BIOSYNTHESIS OF TETRAPONERINE-8, A DEFENSE ALKALOID OF THE ANT TETRAPONERA SP

The administration of sodium [1-C-14] and [2-C-14] acetate, L-[U-C-14] glutamic acid, gamma-amino [U-C-14] butyric acid, L-[U-C-14] ornithin e hydrochloride, and [1,4-C-14] putrescine dihydrochloride to Tetrapon era sp. ants resulted in the formation, for each feeding experiment, o f labelled tetraponerine-8 (2). The distribution of radioactivity into 2 was established by chemical degradation. The results obtained favor the hypothesis that the pyrrolidine ring of tetraponerine-8 is derive d from L-glutamic acid via L-ornithine and putrescine, while the 12-ca rbon chain is derived from the combination of six acetate units.