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Science 11 March 1983:
Vol. 219. no. 4589, pp. 1237 - 1238
DOI: 10.1126/science.219.4589.1237
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Articles

Dorid Nudibranch Elaborates Its Own Chemical Defense

GUIDO CIMINO 1, SALVATORE DE ROSA 1, SALVATORE DE STEFANO 1, GUIDO SODANO 1, and GUIDO VILLANI 1

1 Istituto per la Chimica di Molecole di Interesse Biologico, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Arco Felice, Napoli, Italy

A biosynthetic experiment with mevalonic acid labeled with carbon-14 showed that the nudibranch Dendrodoris limbata elaborates polygodial, a sesquiterpenoid dialdehyde stored in the mantle, which constitutes its chemical defense against predators. Previously described nudibranchs drew defensive chemicals from their preys.

Submitted on July 29, 1982
Revised on November 15, 1982


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
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