LIPID ANALYSIS OF METHANOPYRUS-KANDLERI

Non-polar and polar lipids were isolated from Methanopyrus kandleri. N on-polar lipids accounted for 50% w/w of total lipids, with a high pro portion of 2,3-di-O-geranylgeranyl-sn-glycerol, 2,3-di-O-phytanyl-sn-g lycerol and geranylgeraniol. The core lipids prepared by mild acid met hanolysis consisted exclusively of 2,3-di-O-phytanyl-sn-glycerol. Two- dimensional TLC showed mostly glycolipids, and minor amounts of aminop hospholipids, phosphoglycolipids and phospholipids. The purification y ielded three diglycosyl-lipids (50% of total polar lipids), one trigly cosyl-lipid (5%) and six glycosyl-lipids with five glycosyl-groups (36 %), which consisted of glucose, galactose and mannose. The lipid analy sis supports the unique position of Methanopyrus kandleri within the 1 6S rRNA-based phylogenetic tree.