Chemical structure of a novel aminophospholipid from Hydrogenobacter thermophilus strain TK-6

The phospholipid composition of Hydrogenobacter thermophilus strain TK-6, a n obligately chemolithoautotrophic, extremely thermophilic hydrogen bacteri um, was analyzed. Two of four phospholipids detected from the strain were a ssumed to be phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylglycerol. An aminophospho lipid named PY., whose content among! the phospholipids was 65%, was found to have a novel chemical structure by analysis of the dilyso form with nucl ear magnetic resonance and fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) and by analysis of the intact PX with FAB-MS as 1,2-diacyl-3-O-(phospho-2' -O-(1'-aniino)-2',3',4',5'-pentanetetrol)-sn-glycerol. Structurally similar phospholipids have been identified in Methanospirillum hungatei, Methanola cinia paynteri, and Methanogenium cariaci, which all belong to the Archaea.