Sterol patterns of cultured zooxanthellae isolated from marine invertebrates: synthesis of gorgosterol and 23-desmethylgorgosterol by aposymbiotic algae

Quantitative sterol compositions of cultured zooxanthellae isolated from various Pacific and Atlantic invertebrate hosts: Zoanthus sociatus (a zoanthid), Oculina diffusa (a scleractian coral), Tridacna gigas (a giant clam), Melibe pilosa (a nudibranch), and Aiptasia pulchella (a sea anemone) are reported. The results clearly demonstrate large differences in sterol patterns of zooxanthellae and that there is no obvious relationship between the taxonomic affiliation of the host and the sterol pattern of its isolated symbiont. The sterols of the zooxanthellae of O. diffusa (Cnidaria) and T. gigas (Mollusca) are qualitatively equivalent. Based on the structures of the two major free sterols synthesized by each alga, the zooxanthellae from different hosts were separated into three distinct groups. It was also found that an aposymbiotic alga can synthesize the unique marine sterols gorgosterol and 23-desmethylgorgosterol. Most of the sterols were identified by using mass spectroscopy and 360-MHz proton magnetic resonance. Spectroscopic data are reported for four novel sterols--(23,24R)-dimethyl-5α -cholest-(22E)-en-3β -ol, 23-methyl-5α -cholest-22E-en-3β -ol, cholesta-5, 14-dien-3β -ol, and 4α -methyl-5α -cholesta-8(14)-24-dien-3β -ol.