Tetrahydropyran ring-containing fatty acid-combined taurine (tetrathermoyltaurine) in the taurolipid fraction of Tetrahymena thermophila.

A tetrahydropyran ring-containing fatty acid-combined taurine (tetrathermoyltaurine) was found in the taurolipid fraction of Tetrahymena thermophila. Tetrathermoyltaurine accounted for about 0.6% of the total taurolipid of the cells. The compound was subjected to methanolic hydrochloric acid hydrolysis, and the structures of the hydrolysis products were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometries, as taurine and 2,3-dihydroxy-9,13-oxy-7-trans-octadecenoic acid (tetrathermic acid). The chemical structure of tetrathermoyltaurine was identified as 2-(2,3-dihydroxy-9,13-oxy-7-trans-octadecenoylamino) ethanesulfonic acid. This structure suggests that tetrathermoyltaurine may be derived from taurolipid B as the major taurolipid of the cells. When cells of HL 60, as a human lymphoma, were cultured with tetrathermoyltaurine, 88% of the cell growth was inhibited at the concentration of 100 micrograms/ml.