Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 10, 294-303, May 1969
Copyright © 1969 by Lipid Research, Inc.

Occurrence of squalene, di- and tetrahydrosqualenes, and vitamin MK₈ in an extremely halophilic bacterium, Halobacterium cutirubrum

T. G. Tornabene , M. Kates , E. Gelpi , and J. Oro

Division of Biosciences, National Research Council, Ottawa, Canada and Department of Biophysics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004

The nonpolar (acetone-soluble) lipids of the extremely halophilic bacterium, Halobacterium cutirubrum, were found to consist of red carotenoid pigments (43%) and squalenes (48%) with a small amount of a vitamin K-type quinone. The squalenes were shown by n.m.r. and mass spectra to consist of the fully isoprenoid squalene (S; C₃₀H₅₀), dihydrosqualene (S₂; C₃₀H₅₂), and tetrahydrosqualene (S₄; C₃₀H₅₄) in the ratio of 1.0:0.4:0.1. S₂ probably has one reduced internal isoprenoid group, and S₄ has one internal and one terminal reduced isoprenyl group. The vitamin K-type quinone was shown by n.m.r. and mass spectra to have a C₄₀ isoprenoid side chain, and is thus identified as menaquinone-8 (MK-8).

Supplementary key words menaquinone-8 • halophilic bacteria

Submitted on November 13, 1968
Accepted on February 10, 1969

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