4
A. Simple Amines, Amino Acids, and Choline Derivatives
Simple amines and amino acids are not normally included in a discussion
of secondary metabolites. A brief summary account is presented here since
some of these compounds may be shown to be precursors of complex marine
natural products ; since some of them may prove to be unique to the marine
environment. . . even after a good deal more research in this field will have
been done than has been reported to date; and since over the years a number
of these compounds have been implicated as constituents of marine toxins.
Welsh and Prock (1958), for example, in their survey of quartenary
amines in coelenterates examined the role of tetramine (tetramethylammonium) (1) as a paralytic agent. The authors (Welsh and Prock, 1958) observed
that the paralytic action of cold aqueous extracts of the tentacles of the sea
Me 4 N
+
1
anemone Metridium dianthus is more powerful than the isolated tetramine.
They therefore concluded that this discrepancy may be caused by association
of tetramine (1) in its natural state with a specific protein. Asano and Itoh
(1960), on the other hand, have shown tetramine (1) to be the major toxic
component of the salivary glands of the marine gastropod mollusk Neptunea
arthritica.
Ill
4
NITROGENOUS COMPOUNDS
A. Simple Amines, Amino Acids, and Choline Derivatives
Simple amines and amino acids are not normally included in a discussion
of secondary metabolites. A brief summary account is presented here since
some of these compounds may be shown to be precursors of complex marine
natural products; since some of them may prove to be unique to the marine
environment ... even after a good deal more research in this field will have
been done than has been reported to date; and since over the years a number
of these compounds have been implicated as constituents of marine toxins.
Welsh and Prock (1958), for example, in their survey of quartenary
amines in coelenterates examined the role of tetramine (tetramethylammonium) (1) as a paralytic agent. The authors (Welsh and Prock, 1958) observed
that the paralytic action of cold aqueous extracts of the tentacles of the sea
1
anemone Metridium dianthus is more powerful than the isolated tetramine.
They therefore concluded that this discrepancy may be caused by association
of tetramine (1) in its natural state with a specific protein. Asano and Itoh
(1960), on the other hand, have shown tetramine (1) to be the major toxic
component of the salivary glands of the marine gastropod mollusk Neptunea
arthritica.
121
A. Simple Amines, Amino Acids, and Choline Derivatives
Simple amines and amino acids are not normally included in a discussion
of secondary metabolites. A brief summary account is presented here since
some of these compounds may be shown to be precursors of complex marine
natural products ; since some of them may prove to be unique to the marine
environment. . . even after a good deal more research in this field will have
been done than has been reported to date; and since over the years a number
of these compounds have been implicated as constituents of marine toxins.
Welsh and Prock (1958), for example, in their survey of quartenary
amines in coelenterates examined the role of tetramine (tetramethylammonium) (1) as a paralytic agent. The authors (Welsh and Prock, 1958) observed
that the paralytic action of cold aqueous extracts of the tentacles of the sea
Me 4 N
+
1
anemone Metridium dianthus is more powerful than the isolated tetramine.
They therefore concluded that this discrepancy may be caused by association
of tetramine (1) in its natural state with a specific protein. Asano and Itoh
(1960), on the other hand, have shown tetramine (1) to be the major toxic
component of the salivary glands of the marine gastropod mollusk Neptunea
arthritica.
Ill
4
NITROGENOUS COMPOUNDS
A. Simple Amines, Amino Acids, and Choline Derivatives
Simple amines and amino acids are not normally included in a discussion
of secondary metabolites. A brief summary account is presented here since
some of these compounds may be shown to be precursors of complex marine
natural products; since some of them may prove to be unique to the marine
environment ... even after a good deal more research in this field will have
been done than has been reported to date; and since over the years a number
of these compounds have been implicated as constituents of marine toxins.
Welsh and Prock (1958), for example, in their survey of quartenary
amines in coelenterates examined the role of tetramine (tetramethylammonium) (1) as a paralytic agent. The authors (Welsh and Prock, 1958) observed
that the paralytic action of cold aqueous extracts of the tentacles of the sea
1
anemone Metridium dianthus is more powerful than the isolated tetramine.
They therefore concluded that this discrepancy may be caused by association
of tetramine (1) in its natural state with a specific protein. Asano and Itoh
(1960), on the other hand, have shown tetramine (1) to be the major toxic
component of the salivary glands of the marine gastropod mollusk Neptunea
arthritica.
121