Squalenes, phytanes and other isoprenoids as major neutral lipids of methanogenic and thermoacidophilic archaebacteria

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · J. Mol. Evol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01732755· OSTI ID:6839413

Tornabene, T G ^[1]; Langworthy, T A; Holzer, G; Oro, J

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1. Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins

The neutral lipids of nine species of methanogenic bacteria including five methanobacilli, two methanococci, a methanospirillum, one methanosarcina as well as two thermoacidophilic bacteria, Thermoplasma and Sulfolobus, were analyzed. The major components were C/sub 30/, C/sub 25/ and/or C/sub 20/ acyclic isoprenoid hydrocarbons with a continuous range of hydroisoprenoid homologues. The range of acyclic isoprenoids detected were from C/sub 14/ to C/sub 30/. Apart from Methanosarcina barkeri, squalene and/or hydrosqualene derivatives were the predominant components in all species studied. The components of Methanosarcina barkeri were a family of C/sub 25/ homologues. The distribution of the neutral lipid components and their specific variations in relative intensities emphasized the differences between the test organisms while the generic nature of the isoprenoid hydrocarbons demonstrated similarities between the diverse bacteria. The neutral lipid compositions from these bacteria, many of which exist in environmental conditions like those described for the various evolutionary stages of the archean ecology, resemble the isoprenoid distribution isolated from ancient sediments and petroleum. Therefore, these findings may have major implications to biological and biogeochemical evolution.

• OSTI ID: 6839413
• Journal Information: J. Mol. Evol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Mol. Evol.; (United States) Vol. 13; ISSN JMEVA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550200 -- Biochemistry
550700* -- Microbiology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION
BIOLOGY
CELL CULTURES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CORRELATIONS
DATA
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
LIPIDS
METHANOGENIC BACTERIA
MICROORGANISMS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
POLYENES
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SEDIMENTS
SQUALENE
TAXONOMY
TERPENES