Abstract
Polyamines of thermophilic Gram-negative eubacteria, "Rhodothermus marinus" ATCC 43812, Thermus sp. ATCC 43814 and Thermonema lapsum ATCC 43542 were analyzed by high-perfomance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. "R. marinus" contained spermidine, spermine, thermopentamine, a tertiary tetraamine (N4-aminopropylspermidine) and a quaternary pentaamine (N4-bis(aminopropyl) spermidine). Thermus sp. ATCC 43814 contained putrescine, cadaverine, norspermidine, spermidine, homospermidine, norspermine, spermine, thermospermine, aminopropylhomospermidine, caldopentamine, agmatine, two tertiary tetraamines (N4-aminopropylnorspermidine and N4-aminopropylspermidine) and two quaternary pentaamines (N4-bis(aminopropyl)norspermidine and N4-bis(aminopropyl)spermidine). Homospermidine and homospermine were detected in Thermonema lapsum as the major polyamine. These distribution patterns of long and branched polyamines are distinctive in the thermophiles, indicating that unusual polyamine profiles serve to estimate chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic relationships within thermophilic eubacteria.
