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Science 27 July 1984:
Vol. 225. no. 4660, pp. 442 - 443
DOI: 10.1126/science.225.4660.442
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Articles

Pheromonal Control of Metamorphosis in the Pacific Sand Dollar, Dendraster excentricus

ROBERT D. BURKE 1

1 Department of Biology, University of Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2 Canada

Competent larvae are induced to undergo metamorphosis by sand from a sand dollar bed or an aqueous extract of the sand. Gel permeation chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography of the extract yielded a 980-dalton peptide that will induce metamorphosis between 10-6 and 10-5 molar. Extracts of whole adults and gonads were also able to induce metamorphosis, and adults can condition substrates to induce metamorphosis. Therefore, the initiation of metamorphosis in Dendraster excentricus is controlled by a pheromone released by adult sand dollars.

Submitted on January 9, 1984
Accepted on April 24, 1984


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