Prokaryotic triterpenoids. 2. 2 beta-Methylhopanoids from Methylobacterium organophilum and Nostoc muscorum, a new series of prokaryotic triterpenoids.

2 beta-Methylhopanoids, a new series of triterpenoids was identified from two prokaryotes. 2 beta-Methyldiplopterol was isolated from the methylotrophic bacterium Methylobacterium organophilum, and three different 2 beta-methylbacteriohopanepolyols from the cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum. The structures of these compounds was deduced by direct comparison with 2 beta-methyldiplopterol synthesized from 22-hydroxyhopan-3-one.