Polyketide origin of 3-alkylpyridines in the marine mollusc Haminoea orbignyana

The biogenesis of aglajnes, polypropionate allomones of the cephalaspidean mollusc Bulla striata, has been investigated in vivo by feeding experiments. Incorporation of the committed precursor, [1-14C]-propionate, into aglajne-1 (1) and -3 (3) established the de novo origin of these compounds in B. striata. In the letter we also discuss briefly the ecological meaning of the origin of polypropionates in B. striata and in other cephalaspidean molluscs.