Purification of dolabellanin-C an antineoplastic glycoprotein in the body fluid of a sea hare, Dolabella auricularia.

An antineoplastic factor, dolabellanin C, inducing tumor lysis was purified to apparent homogeneity from the body fluid of the sea hare Dollabella auricularia. Purified dolabellanin C is a glyco-protein of 215 K daltons containing 3 subunits of 70 K daltons. The amino acid sequence of the amino terminal region was also determined. This factor was active even at 0.38 ng protein/ml, but did not lyse normal white or red blood cells.