ʟ-Ovothiol A: The Egg Release Pheromone of the Marine Polychaete Platynereis Dumerilii: Annelida: Polychaeta

Abstract

Sex pheromones, released with the coelomic fluid by male Platynereis dumerilii initiate egg release in swarming females. The egg release pheromone, isolated from the coelomic fluid of sexually mature males, was identified as ʟ-Ovothiol A, which was found in male marine invertebrates for the first time. Isolation was obtained by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography in the biologically inactive disulfide form.