The snow flea Ceratophysella sigillata, a winter-active species of springtail, produces unique polychlorinated octahydroisocoumarins to repel predators. The structure of the major compound, sigillin A, was elucidated through isolation, spectroscopic analysis, and X-ray crystallography. Sigillin A showed high repellent activity in a bioassay with predatory ants. A promising approach for the total synthesis of members of this new class of natural compounds was also developed.

No abstract

Analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of the scent gland secretions of male and female Middle American burrowing pythons (Loxocemus bicolor) revealed the presence of over 300 components including cholesterol, fatty acids, glyceryl monoalkyl ethers, and alcohols. The fatty acids, over 100 of which were identified, constitute most of the compounds in the secretions and show the greatest structural diversity. They include saturated and unsaturated, unbranched and mono-, di-, and trimethyl-branched compounds ranging in carbonchain length from 13 to 24. The glyceryl monoethers possess saturated or unsaturated, straight or methylbranched alkyl chains ranging in carbon-chain length from 13 to 24. Alcohols, which have not previously been reported from the scent glands, possess straight, chiefly saturated carbon chains ranging in length from 13 to 24. Sex or individual differences in secretion composition were not observed. Compounds in the scent gland secretions of L. bicolor may deter offending arthropods, such as ants.

Der winteraktive Springschwanz Ceratophysella sigillata produziert einzigartige polychlorierte Octahydroisocumarine um Fressfeinde abzuschrecken. Die Struktur der Hauptverbindung Sigillin Awurde durchI solierung,s pektroskopische Untersuchungen und Rçntgenstrukturanalyse aufgeklärt. Sigillin Az eigtei ne inem Biotest mit räuberischen Ameisen eine hohe abschreckende Wirkung. Ein vielversprechender Syntheseansatz für diese neue Klasse von Naturstoffen wurde entwickelt.