Didemnum molle

Cyclohexapept bistratamides Lissoclinum spp., Didemnidae, Ascid. from GBR and the Philippines Foster, 1992) comoramides Didemnum molle, Didemnidae from Comoro Is Rudi 1998) Oiexalpatellins Lissoclinum sp. from Fiji Is. Carroll 1996). 

Carroll, A.R. Bowden, B.F. Coll, J.C. Hockless, D.C.R. Skelton, B.W. White, A.H. (1994) Mollamide, a cytotoxic cyclic heptapeptide from the compound ascidian Didemnum molle. Aust. J. Chem., 47,61-69. 

Rudi, A. Aknin, M. Gaydou, E.M. Kashman, Y. (1998) Four new cytotoxic cyclic hexa- and heptapq>tides from the marine ascidian Didemnum molle. Tetrahedron, 54, 13203-10. 

Riccio, R., Kinnel, R. B., Bifulco, G., and Scheuer, P. J. (1996). Kakelokelose a sulfated mannose polysaccharide with anti-HIV activity from the Pacific tunicate didemnum molle. Tetrahedron Lett. 37,1979-1982. 

A number of cyclic peptides have been isolated from the tunicate Didemnum molle. The structure of mollamide (59), a cytotoxic heptapeptide isolated from Didemnum molle from the Great Barrier Reef, was determined by X-ray crystallography and chemical degradation [88]. Mollamide has also been synthesised [89]. 

Another tunicate, Didemnum molle, has been shown to contain a novel series of cyclic peptides. They include the hexapeptides comoramides A (391) and B (392) [301] and the heptapeptides, mollamide (393) [302], cyclodidemnamide (394) [303], and mayotamides A (395) and B (396) [301]. The structures of these compounds were elucidated from spectral data, degradation experiments and, in the case of mollamide (393), by X-ray analysis. The total synthesis of cyclodidemnamide led to the revision of its structure [304]. All of them exhibited cytotoxic activity and 393 also inhibited RNA synthesis [302]. 

Didmolamide A 379 and B 380 were isolated from the ascidian Didemnum molle collected from Madagascar <2003JNP575>. 

Riccio, R. Kinnel, R.B. Bifulco, G. Sheuer, P.J. Kakelokelose, a Sulfated Mannose Polysaccharide with Anti-HIV Activity from The Pacific Tunicate Didemnum molle. Tetrahedron Lett. 1996, 37, 1979-1982. 

Cyclic heptapeptide antibiotic. Constit. of the ascidian Didemnum molle. Cytotoxic agent. Prisms (CH2Cl2/petrol). Mp 154-156°. [a] —2.75 (c, 0.08 in CHCI3). 

Cyclic peptides and depsipeptides constitute the bulk of the nitrogenous metabolites of didemnid tunicates and several publications have been devoted to them, either wholly or in part, such as Ireland et al. (1989), Davidson (1993) and Lehrer et al. (2003). However, many publications devoted to cyclic peptides of Didemnidae are concerned with only three species, Didemnum molle, Lissoclinum bistratum and Lissoclinum patella, which is the most prolific didemnid as regards cyclic peptides. The two Lissoclinum species were harvested in the Western Pacific (Australia, Fiji, Guam, Indonesia, Palau, Philippines, Pohnpei and Singapore) and Didemnum molle in the Indian Ocean (Comoros, Mozambique). 

Boden, C.D.J., Norley, M and Pattenden, G. (2000) Total synthesis and assignment of configuration of the thiazoline-based cyclopeptide cyclodidemnamide isolated from the sea squirt Didemnum molle. J. Chem. Soc. Perkin Trans. 1, 883-888. 

Toske, S.G. and Fenical, W. (1995) Cyclodidemnamide a new cyclic heptapeptide from the marine ascidian Didemnum molle. Tetrahedron Lett., 36, 8355-8358. 

Temya, T, Sasaki, H., and Suenaga, K. (2008) Hexamollamide, a hexapeptide from an Okinawan ascidian Didemnum molle. Tetrahedron Lett., 49, 5297—5299. 

Arrault, A., Witczak-Legrand, A., Gonzalez, P., Bontemps-Subielos, N., and Banaigs, B. (2002) Structure and total synthesis of cydodidemnamide B, a cydoheptapeptide from the ascidian Didemnum molle. Tetrahedron Lett., 43, 4041-4044. 

McKeever, B. and Pattenden, G. (1999) Total synthesis of mollamide, a reverse prenyl substituted cytotoxic cyclic peptide from Didemnum molle. Tetrahedron Lett., 40, 9317-9320. 

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