Cellular polyamines of newly isolated acidophilic, thermophilic and thermoacidophilic archaebacteria were investigated for the chemotaxonomic significance of polyamine distribution profiles. In addition to spermidine, spermine and agmatine, a quaternary branched penta-amine,
N4-bis(aminopropyl)spermidine, was found in thermophilic
Thermococcus waiotapuensis,
Thermococcus aegaeus and
Pyrococcus glycovorans belonging to the order
Thermococcales. An acidophilic euryarchaeon,
Ferroplasma acidiphilum located in the order
Thermoplasmatales, contained spermidine and agmatine. Norspermidine, spermidine, norspermine and spermine were found in thermoacidophilic
Acidilobus aceticus and thermophilic
Thermodiscus maritimus located in the order
Desulfurococcales, and in thermophilic
Pyrobaculum arsenaticum,
Pyrobaculum oguniense,
Vulcanisaeta distributa and
Vulcanisaeta souniana belonging to the order
Thermoproteales; however, the four genera differ on their tetra- and penta-amine levels. Thermophilic
Staphylothermus hellenicus belonging to
Desulfurococcales contained caldopentamine, caldohexamine and
N1-acetylcaldopentamine in addition to norspermidine, spermidine and norspermine. This is the first report on the occurrence of acetylated penta-amine in nature.
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