title: Homobatrachotoxin in the genus Pitohui: chemical defense in birds?
abstract: Three passerine species in the genus Pitohui, endemic to the New Guinea subregion, contain the steroidal alkaloid homobatrachotoxin, apparently as a chemical defense. Toxin concentrations varied among species but were always highest in the skin and feathers. Homobatrachotoxin is a member of a class of compounds collectively called batrachotoxins that were previously considered to be restricted to neotropical poison-dart frogs of the genus Phyllobates. The occurrence of homobatrachotoxin in pitohuis suggests that birds and frogs independently evolved this class of alkaloids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, IL 60637.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dumbacher
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Beehler
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Spande
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Garraffo
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Daly
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura; D001496:Batrachotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D001681:Biological Assay; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001717:Birds; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005241:Feathers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D051379:Mice; D009132:Muscles / Q000737:chemistry*; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001496:Batrachotoxins; C077756:homobatrachotoxin