Mycosporine-like amino acid content in the sea anemones Aulactinia marplatensis, Oulactis muscosa and Anthothoe chilensis

ARBELOA, A. M.; M. O. CARIGNAN; F. H. ACUÑA; M. S. CHURIO; J. I. CARRETO

COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART B, BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY.

Elsevier

Año: 2010 vol. 156 p. 216 - 221

1096-4959

The occurrence of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) in the sea anemones Aulactinia marplatensis (Zamponi, 1977), Oulactis muscosa (Drayton in Dana, 1846) and Anthothoe  chilensis (Lesson, 1830), from the rocky intertidal habitats on the coast of Mar del Plata,Argentina, was assessed by HPLC. The pattern of MAAs in the mussel Brachidontesrodriguezi, main component of the diet for A. marplatensis and O. muscosa, was as welldetermined. The results were comparatively analyzed together and with previously reportedMAA content in species mainly of the genus Anthopleura. The correlation between the MAAconcentration and light availability of their habitats is in line with the photoprotective roleassigned to the compounds. The high proportion of mycosporine-taurine in the three speciesand the results for the evaluation of MAAs in the mussels point to an extra-diet origin or aregulated biotransformation metabolism of dietary MAAs or their precursors that is commonto sea anemones.