POLYAMINES OF HYPERTHERMOPHILIC ARCHAEBACTERIA, ARCHAEOGLOBUS, THERMOCOCCUS, PYROBACULUM AND SULFOLOBUS

The five hyperthermophilic archaebacteria located on the phylogenetica lly divergent four orders of Archaeoglobales, Thermococcales, Thermopr oteales and Sulfolobales, respectively, varied in their cellular polya mine components. Archaeoglobus fulgidus and Archaeoglobus profundus co ntained two quaternary branched penta-amines, N-4-bis(aminopropyl)sper midine and N-4-bis(aminopropyl)-norspermidine, as a major polyamine in addition to spermidine and spermine. Spermidine, spermine, a tertiary branched tetra-amine, N-4-aminopropylspermidine, and N-4-bis(aminopro pyl)spermidine were the major polyamines and canavalmine was the minor polyamine in Thermococcus peptonophilus. Pyrobaculum aerophilum and S ulfolobus hakonensis contained norspermidine, spermidine and norspermi ne as the major polyamines but they lacked either branched or long lin ear polyamines.