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Hoplonemertine worms—a new source of pyridine neurotoxins

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Summary

Two pyridine bases were isolated from the marine hoplonemertineAmphiporus 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.

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Author notes

  1. Katherine N. Scott & J. H. Duncan

    Present address: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida College of Medicine, The J. Hillis Miller Health Center, 32610, Gainesville, Florida, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida College of Medicine, The J. Hillis Miller Health Center, 32610, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    W. R. Kem

  2. Veterans Administration Hospital and Departments of Pharmacology and Radiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, 32610, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    W. R. Kem, Katherine N. Scott & J. H. Duncan

Authors
  1. W. R. Kem
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  2. Katherine N. Scott
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  3. J. H. Duncan
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Additional information

We thank DoctorsN. Meinkoth andN. Riser for collecting specimens, Dr.F. Kuffner for providing the nicotelline sample, Dr.C. Westerman for recording initial PMR-spectra, and Dr.R. King for furnishing the computer simulation program and recording the high resolution mass spectra, and Mr.J. Babashak for use of the Kontes densitometer. This research was supported by an NIH-GRS grant and by the Veterans Administration (No. MRIS-9416).

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Kem, W.R., Scott, K.N. & Duncan, J.H. Hoplonemertine worms—a new source of pyridine neurotoxins. Experientia 32, 684–686 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01919831

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