Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Lipid Classes and Fatty Acid Composition of the Tropical Nudibranch Mollusks Chromodoris sp. and Phyllidia coelestis

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Lipids

Abstract

Two nudibranch mollusks, Chromodoris sp. and Phyllidia coelestis, collected from tropical waters of the Northwestern Pacific, were analyzed for lipids. The aim of this study was to fill the gap in knowledge of lipid biochemistry of mollusks. Phospholipids (PL) were the dominating lipid class followed by sterols (13%). Neutral lipids were not detected in Chromodoris sp. By contrast, P. coelestis contained TAG, diacylglyceryl ether, long chain alcohol and esters of sterols. Among PL, PC was predominant (about 50%); PE, PS and CAEP were almost in equal proportions. Sixty five FA were identified as methyl esters and N-acyl pyrrolidides by GC–MS. The sea slugs exhibited a wide diversity of FA. The common marine n-3 PUFA, 20:5n-6 and 22:6n-3, constituted 0.6–1.3% of the total FA, whereas n-6 PUFA, 22:4n-6, 20:4n-6, and 18:2n-6, were the main (25%). Among monounsaturated FA, 7-21:1 was the main (up to 6.2%). The non-methylene-interrupted (NMI) FA were found (9.4 and 12.4%), including the known 5,11–20:2, 5,13–20:2, 7,13–22:2, 7,15–22:2 and a novel isomer 7,13–21:2 (up to 3.9%). The pathway of its biosynthesis was suggested. A series of very long chain FA (VLC FA), with the main 5,9–25:2 and 5,9–26:2, were identified. High level of VLC FA (8.7 and 11.7%) in sea slugs is apparently the result of predation on sponges. Another unique feature concerned a high abundance of various odd and branched FA (16.7 and 34%), which could have originated from the dietary origin or symbiotic bacteria. This is the first report on lipid and FA composition of nudibranchs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

CAEP:

ceramide aminoethylphosphonate

DAGE:

diacylglyceryl ether

ES:

sterol esters

FFA:

free fatty acids

LCA:

long chain alcohol

MUFA:

monounsaturated FA

NL:

neutral lipids

NMI:

non-methylene-interrupted

PL:

polar lipids

SFA:

saturated FA

VLC FA:

very long chain FA

References

  1. Gardner D, Riley JP (1972) The component fatty acids of the lipids of some species of marine and freshwater molluscs. J Mar Biol UK 52:827–838

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Ackman RG, Hooper SN (1973) Non-methylene-interrupted fatty acids in lipids of shallow-water marine invertebrates: a comparison of two molluscs (Littorina littorea and Lunatia triseriata) with the sand shrimp (Crangon septemspinosus). Comp Biochem Physiol 46B:153–165

    Google Scholar 

  3. Ackman RG, Epstein S, Kelleher M (1974) A comparison of lipids and fatty acids of the Ocean Quahaug, Arctica islandica, from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. J Fish Res Board Can 31:1803–1811

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Joseph JD (1982) Lipid composition of marine and estuarine invertebrates: Mollusca. Prog Lipid Res 21:109–153

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Thompson TE, Brown GH (1984) Biology of opisthobranch mollusks, vol 2. The Ray Society, London

    Google Scholar 

  6. Gosliner TM (1994) Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia, Chap. 5, In: Harrison FW, Kohn AJ (eds) Microscopic anatomy of invertebrates, vol 5: Mollusca I. Wiley-Liss Inc., New York, pp 253–356

    Google Scholar 

  7. Avila C (1995) Natural products of opisthobranch molluscs: a biological review. Oceanogr Mar Biol 33:487–559

    Google Scholar 

  8. Wagele H, Ballesteros M, Avila C (2006) Defensive glandular structures in opisthobranch mollusks––from histology to ecology. Oceanogr Mar Biol 44:197–276

    Google Scholar 

  9. Iken K, Avila C, Fontana A, Gavagnin M (2002) Chemical ecology and origin of defensive compounds in the Antarctic Nudibranch Austrodoris kerguelenensis (Opisthobranchia: Gatropoda). Mar Biol 141:101–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Martinez-Pita I, Garcia F, Pita ML (2005) Fatty acid composition and utilization in developing eggs of some marine Nudibranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia) from southwest Spain. J Shellfish Res 24:1209–1216

    Google Scholar 

  11. Bligh EG, Dyer WJ (1959) A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification. Can J Biochem Physiol 37:911–918

