A novel primary bile acid in the Shoebill stork and herons and its phylogenetic significance.
The Shoebill stork, an enigma phylogenetically, was found to contain as its dominant biliary bile acid 16alpha-hydroxychenodeoxycholic acid, a heretofore undescribed bile acid. The bile acid occurred as its taurine N-acyl amidate; structure was established by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS). A search for this novel bile acid in other Ciconiiformes showed that it constituted >92% of biliary bile acids in five of nine herons in the Ardidae, but was absent in all other families (Ciconiidae, Threskiornithidae, Scopidae, Phoenicopteridae). The presence of this biochemical trait in the Shoebill stork and certain herons suggests that these birds are closely related.
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Zoological Society of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92112, USA. lhagey@ucsd.edu
Schteingart
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Ton-Nu
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Hofmann
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D000818:Animals; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D001717:Birds / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D002635:Chenodeoxycholic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010802:Phylogeny; D013045:Species Specificity
C467706:16-hydroxychenodeoxycholic acid; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D002635:Chenodeoxycholic Acid