Structure of aldenochromines A and B, the iron(III) binding amino-acids of a unique group of peptides, adenochromes from Octopus vulgaris

Abstract

Adenochrome, the iron(II)-containing pigment from the branchial heart of Octopus vulgaria, has been shown to consist of a group of closely related peptides derived form glycine and two novel iron-binding amino-acids, adenochromines A (1a) and B (1b), which may arise biogenetivally from L-dopa and L-histidine-5-thiol (2).