| Popis: |
Reducing surface sediment from a depth of 300 m in the Dead Sea was found to contain phytanic acid (520 μg/Kg), dihydrogen phytol (800 μg/Kg) and phytane (17 μg/Kg). An investigation revealed that glycerol phytanyldiether could be isolated from the sediment by hydrolysis of a lipid soluble fraction. The phytanyldiether is probably derived from the phosphatidyl glycerophosphate lipid, which has been demonstrated by Kates and co-workers to be the dominant lipid present in red halophilic bacteria. Comparison of results by analysis of Halobacterium cutirubrum, using the same analytical procedure as was used for the sediment investigation, confirmed the authenticity of the lipid characterization. In view of this finding, it is suggested that phytane in the Dead Sea sediment has been derived from this lipid and that long-chain isoprenoid hydrocarbons in some ancient environments may have had a similar origin. |
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