The stereochemical fate of glycerol during the biosynthesis of membrane lipids in thermoacidophilic archaebacteria Sulfolobus acidocaldarius
Abstract
Chirally deuteriated glycerol has been incorporated stereospecifically into the membrane lipids, 2,3-di-O-biphytanyl diglycerol tetraether lipids, of acidothermophile Sulfolobus acidocaldarius in such a way that the sn-C-3 position of glycerol is alkylated, in contrast to the case of halophilic archaebacteria Halobacterium halobium.