POLYAMINES IN THE HYDROGEN-OXIDIZING EUBACTERIA HYDROGENOBACTER, CALDEROBACTERIUM AND HYDROGENOVIBRIO AND THE SULFUR-REDUCING ARCHAEBACTERIA STYGIOLOBUS AND DESULFUROLOBUS

A novel quaternary branched penta-amine, N-4-bis(aminopropyl)norspermi dine, was the main polyamine of the thermophilic, chemolithotrophic, h ydrogen-oxidizing eubacteria, Hydrogenobacter acidophilus and Calderob acterium hydrogenophilum. The mesophilic, chemolithotrophic, hydrogen- oxidizing eubacterium, Hydrogenovibrio marinus contained putrescine an d spermidine. The thermoacidophilic Stygiolobus azoricus growing chemo lithotrophically by reduction of sulphur, and a thermoacidophile, Desu lfurolobus ambivalens, growing chemolithotrophically by either oxidati on or reduction of sulphur, belonging to the family Sulfolobaceae (ord er Sulfolobales) of the archaebacteria, ubiquitously contained norsper midine, spermidine, norspermine and spermine.