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Svetashev VI, Vaskovsky VE (1972) A simple technique for thin-layer micro-chromatography of lipids. J Chromatogr 67:376–378

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Vaskovsky VE, Kostetsky EY, Vasendin IM (1975) A universal reagent for phospholipids analysis. J Chromatogr 114:129–142

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Carreau JP, Dubacq JP (1979) Adaptation of the macroscale method to the micro-scale for fatty acid methyl transesterification of biological lipid extracts. J Chromatogr 151:384–390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Anderson BA (1978) Mass spectrometry of fatty acid pyrrolidides. Prog Chem Fats other Lipids 16:279–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Nelson MM, Phleger CF, Mooney BD, Nichols PD (2000) Lipids of gelatinous Antarctic zooplankton: Cnidaria and Ctenophora. Lipids 35:551–559

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Gannefors C, Boer M, Kattner G, Graeve M, Eiane K, Gulliksen B, Hop H, Falk-Petersen S (2005) The Arctic sea butterfly Limacina helicina: lipids and life strategy. Mar Biol 147:169–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Kattner G, Hagen W, Graeve M, Albers C (1998) Exceptional lipids and fatty acids in the pteropod Clione limacine (Gastropoda) from both polar oceans. Mar Chem 61:219–228

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Dembitsky VM, Kashin AG, Stefanov K (1992) Comparative investigation of phospholipids and fatty acids of freshwater mollusks from the Volga River Basin. Comp Biochem Physiol 102B:193–198

    Google Scholar 

  20. Kraffe E, Sounant P, Marty A (2004) Fatty acids of Serine, ethanolamine, and choline plasmalogens in some marine bivalves. Lipids 39:59–66

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Paradis M, Ackman RG (1975) Occurrence and chemical structure of nonmethylene-interrupted dienoic fatty acids in American oyster Crassostrea virginica. Lipids 10:12–16

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Morales RW, Litchfield C (1976) Unusual C24, C25, C26 and C27 polyunsaturated fatty acids of the marine sponge Microciona prolifera. Biochim Biophys Acta 431:206–216

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Bergquist PR, Lawson MP, Lavis A, Cambie RC (1984) Fatty acid composition and the classification of the Porifera. Biochem Syst Ecol 12:63–84

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Ackman RG (1983) Fatty acid metabolism of bivalves. In: Pruder GD, Langdon CJ, Conklin DE (eds) Biochemical and physiological approaches to shellfish nutrition. Proceedings of the second international conference on aquaculture nutrition. Baton Rouge

  25. Sargent JR, Falk-Petersen IB, Calder AG (1983) Fatty acid composition of neutral glycerides from the ovaries of the asteroids Ctenodiscus criptus, Asterias lincki and Pteraster militaris from Balsfjorden, Northen Norway. Mar Biol 72:257–264

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Carballeira NM, Shalabi F, Stefanov K, Dimitrov K, Popov S, Kujumgiev A, Andreev S (1995) Comparison of the fatty acids of the tunicate Botryllus schlosseri from the Black Sea with two associated bacterial strains. Lipids 30:677–679

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Zhukova NV (1986) Biosynthesis of non-methylene-interrupted dienoic fatty acids from [14C] acetate in molluscs. Biochim Biophys Acta 878:131–133

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Zhukova NV (1991) The pathway of the biosynthesis of non-methylene-interrupted dienoic fatty acids in molluscs. Comp Biochem Physiol 100B:801–804

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Klingensmith JS (1982) Distribution of methylene and non-methylene-interrupted dienoic fatty acids in polar lipids and triacylglycerol of selected tissues of the hard shell clam (Mercenaria mercenaria). Lipids 17:976–981

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Carballeira NM, Miranda C, Rodriguez AD (2002) Phospholipid fatty acid composition of Gorgonia mariae and Gorgonia ventalina. Comp Biochem Physiol 131B:83–87

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Dr. Alexei V. Chernyshev for the identification of the species and Dr. Svetlana A. Rodkina for the assistance in the mass spectrometry.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Palchevskogo str., 17, 690041, Vladivostok, Russia

    Natalia V. Zhukova

Authors
  1. Natalia V. Zhukova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Natalia V. Zhukova.

About this article

Cite this article

Zhukova, N.V. Lipid Classes and Fatty Acid Composition of the Tropical Nudibranch Mollusks Chromodoris sp. and Phyllidia coelestis . Lipids 42, 1169–1175 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-007-3123-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-007-3123-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation