Mirasorvone: A masked 20-ketopregnane from the defensive secretion of a diving beetle (Thermonectus marmoratus)

Jerrold Meinwald, Qing Huang, Jan Vrkoč, Kithsiri B. Herath, Zhi Cai Yang, Frank Schröder, Athula B. Attygalle, Vikram K. Iyengar, Randy C. Morgan, Thomas Eisner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

The sunburst diving beetle, Thermonectus marmoratus, ejects a milky fluid from its prothoracic defensive glands when disturbed. Two major volatile components of this secretion are steroids; cybisterone (structure 7) constitutes about 20% of the volatiles, and a new steroid, mirasorvone, about 50%. Mirasorvone is assigned an 18-oxygenated pregnane structure (structure 9) on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data. Although no 18-oxygenated steroid has been described previously from an insect source, a closely related hormone with mineralocorticoid activity, 18- hydroxydeoxycorticosterone (structure 13), has been isolated from the adrenal glands of rats.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2733-2737
Number of pages5
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume95
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 17 Mar 1998

Keywords

  • Dytiscidae
  • Hemiketal
  • Steroids

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