Abstract
Reef-building corals from shallow waters are known to contain a suite of water soluble compounds (collectively named S-320) which strongly absorb near-UV light. Compounds of this type have now been isolated from the Pacific staghor coral Acropora formosa and identified as a series of mycosporine-like amino acids including mycosporine-Gly (λmax=310nm), palythine (λmax=320nm) and palythinol (λmax=332nm). These compounds were separated and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. Serial extraction efficiencies were calculated using a simple formula which is derived herein. For 12-cm long coral branches collected from a depth of 3 m at Rib Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia (146° 53′E, 18° 29′S) the average concentrations of mycosporine-Gly, palythine, and palythinol were 37.8, 56.4 and 0.895 nmol per mg coral protein, respectively. The coral samples can be stored at-20°C for at least 144 days without degradation of the mycosporinelike amino acids.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Arpin N, Bouillant ML (1981) Light and mycosporines. In: Turian G, Hohl HR (eds) The fungal spore, morphogenetic controls. Academic Press, London New York, pp 435–454
Arpin N, Curt R, Favre-Bonvin J (1979) Mycosporines: mise au point et données nouvelles concernant leurs structures, leurs distribution, leur localisation et leur biogenese. Rev Mycol 43: 247–257
Baker K, Smith RC, Green AFS (1980) Middle ultraviolet radiation reaching the ocean surface. Photochem Photobiol 32: 367–374
Caldwell MW (1981) Plant response to solar ultraviolet radiation reaching the ocean surface. In: Lang OL et al. (eds) Physiological plant ecology. I. Responses to the physical environment. Encyclopaedia of plant physiology, new series, vol 12A. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 169–197
Chalker BE, Dunlap WC (1982) Extraction and quantitation of endosymbiotic algal pigments from reef-building corals. Proc 4th Int Symp Coral Reefs 2: 45–50
Favre-Bonvin J, Brevard C (1976) Structure de la mycosporine (P310). Can J Chem 54: 105–1113
Green AES, Sawada T, Shettle EP (1974) The middle ultraviolet radiation reaching the ground. Photochem Photobiol 19: 251–259
Hirata Y, Uemura D, Takano S (1979) Several compounds from Palythoa tuberculosa (Coelenterata). Pure Appl Chem 51: 1875–1883
Ito S, Hirata Y (1977) Isolation and structure of a mycosporine from the zoanthid Palythoa tuberculosa. Tetrahedron Lett 28: 2429–2430
Jerlov NG (1950) Ultra-violet radiation in the sea. Nature 116: 111–112
Jokiel PL (1980) Solar ultraviolet radiation and coral reef epifauna. Science 207: 1069–1071
Jokiel PL, York RH Jr (1982) Solar ultraviolet photobiology of the reef coral Pocillopora damicornis and symbiotic zooxanthellae. Bull Mar Sci 32: 301–315
Lorenzen CJ (1979) Ultraviolet radiation and phytoplankton photosynthesis. Limnol Oceanogr 24: 1117–1120
Maragos JE (1972) A study of the ecology of Hawaiian reef corals. PhD dissertation, University of Hawaii, 290 pp
Nakamura H, Kobayashi J, Hirata Y (1981) Isolation and structure of a 330 nm UV-absorbing substance, asterina-330 from the starfish Asterina pectinifera. Chem Lett, pp 1413–1414
Nakamura H, Kobayashi J, Hirata Y (1982) Separation of mycosporinelike amino acids in marine organisms using reversed-phase highperformance liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr 250: 113–118
Shibata K (1969) Pigments and a UV-absorbing substance in corals and a blue-green alga living in the Great Barrier Reef. Plant Cell Physiol 10: 325–335
Siebeck O (1981) Photoreactivation and depth-dependent UV tolerance in reef coral in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Naturwissenschaften 68: 426–428
Smith RC, Baker KS (1979) Penetration of UV-B and biologically effective dose-rates in natural waters. Photochem Photobiol 29: 311–323
Smith RC, Baker KS (1982) Assessment of the influence of enhanced UV-B on marine primary productivity. In: Calkins I (ed) The role of solar ultraviolet radiation in marine ecosystems. Plenum Press, New York, pp 509–537
Takano S, Nakanishi A, Uemura D, Hirata Y (1979) Isolation and structure of a 334 nm UV-absorbing substance, Porphyra-334 from the red alga Porphyra tenera Kjellman. Chem Lett, pp 419–420
Takano S, Uemura D, Hirata Y (1978a) Isolation and structure of a new amino acid, palythine, from the zoanthid Palythoa tuberculosa. Tetrahedren Lett 26: 2290–2300
Takano S, Uemura D, Hirata Y (1978b) Isolation and structure of two new amino acids, palythinol and palythene, from the zoanthid Palythoa tuberculosa. Tetrahedron Lett 49: 4909–4912
Tsujino I, Yabe K, Sekikawa I, Hamanaka N (1978) Isolation and structure of a mycosporine from the red alga Chondrus yendoi. Tetrahedron Lett 15: 1401–1402
Worrest RC (1982) Review of literature concerning the inpact of UV-B radiation upon marine organisms. In: Calkins J (ed) The role of solar ultraviolet radiation in marine ecosystems. Plenum Press, New York, pp 429–457
Worrest RW, Van Dyke H, Thomson BE (1978) Impact of enhanced simulated solar ultraviolet radiation upon a marine community. Photochem Photobiol 27: 471–478
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Contribution number 334 from the Australian Institute of Marine Science
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dunlap, W.C., Chalker, B.E. Identification and quantitation of near-UV absorbing compounds (S-320) in a hermatypic scleractinian. Coral Reefs 5, 155–159 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00298182
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00298182