Skin chemistry of nudibranchs from the west coast of North America.

Abstract

The Pacific coastline of North America extends from Alaska in the north to Panama in the south. Chemical studies of skin extracts from nudibranchs collected along this coast have resulted in the isolation of over 100 chemically diverse secondary metabolites. The majority of the compounds are terpenoids, but polyketides, steroids, and alkaloids have also been found. Observations of geographic variation in metabolite content and stable isotope-feeding experiments have provided information about the de novo biosynthetic or dietary sequestration origins of the skin extract metabolites.