STORAGE OF CAROTENOIDS AND OF VITAMINS A 477 



ming deep-sea copepod (Idyafurcata). It is interesting that M. sanguinea 

 is red in the sunhght and green in the shade. 



(6) Carotenoids in Metazoa. a'. Porifera (Sponges) : A number of 

 members of this group of Metazoa exhibit brilUant pigments, which were 

 first examined in 1882 by Krukenberg.**^^ Lonnberg^o- demonstrated the 

 carotenoid character of the pigments in the "crumb of bread" sponge 

 {Halichondria panicea), in the fig-shaped sponge {Suberites ficus), in the 

 brittle red Mediterranean sponge {Dysidea fragilis) , and in the red sponge 

 (Axinella rugosa). The nature of the carotenoids in sponges is unique, in 

 that they consist chiefly of carotenes, while most other invertebrates store 

 xanthophyll pigments. ^"^ Lederer^^ reported the presence of a complex 

 mixture of hydrocarbons containing a-, ^-, and 7-carotenes, lycopene and 

 torulene in the clavuline sponge {Suberites domuncula) and in the fig- 

 shaped sponge {Ficulina ficus). Astaxanthin (astacene) was isolated by 

 Karrer and Solmssen*"^ from the Atlantic red sponge {Axinella cristagalli) . 

 Drumm et al.'^^^-'^^^ observed the presence of a-, (3-, and 7-carotenes, as well 

 as of a pigment believed to be echinenone, in the red-rock sponge {Hymcnia- 

 cidon sanguinea) ; however, no astaxanthin was found. 



b'. Cnidaria: Of all the animal kingdom, this group, which includes the 

 jelly-fishes, sea-anemones, corals, and related species, exhibits the greatest 

 variety and degree of pigmentation.^"^ Carotenoids were noted in a hydro- 

 zoid gymnoblast {Clava squamata) .^^"^ The most complete reviews on the 

 distribution of carotenoids in this group, and in other invertebrates, are 

 those of Lederer,'*"^ and of Fox and Pantin.'*''^ 



The carotenoids have been shown to be conjugated with proteins in 

 some cases. Thus, the blue pigmentation of the siphonophore, the blue 

 jelly-fish, "by-the-wind sailor" {Velello. spirans) is acquired through con- 

 jugation with protein. ''^"■^^i 



*! C. F. W. Krukenberg, Die Lipochrome der Spongien, Vergleichendphysiologische 

 Studien [2], Part 3, 108-115 (1882); cited bv D. L. Fox, Ann. Rev. Biochem., 16, 443-470 

 (1947), p. 444. 



«2E. Lonnberg, Arkiv Zool, A 22, No. 14, 1-49 (1931); A 25, No. 1, 1-17 (1932); 

 A 26, No. 7, 1-36 (1933). 



«3 D. L. Fox, D. M. Updegraff, and G. D. Novelli, Arch. Biochem., 5, 1-23 (1944). 



«* P. Karrer and U. Solmssen, Helv. Chim. Acta, 18, 915-921 (1935). 



«5 p. J. Drumm and W. F. O'Connor, Nature, 1/^5, 425 (1940). 



«6 p. J. Drumm, W. F. O'Connor, and L. P. Renouf, Biochem. J., 39, 208-210 

 (1945). 



«' E. Lonnberg and H. Hellstrom, Arkiv Zool., A 23, No. 15, 1-74 (1931). 



*08 E. Lederer, Biol. Rev. Cambridge Phil. Soc, 15, No. 3, 273-306 (1940). 



«9 D. L. Fox and C. F. A. Pantin, Biol. Rev. Cambridge Phil. Soc, 19, 121-134 

 (1944). 



410 D. Haurowitz and H. Waelsch, Z. physiol. Chem., 161, 300-317, 318 (1926). 



4" B. Krepp, Biol. Bull., 60, 120-123 (1931). 



