The hopanoids of the purple non-sulfur bacteria Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Rhodopseudomonas acidophila and the absolute configuration of bacteriohopanetetrol.

Five complex hopanoids have been detected in the purple non-sulfur bacterium Rhodopseudomonas acidophila. Next to the polyfunctionalized methylcyclopentane bacteriohopanetetrol ether already isolated from Methylobacterium organophilum, 35-carbamoylbacteriohopane-32,33,34-triol, 34,35-dicarbamoylbacteriohopane-32,33-diol and two nucleoside analogues, (22R)-30-(5'-adenosyl)hopane and (22S)-30-(5'-adenosyl)hopane were isolated and identified by spectroscopic and chemical methods. In Rhodopseudomonas palustris, however, only 35-amino-bacteriohopane-32,33,34-triol was detected. Chemical correlation between adenosylhopane and bacteriohopanetetrol, as well as comparison of derivatives obtained from bacterial and synthetic hopanoids, permitted the determination of the configurations of all asymmetric centres of the side-chain of bacteriohopanetetrol as 22R, 32R, 33R and 34S. According to the stereochemistry, this side-chain could be a D-ribose derivative linked through its C-5 carbon atom to the hopane skeleton.