Axinella polypoides

C]Cholesterol was readily converted into 19-nor-sterols by the sponge Axinella polypoides, but very little de novo synthesis of these sterols from [1-14C]acetate occurred.354 Similarly, whilst [4-14C]cholesterol was incorporated into 3/3-hydroxymethyl-A-nor-5a-steranes by A. verrucosa, no incorporation of tracer from [l-14C]acetate could be demonstrated.355 These results suggest that the unusual nor-sterols in sponge species might arise by modification of dietary sterols. Ring contraction in cholesterol to yield the A-nor-steranes does not result in the elimination of C-4 of the substrate, nor does this carbon form the 3/3-hydroxymethyl group of the product. 

Such behavior may indicate the possibility that one is dealing with a mixture of lectins. Lectins from the snails Axinella polypoides and Aaptos papillata each were found to be mixtures of three lectins, two of which were obtained in purified form the sites of the two lectins from each species showed some differences in specificity, and one of the lectins from Axinella (lectin I) was strongly mitogenic for human peripheral blood T cells and to a lesser extent for human B cells. 

Norcholesterol in the sponge Axinella polypoides has been shown to be derived from dietary cholesterol and a series of unusual C26 sterols, claimed to be formed from 24-epibrassicasterol, has been found in the scallop Patinopecten yessoensisf ... 

Porifera (sponges) were the first invertebrates found to contain sterols other than cholesterol. Clionasterol (12B), poriferasterol (14B), chondrillasterol (14C), and chalinasterol (lOB) were isolated by Bergmann. Minale et al. isolated sterols having an additional methyl group at C-26, aplysterol (18) and 24,28-dehydroaplysterol (19) as the principal sterols of Aplysia aerophoba [12]. They also found that the sterols of Axinella polypoides were a mixture of 19-nor-stanols (21) which have conventional side chains [13]. 

Anti-galactan lectins from the clam Tridacna maxima and the sponge Axinella polypoides have been used in studies of murine myeloma protein J 539. Three... 

Crist, B.V., and C. Djerassi Minor and Trace Sterols in Marine Invertebrates. 47. A Re-investigation of the 9-Nor Stanols Isolated from the Sponge Axinella polypoides. Steroids 42, 331 (1983). 

Axiphenylalaninium and axityrosinium are two new piperidine betaines isolated from the Mediterranean sponge Axinella polypoides collected near Marseille, and polyaxibetaine is a new pyridine betaine, dosely related to axityrosinium, also isolated from a Mediterranean Axinella polypoides, but collected in the Bay of Calvi, Corsica (Gabant et al., 2009b Aiello et al., 2010). 

Crist, B.V. and Djerassi, C. (1983) Minor and trace sterols in marine invertebrates. 47. A re-investigation of the 19-nor-stanols from the sponge Axinella polypoides. Steroids, 42, 331-343. 

De Rosa, M., Minale, L., and Sodano, G. (1975a) Metabolism in Porifera. V. Conversion of cholesterol into nor-19-cholestanol by the sponge Axinella polypoides. Experientia, 31, 758-759. 

Minale, L. and Sodano, G. (1974a) Marine sterols. 19-Nor-stanols from the sponge Axinella polypoides. J. Chem. Soc. Perkin Trans. I, 1888-1892. 

The total sterol content of Axinella polypoides is a mixture of stanols having a 19-norcholestanol nucleus carrying conventional saturated and mono-unsaturated C7 (24-nor), Cs, C9 and Cio side-chains 140). The... 

The isolation of free hydroxyhydroquinone (226) has recently been reported from the sponge Axinella polypoides 54). 

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