Biosynthetic machinery for C25,C25-diether archaeal lipids from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix

Archaea that thrive in harsh environments usually produce membrane lipids with specific structures such as bipolar tetraether lipids. Only a few genera of archaea, which are hyperthermophiles or halophiles, are known to utilize diether lipids with extended, C25 isoprenoid hydrocarbon chains. In the present study, we identify two prenyltransferases and a prenyl reductase responsible for the biosynthesis of C25,C25-diether lipids in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix. These enzymes are more specific to C25 isoprenoid chains than to C20 chains, which are used for the biosynthesis of ordinary C20,C20-diether archaeal lipids. The recombinant expression of these enzymes with two known archaeal enzymes allows the production of C25,C25-diether archaeal lipids in the cells of Escherichia coli.