Isolation of the nickel-chlorin chelate tunichlorin from the South Pacific ocean sea hare Dolabella auricularia.
The Papua New Guinea shell-less mollusc Dolabella auricularia has been found to contain a series of green to blue-green chlorins. One of these compounds was found to be the nickel chelate tunichlorin [1] which was isolated previously only from the Caribbean tunicate Trididemnum solidum. Discovery of tunichlorin [1] in a sea hare suggests that its occurrence in algae-consuming marine animals may be more common than earlier realized, and it may have a role in electron transfer or other metabolic processes.
Pettit
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Cancer Research Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe 85287-1604.
Kantoci
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Doubek
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Tucker
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Pettit
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Schroll
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D000818:Animals; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008665:Metalloporphyrins / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008974:Mollusca / Q000378:metabolism*; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
D002614:Chelating Agents; D008665:Metalloporphyrins; C056010:tunichlorin; D009532:Nickel