Summary
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 C30, C25 and/or C20 acyclic isoprenoid hydrocarbons with a continuous range of hydroisoprenoid homologues. The range of acyclic isoprenoids detected were from C14 to C30. Apart fromMetbanosarcina barkeri, squalene and/or hydrosqualene derivatives were the predominant components in all species studied. The components ofMetbanosarcina barkeri were a family of C25 homologues. The distribution of the neutral lipid components and their specItIc 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 evironmental 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.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albaigès, J., Borbón J., Salagre, P. (1978). Tetrahedron letters, 595–598
Amdur, B.H., Szabo, E.I., Socransky, S.S. (1978). J. Bacteriol.135, 161–163
Anderson, R., Kates M., Baedecker, M.J., Kaplan, I.R., Ackman, R.G. (1977). Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta41, 1381–1390
Balch, W.E., Magrum, L.J., Fox, G.E., Wolfe, R.S., Woese, C.R. (1977). J. Mol. Evol.9, 305–311
Bligh, E.G., Dyer, W.J. (1959). Can. J. Physiol.37, 911–917
Bloch, K. (1976). Reflections on biochemistry in honor of Severo Ochoa, A. Kornberg, B.L. Horecker, L. Cornudella and J. Oro, eds, pp. 143–150. Oxford: Pergamon Press
DeRosa, M., DeRosa, S., Gambacorta, A., Minale, L., Bu'Lock, J.D. (1977). Phytochem.16, 1961–1965
DeRosa, M., Gambacorta, A., Minale, L. (1973). Phytochem.12, 1117–1123
Fox, G.E., Magrum, L.J., Balch, W.E. Wolfe, R.S., Woese, C.R. (1977). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.74, 4537–4541
Gelpi, E., Oro, J. (1968). J. Am. Oil. Soc.45, 144–147
Han, J., Calvin, M. (1969). Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta33, 733
Kandler, O., Hippie, H. (1977). Arch. Microbiol.113, 57–60
Kandler, O., König, H. (1978). Arch. Microbiol.118, 141–152
Kates M. (1972). Ether Lipids, Chemistry and Biology, F. Synder, ed., pp. 351–398. New York: Academic Press
Kates, M. (1978). Prog. Chem. Fats, Other Lipids15, 301–342
Kates, M., Yengoyan, L.S., Sastry, P.S. (1965). Biochim. Biophys. Acta98 252–268
Kramer, J.K.G., Kushwaha, S.C., Kates, M. (1972). Biochim. Biophys. Acta270, 103–110
Kushwaha, S.C., Pugh, E.L., Kramer, J.K.G., Kates, M. (1972). Biochim. Biophys. Acta260, 492–506
Langworthy, T.A. (1977). Biochim. Biophys. Acta487, 37–50
Langworthy, T.A., Mayberry, W.R. (1976). Biochim. Biophys. Acta431, 550–569
Langworthy, T.A., Smith, P.F., Mayberry, W.R. (1972). J. Bacteriol.112, 1193–1200
Langworthy, T.A., Smith, P.F., Mayberry, W.R. (1974). J. Bacteriol.119, 106–116
Lanyi, J.K., Plachy, W., Kates, M. (1974). Biochemistry13, 4914–4920
Magrum, L.J., Leuhrsen, K.W., Woese, C.R. (1978). J. Mol. Evol.11, 1–8
Makula, R.A., Singer, M.E. (1978). Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm.82, 716–722
Maxwell, J.R., Cox, R.E., Eglinton, G., Pillinger, C.T., Ackman, R.G., Hooper, S.N. (1973). Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta36, 709–727
McCarthy, E.D., Calvin, M. (1967). Tetrahedron23, 2609–2619
Seifert, W.K., Moldowan, J.M., Smith, G.W., Whitehead, E.V. (1978). Nature271, 436–437
Spyckerelle, C., Arpino, P., Ourisson, G. (1972). Tetrahedron28, 5703–5713
Tornabene, T.G. (1973). Biochim. Biophys. Acta306, 173–185
Tornabene, T.G. (1976). Microbial Energy Conversion, H.G. Schlegel and J. Barnes, eds., pp. 281–299. Oxford, England: Pergamon Press
Tornabene, T.G. (1978). J. Mol. Evol.11, 253–257
Tornabene, T.G., Kates, M., Gelpi, E., Oró, J. (1969). J. Lipid Res.10, 294–303
Tornabene, T.G., Langworthy, T.A. (1979). Science,203, 51–53
Tornabene, T.G., Wolfe, R.S., Balch, W.E., Holzer, G., Fox, G.E., Oró, J. (1978). J. Mol. Evol.11, 259–266
Woese, C.R., Fox, G.E. (1977). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.74, 5088–5090
Woese, C.R., Magrum, L.J., Fox, G.E. (1978a). J. Mol. Evol.11, 245–252
Zeikus, J.G., Wolfe, R.S. (1972). J. Bacteriol.109, 707–713
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tornabene, T.G., Langworthy, T.A., Holzer, G. et al. Squalenes, phytanes and other isoprenoids as major neutral lipids of methanogenic and thermoacidophilic “archaebacteria”. J Mol Evol 13, 73–83 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01732755
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01732755