Isolation of the nickel-chlorin chelate tunichlorin from the South Pacific Ocean sea hare Dolabella auricularia
Pettit, G.R.; Kantoci, D.; Doubek, D.L.; Tucker, B.E.; Pettit, W.E.; Schroll, R.M.
Journal of Natural Products 56(11): 1981-1984
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0163-3864 PMID: 8289065 DOI: 10.1021/np50101a018
Accession: 008929038
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.