NEW UNSATURATED LONG-CHAIN FATTY-ACIDS IN THE PHOSPHOLIPIDS FROM THE AXINELLIDA SPONGES TRIKENTRION LOEVE AND PSEUDAXINELLA CF LUNAECHARTA

In order to identify new structures and especially those involved as b iosynthetic intermediates, the fatty acid composition of whole phospho lipids from two Senegalese marine sponges from the order Axinellida, T rikentrion loeve and Pseudaxinella cf. lunaecharta, has been investiga ted by analytical gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spect rometry. Several new fatty acids were identified as methyl esters and N-acyl pyrrolidides, namely 16-eicosenoic, 11-tetracosenoic, 5-pentaco senoic, 11-hexacosenoic, 11-octacosenoic, 23-triacontenoic, 17,21-hexa cosadienoic, 19,23-octacosadienoic, 9,23-triacontadienoic, 5,9,21-hexa cosatrienoic, and 5,9,25-triacontatrienoic. Trikentrion loeve and P. c f. lunaecharta contain fifteen (25.7% of the total acid mixture) and t hirteen (30.4%) Delta 5,9 fatty acids, respectively. Based on gas chro matography/Fourier transform infrared experiments, the double bonds we re assigned the (Z) configuration. Biosynthesis of dienoic and trienoi c demospongic acids possessing an n-5 or an n-7 terminal double bond i s discussed.