Didemnum fragile

Didemnum fragile
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Tunicata
Class: Ascidiacea
Order: Aplousobranchia
Family: Didemnidae
Genus: Didemnum
Species:
D. fragile
Binomial name
Didemnum fragile
Sluiter, 1909
Synonyms
  • Didemnum fragilis Sluiter, 1909
  • Didemnum proliferum Kott, 1981

Didemnum fragile is a species of sea squirt in the family Didemnidae.

Research

Didemnum fragile is of medical interest as it contains shishijimicin molecules, which have been seen to have potent anti-tumor activity in HeLa cells at picomolar concentrations.[1] Shishijimicin A was recently synthesized.[2]

References

  1. ^ Oku, N; Matsunaga, S; Fusetani, N (26 February 2003). "Shishijimicins A-C, novel enediyne antitumor antibiotics from the ascidian Didemnum proliferum(1)". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 125 (8): 2044–5. doi:10.1021/ja0296780. PMID 12590521.
  2. ^ "Rice lab synthesizes cancer-killing compound". Retrieved 2015-07-13.


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