Pterorhodin Explained

Pterorhodin is a pteridine pigment found in animals and plants.^[1] It has been extracted in melanosomes of tree frogs, butterflies, and plants as a wine red pigment.^{[2] [3]} In lemur tree frogs, pterorhodin allows skin to reflect the sun's heat.^{[4] [5]} Pterorhodin gives pigment color to bristle worms^[6] and is found in the iris of multiple bird species including the red-eyed vireo^[7] and the common loon.^[8]

Notes and References

1. Ramakrishna Rao . K. . Meenakshisundaram . S. . Shanmugasundaram . E. R. B. . Formation and Identification of the Pigment Pterorhodin in a Mutant of Fusarium vasinfectum Atk. . Nature . February 1967 . 213 . 5075 . 503–504 . 10.1038/213503a0. 1967Natur.213..503R . 4200675 .
2. Bagnara . Joseph T. . Enigmas of Pterorhodin, a Red Melanosomal Pigment of Tree Frogs . Pigment Cell Research . October 2003 . 16 . 5 . 510–516 . 10.1034/j.1600-0749.2003.00075.x. 12950730 .
3. Russell . Peter B. . Purrmann . Robert . Schmitt . Werner . Hitchings . George H. . The Synthesis of Pterorhodin (Rhodopterin) . Journal of the American Chemical Society . October 1949 . 71 . 10 . 3412–3416 . 10.1021/ja01178a042.
4. Schwalm. Patricia Ann. 1981. Ultrastructural correlates to infrared reflectance in New World treefrogs. The University of Chicago. PhD.
5. Blount. Christopher C. . 2018. Near infrared reflectance in Anura. The University of Manchester (United Kingdom).
6. Viscontini . M. . Hummel . W. . Fischer . A. . Pigmente von Nereiden (Annelida, Polychaeten). 1., Vorläufige Mitteilung. Isolierung von Pterindimeren aus den Augen von Platynereis dumerilii (Audouin & Milne Edwards) 1833 . Helvetica Chimica Acta . 1970 . 53 . 5 . 1207–1209 . 10.1002/hlca.19700530538.
7. Hudon . Jocelyn . Muir . Alister D. . Characterization of the Reflective Materials and Organelles in the Bright Irides of North American Blackbirds (Icterinae) . Pigment Cell Research . April 1996 . 9 . 2 . 96–104 . 10.1111/j.1600-0749.1996.tb00096.x . 8857673.
8. Andrade . Pedro . Carneiro . Miguel . Pterin-based pigmentation in animals . Biology Letters . August 2021 . 17 . 8 . 20210221 . 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0221. 34403644 . 8370806 . 237154759 .