Diterpene biosynthesis in early ontogenetic stages of Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae and Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata.

摘要

There is growing evidence that secondary metabolites isolated from some marine invertebrates may actually be produced by a symbiont. The capacity of early ontogenetic stages of Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae and Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata to biosynthesize biologically active and pharmaceutically important diterpenes was examined. These early life stages lack the algal symbionts found in adult colonies of the species, thus removing one level of complexity. The larvae and polyps of these two species produced high concentrations of the diterpenoid secondary metabolites, one of which proved to significantly deter fish-feeding in in situ feeding assays. Additionally, a novel cembrenoid diterpene was isolated from P. bipinnata. The structure of this compound, bipinnatolide L (40) was solved using 1D and 2D NMR experiments.