Macrocyclic ether lipids

Methanogen lipids have been intensively studied and characterized due to their structures being one of the most remarkable features that distinguish the Archaea from all other organisms (Woese et al., 1990). The polar lipids of methanogens comprise both di- and tetra-ethers of glycerol and isoprenoid alcohols with most compounds being based on the core lipids archaeol (12) or caldarchaeol (13). Minor core lipids are sn-2- and i -3-hydroxyarchaeol and macrocyclic... 

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