Abstract
1. A water soluble, heat stable compound has been obtained from the mucus secreted by the dorid nudibranch, Doriopsilla albopunctata. 2. The effects of D. albopunctata mucus on vertebrate (rabbit and guinea-pig) as well as invertebrate (the sea cucumber, Cucumaria miniata) smooth muscle preparations enabled partial purification and analysis of pharmacological properties. 3. Extracts from the mucus behave like atropine by competitively inhibiting acetylcholine (ACH) without depolarizing the smooth muscle. Mean responses of the C. miniata assay to 6.2 mg/ml of the partially purified compound corresponded to a dose of 2.7 × 10 −5 −1.75 × 10 −5 M atropine. 4. The compound reported here may serve as a chemical defense against predators.
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