Polyamines of the thermophilic eubacteria belonging to the genera Thermosipho, Thermaerobacter and Caldicellulosiruptor

Cellular polyamines of four new thermophiles located in three early branche d eubacterial clades, were investigated for the chemotaxonomic significance of polyamine distribution profiles. The thermophilic anaerobic Thermosipho japonicus, belonging to the order Thermotogales, contained norspermidine, norspermine and thermospermine in addition to spermidine and spermine. The polyamine profile was identical to the polyamine composition of Thermotoga, Fervidobacterium and Petrotoga species of the order. Spermidine, norspermi dine, spermine, N-4-bis(aminopropyl)spermidine and agmatine were found in t hermophilic aerobic Thermaerobacter marianensis. Some differences were obse rved in the polyamine compositions of the phylogenetically related thermoph ilic anaerobes. Moorella, Dictyoglomus, Thermoanaerobacterium and Thermoana erobacter species. Thermophilic anaerobic Caldicellulosiruptor kristjansson ii and Caldicellulosiruptor owensensis contained a linear penta-amine, ther mopentamine, and two quaternary branched penta-amines, N-4-bis(aminopropy]) spermidine and N-4- bis(aminopropyl)norspermidine, as the major polyamines. A novel tertiary branched penta-amine, N-4-aminopropylspermine. was found in the Two Caldicellulosiruptor species.