Phallusia mammillata

The sea squirts or tunicates are fascinating marine creatures, their name being derived from the tunic made of cellulosic material that surrounds the body of the animal. In 1911, Henze discovered vanadium in the blood of Phallusia mammillata C.343 He later found the same with other ascidians (a class of tunicates). In vanadium-accumulating species, most vanadium is located in the vacuoles—vanadophores—of certain types of blood cells—the vanadocytes. The concentration in the vanadophore can be as high as 1M and this value must be compared with concentrations of the order of 2 x 10-8 M for vanadium in sea water.344 Kustin et al. have reviewed the work done to understand the efficient accumulation and the possible biological roles of the metal.345... 

Taylor SW, Kammerer B, Nicholson GJ, Pusecker K, Walk T, Bayer E, Scippa S, de Vincentiis M (1997) Morulin Pm A Modified Polypeptide Containing TOPA and 6-Bromotryptophan from the Morula Cells of the Ascidian, Phallusia mammillata. Arch Biochem Biophys 348 278... 

Taylor, S.W., Kammerer, B., Nicholson, G.J., Pusecker, K., Walk, T., Bayer, E., Sdppa, S., and de Vicentiis, M. (1997b) Morulrn Pm a modified polypeptide containing TOPA and 6-bromotryptophan from the morula cells of the ascidian, Phallusia mammillata. Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 348, 278—288. 

Ueki, T., Takemoto, K., Fayard, B., Salome, M., Yamamoto, A., Kihara, H., Susini, J., Scippa, S., Uyama, T, and Michibata, H. (2002) Scanning X-ray microscopy of living and freeze-dried blood cells in two vanadium-rich ascidian species, Phallusia mammillata and Ascidia sydneiensis samea. Zool. Sci., 19, 27-35. 

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