POLYAMINES OF THE THERMOPHILIC EUBACTERIA BELONGING TO THE GENERA THERMOTOGA, THERMODESULFOVIBRIO, THERMOLEOPHILUM, THERMUS, RHODOTHERMUS AND MEIOTHERMUS, AND THE THERMOPHILIC ARCHAEBACTERIA BELONGING TO THE GENERA AEROPYRUM, PICROPHILUS, METHANOBACTERIUM AND METHANOCOCCUS

Cellular polyamines of several thermophilic eubacteria and archaebacte ria were investigated by high performance liquid chromatography and ga s chromatography. A hyperthermophilic eubacterium, Thermotoga maritima , contained a linear penta-amine and a linear hexa-amine. The moderate thermophiles, Thermotoga elfii and Thermodesulfovibrio yellowstonii c ontained a linear penta-amine. A quaternary branched penta-amine, N-4- bis(aminopropyl)spermidine, was the major polyamine in extremely therm ophilic Thermoleophilum species. the long linear and branched polyamin es occurred in the extreme thermophiles, Thermus and Rhodothermus, but were not detected in moderately thermophilic Meiothermus. In archaeba cteria, linear penta-amines were distributed in hyperthermophilic Aero pyrum. A moderately thermophilic hyperacidophile, Picrophilus, contain ed spermidine and lacked longer amines. N-4-bis(aminopropyl)spermidine was found in a hyperthermophilic methanogen, Methanococcus jannaschii , as a major polyamine, but not detected in extremely/moderately therm ophilic Methanococcus and Methanobacterium species. This is the first report on the occurrence of quaternary branched polyamine in methanoge nic archaebacteria. Chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic significance of th e distribution of long linear and branched polyamines possibly associa ted with their thermophily exist in the thermophiles.