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The lipids of a deep-sea hydrothermal vent archæon, Thermococcus S 557, were isolated, purified and structurally determined. Based on acid methanolysis and spectroscopic studies, the polar lipids were shown to comprise diphytanyl glycerol and dibiphytanyl diglycerol, typical membrane lipids of Archæa. From the neutral lipids, 2,3-di-O-dihydro-14,15-geranylgeranyl glycerol was isolated. This novel ether lipid is, very likely, a close intermediate in the biosynthesis of diphytanyl glycerol diether in Archæa.
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Gonthier et al. (2001) studied this question.
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