Abstract: | The methanolyzed lipids of the extreme halophile, Halobacterium cutirubrum, were separated into glycerol diether and glycerol monoether fractions. The diether was shown by synthesis to be 2,3-di-O-(3'R,7'R,11'R,15'-tetramethylhexadecyl)-sn-glycerol. The monoether fraction was separated by thin-layer chromatography on boric acid-impregnated silicic acid into about equal amounts of alpha- and -isomers. The alpha-isomer was found to be identical with the synthetic 3-O-(3'R,7'R,11'R,15'-tetramethylhexadecyl)-sn-glycerol, and the -isomer was identical with the synthetic 2-O-(3'R,7'R,11'R,15'-tetramethylhexadecyl) glycerol. |