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Squalenes, phytanes and other isoprenoids as major neutral lipids of methanogenic and thermoacidophilic 'archaebacteria'The neutral lipids from nine species of methanogenic bacteria (five methanobacilli, two methanococci, a methanospirillum and a methanosarcina) and two thermoacidophilic bacteria (Thermo-plasma and Sulfolobus) have been analyzed. The neutral lipids were found to comprise a wide range (C14 to C30) of polyisoprenyl hydrocarbons with varying degrees of saturation. The principal components represented the three major isoprenoid series (C20 phytanyl, C25 pentaisoprenyl, and C30 squalenyl), in contrast with the neutral lipids of extreme halophiles, which consist predominantly of C2O (phytanyl, geranylgeraniol), C30 (squalenes), C40 (carotenes) and C50 (bacterioruberins compounds), as reported by Kates (1978). These results, which indicate strong general similarities between genetically diverse organisms, support the classification of these organisms in a separate phylogenetic group. The occurrence of similar isoprenoid compounds in petroleum and ancient sediments and the fact that the methanogens, halophiles and thermoacidophiles live in conditions presumed to have prevailed in archaen times suggest that the isoprenoid compounds in petroleum compounds and sediment may have been directly synthesized by organisms of this type
Document ID
19790058261
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Tornabene, T. G.
(Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colo., United States)
Langworthy, T. A.
(South Dakota, University Vermillion, S. Dak., United States)
Holzer, G.
(Colorado State Univ. Fort Collins, CO, United States)
Oro, J.
(Houston, University Houston, Tex., United States)
Date Acquired
August 9, 2013
Publication Date
June 8, 1979
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Molecular Evolution
Volume: 13
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Accession Number
79A42274
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: PHS-EPCM-76-02652
CONTRACT_GRANT: EE-77-S-02-4478
CONTRACT_GRANT: PHS-AI-12277
CONTRACT_GRANT: NGR-44-005-002
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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