Caste-Specific Compounds in Male Carpenter Ants

Three caste-specific substances new to arthropod glandular secretions occur in the mandibular glands of male ants of five species in the genus Camponotus. These volatile compounds, which are not found in alate females or workers, have been identified as methyl 6-methyl salicylate, 2,4-dimethyl-2-hexenoic acid, and methyl anthranilate. The free acid has not been described previously.

Refsum's disease: characterization of the enzyme defect in cell culture

Refsum's disease (heredopathia atactica polyneuritiformis, HAP) is an inherited neurological disorder associated with storage of the branched-chain fatty acid, phytanic acid (3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadecanoic acid). Cultured fibroblasts derived from skin biopsies of HAP patients did not contain elevated levels of phytanate, yet showed rates of phytanate-C-(14)C oxidation less than 3% of those seen in cells from control subjects. Cells of control subjects converted phytanate to alpha-hydroxyphytanate, to pristanate (the [n-1] homologue of phytanate) and to 4,8,12-trimethyltridecanoate, compounds previously identified as intermediates on the major pathway for phytanate metabolism in animals, providing the first direct evidence that this same oxidative pathway is operative in human cells. None of these breakdown products could be found after incubation of phytanate with HAP cells. Labeled alpha-hydroxyphytanate and labeled pristanate were oxidized at normal rates by HAP cells. Oxidation of the latter proceeded at normal rates both when added to the medium at very low tracer levels and at levels 100 times greater. Phytanate was incorporated into and released from lipid esters at normal rates by HAP cells. Elevated levels of free phytanate in the medium were no more toxic to HAP cells than to control cells over the 48- to 72-hr exposures involved in these studies, as evidenced by morphologic criteria and by ability to oxidize labeled palmitate. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the cells from HAP patients are deficient in a single enzyme involved in the alpha-hydroxylation of phytanate, while the enzymes involved in later steps are present at normal or near-normal levels.

Studies on the metabolic error in Refsum's disease

Studies utilizing mevalonic acid-2-(14)C and D(2)O as precursors failed to provide evidence for an appreciable rate of endogenous biosynthesis of phytanic acid in a patient with Refsum's disease. Orally administered tracer doses of phytol-U-(14)C were well absorbed both by seven normal control subjects (61 to 94%) and by two patients with Refsum's disease (74 and 80%). The fraction of the absorbed dose converted to (14)CO(2) in 12 hours was 3.5 and 5.8% in Refsum's disease patients and averaged 20.9% in seven control subjects. Labeled phytanic acid was demonstrated in the plasma of both control subjects and patients given phytol-U-(14)C, establishing phytol in the diet as a potential precursor of phytanic acid. This labeled phytanic acid had disappeared almost completely from the plasma of the seven control subjects by 24 to 48 hours, whereas it persisted at high concentrations in the plasma of the two patients for many days. We conclude that the phytanic acid accumulating in Refsum's disease is primarily of exogenous origin and that patients with Refsum's disease have a relative block in the degradation of phytanic acid and possibly other similar branched-chain compounds. This may relate to a deficiency in mechanisms for release of phytanic acid from stored ester forms or, more probably, to reactions essential to oxidative degradation of the carbon skeleton.

The uropygiols: identification of the unsaponifiable constituent of a diester wax from chicken preen glands

The chief lipid fraction in the uropygial gland excretion of the domestic hen is a diester wax. The saponifiable fraction of this wax consists of saturated normal C(10)-C(20) fatty acids. The unsaponifiable fraction consists of a series of three homologous compounds, which have been named the uropygiols and identified by mass spectrometry, gas-liquid chromatography, and periodate cleavage as 2,3-n-alkanediols containing 22-24 carbon atoms. The native diols were shown to consist of about equal amounts of the threo and erythro isomers. Records of analyses of the natural products as well as related synthetic compounds are shown.

Juvenile hormone: identification of an active compound from balsam fir

A sesquiterpenoid ester with high juvenile hormone activity for Pyrrhocoris apterus (L.) was isolated from balsam fir, Abies balsamea (L.) Miller, and identified as the methyl ester of todomatuic acid.

Effects of dietary phytol and phytanic acid in animals

Feeding of phytol in large doses (2-5% by weight in the diet) led to accumulation of phytanic acid in the mouse, rat, rabbit, and chinchilla, the degree of accumulation depending upon the level of dietary intake. The relative concentration of phytanic acid, expressed as a percentage of the total fatty acids, was as high as 20-60% in liver and 30-40% in serum. Phytenic acid, which may be an intermediate in the conversion of phytol to phytanic acid, also accumulated. When phytol was withdrawn from the diet, tissue and serum concentrations of phytanic acid fell rapidly, which indicates the ability of the normal animal to metabolize phytanic acid readily. At high dosages in the diet, phytol inhibited growth and caused death within 1-4 weeks. In the mouse, dietary phytanic acid and dietary phytol fed in equivalent amounts were of comparable toxicity. Accumulation of tissue phytanic acid occurred more rapidly when phytanic acid was fed than when phytol was fed in equal amounts. In none of the animals fed either phytol or phytanic acid were there any signs of neurological defects. Histologic examination of rats fed phytol showed some fat accumulation, glycogen depletion, and karyokinesis in the liver. There were no pathologic changes in the retina or in the peripheral and central nervous system such as those described in Refsum's disease.

Metabolism of phytol-U-14C and phytanic acid-U-14C in the rat

The metabolism of uniformly-labeled (14)C-phytol, (14)C-phytenic acid, and (14)C-phytanic acid was studied in the rat. Conversion of both phytol and phytenic acid to phytanic acid was demonstrated. Tracer doses of phytol-U-(14)C given orally were well absorbed (30-66%), and approximately 30% of the absorbed dose was converted to (14)CO(2) in 18 hr. After intravenous injection, 20% appeared in (14)CO(2) in 4 hr. Phytanic acid-U-(14)C given intravenously was oxidized at a comparable rate (22-37% in 4 hr) and was as rapidly oxidized as palmitic acid-1-(14)C (21% in 4 hr). Metabolism of these substrates was also studied in rats previously maintained on a diet containing 5% phytol by weight, which causes accumulation of phytanic acid, phytenic acid, and, to a lesser extent, phytol in blood and tissues. Despite the large body pools of preformed, unlabeled substrate in these animals, the fraction of an administered dose of phytol-U-(14)C or phytanic acid-U-(14)C converted to (14)CO(2) was not significantly diminished. These studies indicate that the rat has an appreciable capacity to degrade the highly branched carbon skeleton of phytol and its derivatives. Twenty-four hours after administration of phytol-U-(14)C, the lipid radioactivity remaining in the body was widely distributed among the tissues, highest concentrations being found in liver and adipose tissue. Four hours after intravenous administration of phytanic acid-U-(14)C, all of the major lipid classes in the liver contained radioactivity, most in triglycerides and phospholipids and least in cholesterol esters and lower glycerides. There was no demonstrable incorporation of mevalonate-2-(14)C or acetate-1-(14)C into liver phytanic acid when they were given intravenously to a rat previously fed phytol. Endogenous biosynthesis, if it occurs at all, must be extremely limited.