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Archaebacterial lipids in hot-spring microbial mats

Nature volume 318, pages 656–659 (1985)Cite this article

Abstract

Modern and ancient sediments contain a multiplicity of organic compounds which record a partial history of the organisms that contributed them1. Interpretation of this record depends on the knowledge of links between the molecular markets and their biological, notably microbial, sources. This goal is made difficult by the complexity of modern sediment communities and the general lack of studies which directly tackle the relationships between the microbial inhabitants of natural systems and their associated organic compounds. We now report the first direct comparison between isopranyl ether-linked lipids in hot-spring microbial mats and the observed populations of archaebacteria. The particular mats examined are from Yellowstone National Park and may represent modern analogues of Precambrian communities preserved as stromatolites2,3. As relatively simple microbial systems, they are suitable for validating specific molecular markers as indictors of microbial populations within a natural community. We find that the phytanyl and biphytanyl ethers reflect the measured distribution of methanogenic archaebacteria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA

    D. M. Ward

  2. Organic Geochemistry Unit, University of Bristol, School of Chemistry, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 ITS, UK

    S. C. Brassell & G. Eglinton

Authors
  1. D. M. Ward
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  2. S. C. Brassell
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  3. G. Eglinton
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Ward, D., Brassell, S. & Eglinton, G. Archaebacterial lipids in hot-spring microbial mats. Nature 318, 656–659 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/318656a0

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