Biosynthetic machinery for C,C-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, C isoprenoid hydrocarbon chains. In the present study, we identify two prenyltransferases and a prenyl reductase responsible for the biosynthesis of C,C-diether lipids in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix. These enzymes are more specific to C isoprenoid chains than to C chains, which are used for the biosynthesis of ordinary C,C-diether archaeal lipids. The recombinant expression of these enzymes with two known archaeal enzymes allows the production of C,C-diether archaeal lipids in the cells of Escherichia coli.