EDWARD S. KLINE 167 



KLINE: Which component? Serotonin? 



MARTIN: Serotonin or the enzyme inhibitor. 



KLINE: We have not done that. I beheve that the best proof for 

 the locahzation of these compounds will come when we can 

 quantitatively isolate pure, undischarged nematocysts from the 

 animal. 



ROSS: I'm very interested and pleased to see your results with 

 serotonin. But I'd like to hear your comments on some observations 

 that Mathias, Schachter, and I made in London on the distribution 

 of serotonin in sea anemones, because our results would indicate 

 that we cannot extend this conception generally over a whole group 

 from one species unless one looks at the distribution very care- 

 fully. We found extracts from tentacles separated from the column, 

 or both separated from the tissues lining the coelenteron did not 

 contain much serotonin in 3 of the 4 species of sea anemones 

 that we used, viz., Metridiiim senile, Actinia equina and Anemonia 

 sulcata. The only place where we found a significant amount of 

 serotonin was in the "coelenteric tissue" of CalUactis parasitica, 

 and there it was present in large quantities, 500-600 mg. per gram 

 of freeze-dried matter. This was about 60 times the concentration 

 found in the tentacles. Thus there seemed to be no correlation 

 between the distribution of serotonin and nematocysts, or be- 

 tween different species. I wonder if you have any comment to 

 make on that? 



KLINE: I am aware of your work and it might appear that the 

 findings in various laboratories are contradictory. But as you have 

 said, we cannot necessarily extend results from one animal to an- 

 other. I believe Phillips thought his hydroxyindoleamine was 

 bufotenin rather than serotonin and that it was not localized in the 

 nematocysts. Your group found serotonin in certain anemones and 

 not in others and you feel that it is not concentrated in the nemato- 

 cysts. Is this correct? 



ROSS: Well, it's in a part of the animal where there are fewer 

 nematocysts. 



KLINE: Dr. Welsh's study with anemones points to it being 

 serotonin and in the nematocysts. For the most part we all have 



