A new indole alkaloid (1) was isolated from the tunicate Dendrodoa gro
ssularia. The structure was determined by spectroscopic means, particu
larly extensive 1D and 2D NMR studies and chemical transformation. X-R
ay crystallographic analysis of 2, obtained from 1 by treatment with A
c2O-pyridine, unambiguously provided the structure and the relative st
ereochemistry at C-5' of compound 2, and hence of 1.