The isolation of isoagathenediol: a new tricyclic diterpene from the lipids of Rhodospirillum rubrum

• Published in: Microbiology (Society for General Microbiology) Vol. 141; no. 10; pp. 2659 - 2663
• Main Authors: Chuck, Jo-Anne, Barrow, Kevin D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Soc General Microbiol 01.10.1995; Society for General Microbiology
• Subjects: Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Microbiology; Morphology, structure, chemical composition; Rhodospirillum rubrum; Terpenoid; Rhodospirillales; Purification; Molecular structure; Rhodospirillum rubrum; Diterpene; Bacteria; Lipids; Rhodospirillaceae; Tricyclic compound; Rhodospirillineae; Structural analysis
• ISSN: 1350-0872; 1465-2080
• DOI: 10.1099/13500872-141-10-2659

School of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia ABSTRACT Summary: A tricyclic diterpene, isoagathenediol, has been isolated from the lipid fraction of the photosynthetic non-sulphur bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum . The compound was present in trace amounts and its structure was determined by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Isoagathenediol is a new natural product and may function as a membrane fluidity modulator. Five other bacterial species have also been screened for the presence of this compound, but the diterpene was detected only in extracts derived from R. rubrum. As tricyclic diterpene fossils are readily detected in oil and shale samples, the isolation of isoagathenediol has indicated the biological origin of these fossils. Jo-Anne Chuck. Tel: +45 33 27 5229. Fax: +45 33 27 4766. e-mail: chuck@biobase.dk Keywords: Rhodospirillum rubrum , isoprenoids, lipids, hopanoids, diterpenes Present address: Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Gamle Carlsberg vej, 10 DK-2500 Copenhagen Valby, Denmark.