A P-31 nuclear magnetic resonance study of the hydrothermal vent tube wormRiftia pachyptila

P-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to study the major phosphory lated compounds visible in perchloric extracts of three body regions of the vestimentiferan worm Riftia pachyptila: winged vestimentum, trunk and segm ented posterior opisthosome. Two phosphagens (PGs) were present in vestimen tum and opisthosome. The major resonance corresponded to those of phosphoar ginine and phosphotaurocyamine, which can not be discriminated on 31P NMR s pectra. We have identified four distinct phosphodiesters (PDEs) in these ti ssues: glycero-phosphorylethanolamine (GPE), serine ethanolamine phosphodie ster (SEP), glycero-phosphorylcholine (GPC) and threonine ethanolamine phos phodiester (TEP). Three phosphonates or derivates (PAs) were observed in th e three body regions. The minor one was identified as 2-aminoethyl phosphon ate (2-AEP). The phosphorus profile of the trunk was appreciably different: one additional resonance in the PDE region and only one phosphagen peak we re observed. (C) Academie des Sciences / Elsevier, Paris.