THE STRUCTURES OF 4 TRYPTOPHYLLIN AND 3 RUBELLIDIN PEPTIDES FROM THE AUSTRALIAN RED TREE FROG LITORIA-RUBELLA

The peptide content of the glandular secretions of Litoria rubella spe cimens collected from Derby and Lake Argyle (Kimberley region of Weste rn Australia) and from near Darwin in the Northern Territory are all q uite different; this suggests that there are different frog population s in these three areas. These different populations may be indicative of either different species or different sub-species of frog. There ar e two separate families of peptides in the glandular secretion of 'Lit oria rubella': (i) those corresponding to the tryptophyllin family (te tra- to hepta-peptides all containing the residues Pro and Trp), and ( ii) the rubellidinins (pentapeptides all containing two Phe residues a t positions 3 and 4). To date, no biological activity has been found f or any of these peptides, but it is suspected that the tryptophyllins may be neurotransmitters or neuromodulators.