Bugula dentata

Blackman AJ, Li C (1994) New Tambjamine Alkaloids from the Marine Bryozoan Bugula dentata. Aust J Chem 47 1625... 

From the Japanese bryozoan Bugula dentata, an antimicrobial blue pigment (121) was isolated (111) and found to be identical with a tetrapyr-role previously isolated from a mutant strain of Serratia marcescens (112). The color of the bryozoan B. dentata is unusually dark blue, suggesting that the pigment 121 is ubiquitously present in the animal. Whether compound 121 is biosynthesized by the bryozoan itself or by an associated microorganism or derived from food sources such as prodigiosin-producing bacteria is still unknown. 

The first example of a halogenated bipyrrole was the marine bacterium Chromobacterium sp. metabolite 35 <74MB281>. Both nudibranchs (sea slugs) and bryozoans (moss animals) secrete brominated bipyrroles ("tambjamines") as chemical defensive agents. Some recent examples from the bryozoan Bugula dentata are tambjamines G-J (36-39) <94AJC1625>. 

Bugula dentata is a dark blue coloured bryozoan that is common in Japan. The colour has been ascribed to a tetrapyrrole pigment. 100, which also occurs in a bacterium and an ascidian (43). 

Matsunaga, S., Fusetani, N., and Hashimoto, K. (1986b) Bioactive marine metabolites. VIII. Isolation of an antimicrobial blue pigment from bryozoan Bugula dentata. Experientia, 42, 84. 

Blackman, A.J. and Li, C. (1994) New tambjamine alkaloids from the marine bryozoan Bugula dentata. Aust.J. Chem., 47, 1625-1629. 

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