title: Hoplonemertine worms -- a new source of pyridine neurotoxins.
abstract: Two pyridine bases were isolated from the marine hoplonemertine Amphiporus angulatus (Fabricius) and identified by mass and PMR-spectroscopy as 2, 3'-bipyridyl and 3, 2'; 3', 2"; 4", 3"'-tetrapyridyl (Nemertelline). Nemertelline, the first tetrapyridyl natural product to be reported, shows a structural resemblance to the tobacco constituent nicotelline. The crustacean toxicity of 2, 3' -bipyridyl is very similar to that of nicotine, but its mammalian toxicity is negligible.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004285:Dogs; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010986:Platyhelminths / Q000032:analysis*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D008387:Marine Toxins; D011725:Pyridines