinomycetes since 1998, particularly in the aspects of diversity and taxonomy. She has expanded her research interests to include natural product discovery, bacterial diversity and microbiome studies. Professor Tan is a Life Member and the current Assistant Secretary of the Malaysian Society for Microbiology. |
Dr Noraziah Mohamad Zin is a Professor in Medical Microbiology at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Her research interests include pathogenic bacteria, bacterial metabolites and their applications in addressing antimicrobial resistance. Professor Nora is a Life Member of the Malaysian Society for Microbiology. |
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