A 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxy pentane-substituted pentacyclic triterpene from Bacillus acidocaldarius.

A long-chained polyalcohol (polyol) was isolated from the glycolipid fraction of the extreme thermoacidophile Bacillus acidocaldarius. The polyol and its Smith degradation products, as well as the alkanes derived from these compounds were characterized by mobility on thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography, and by infrared and mass spectrometry. The polyol is proposed to be a fully saturated pentacyclic tetrol (C35H62O4, Mr 546) containing a 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxy pentane substituted to a hopane-derived pentacyclic triterpene nucleus.