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

Abstract

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; C(30)H(50)), dihydrosqualene (S(2); C(30)H(52)), and tetrahydrosqualene (S(4); C(30)H(54)) in the ratio of 1.0:0.4:0.1. S(2) probably has one reduced internal isoprenoid group, and S(4) 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 C(40) isoprenoid side chain, and is thus identified as menaquinone-8 (MK-8).