SECONDARY METABOLITES BY CHEMICAL-SCREENING .25. NEW CYCLIC POLYSULFIDES FROM HYPERTHERMOPHILIC ARCHAEA OF THE GENUS THERMOCOCCUS

From the intact cells of the sulfur-metabolizing hyperthermophilic arc hea Thermococcus tadjuricus (strain Ob9) and Thermococcus acidaminovor ans (strain Vc6bk) 23 predominantly new cyclic polysulfides could be i solated by using chemical screening methods. The structures of nine pr eparatively separated compounds were determined by spectroscopic metho ds, whereas those of 14 compounds were established by GC-MS only. Most of the polysulfides are derivatives of 1,2,4-trithiolane, 1,2,4,5-tet rathiane and 1,2,3,5,6-pentathiepane. They differ from each other by a liphatic or aromatic side chains, derived from predominantly metaboliz ed proteinogenic amino acids. The building mechanism and the relevance of the polysulfides are discussed.