title: Characterization of Fatty Acids in Crenarchaeota by GC-MS and NMR.
abstract: Lipids composed of condensed isoprenyl units connected to glycerol backbones by ether linkages are a distinguishing feature of Archaea. Data suggesting that fatty acids with linear hydrocarbon chains are present in some Archaea have been available for decades. However, lack of genomic and biochemical evidence for the metabolic machinery required to synthesize and degrade fatty acids has left the field unclear on this potentially significant biochemical aspect. Because lipids are energy currency and cell signaling molecules, their presence in Archaea is significant for understanding archaeal biology. A recent large-scale bioinformatics analysis reignited the debate as to the importance of fatty acids in Archaea by presenting genetic evidence for the presence of enzymes required for anabolic and catabolic fatty acid metabolism across the archaeal domain. Here, we present direct biochemical evidence from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for the presence of fatty acids in two members of the Crenarchaeota, Sulfolobus solfataricus and Ignicoccus hospitalis. This is the first report providing biochemical data for the existence of fatty acids in these Crenarchaeota, opening new discussions on energy balance and the potential for the discovery of new thermostable enzymes for industry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hamerly
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tripet
authors.affiliation: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Louie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wurch
authors.affiliation: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hettich
authors.affiliation: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
authors.forename: Mircea
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Podar
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA; Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bothner
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA; Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Copié
mesh_terms: D019620:Desulfurococcaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D048229:Sulfolobus solfataricus / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids