Lipid hydrogen isotope compositions primarily reflect growth water in the model archaeon <i>Sulfolobus acidocaldarius</i>.

ABSTRACT: The stable hydrogen isotope composition (δ²H) of lipid biomarkers can track environmental processes and remain stable over geologically relevant time scales, enabling studies of past climate, hydrology, and ecology. Most research has focused on lipids from the domain Eukarya (e.g., plant waxes, long-chain alkanes), and the potential of prokaryotic lipid biomarkers from the domain Archaea to offer unique insights into environments not captured by eukaryotic lipids remains unclear. Here, we investigate the H-isotope composition of biphytanes in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, a model thermoacidophile and obligate heterotroph. We conducted a series of experiments that varied temperature, pH, shaking rate, electron acceptor availability, or electron donor flux. From these experime

SUBMITTER: Harris CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12016520 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature