Application Notes:
This product is a tetraether monosaccharide phospholipid of high purity and is the main phospholipid (MPL) of
Thermoplasma acidophilum. It contains a glycerophosphate and a gulosyl pyranoside monosaccharide linked via a tetrather
chain. The MPL is largely responsible for T. acidophilum’s ability to survive in low pH (1-2) and high temperatures (55-
59°C)1 and constitutes almost half of the total lipids.2 MPL is useful for making liposomes to study various molecular
functions.3 It has been found to be valuable in the development and application of model membrane systems on the basis of
tetraether lipids as demonstrated by the integral membrane protein alamethicin and the peripheral proteins melittin,
valinomycin, and nonactin which interact primarily with lipid head groups and are readily incorporated into the tetraether
lipid structures. Growth of various living cell types was not affected by the MPL and when MPL liposomes were injected
into mice no pharmacological or toxic effects were detected other than increased behavioural activity. Labeled MPL
liposomes were found to be rapidly cleared from the circulation.4
References:
1. H. Shimada et al. “Complete Polar Lipid Composition of Thermoplasma acidophilum HO-62 Determined by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
with Evaporative Light-Scattering Detection” Journal of Bacteriology, Vol. 184:2 pp. 556-563, 2002
2. I. Uda et al. “Characterization of caldarchaetidylglycerol analogs, dialkyl-type and trialkyl-type, from Thermoplasma acidophilum” Lipids, Vol. 35:10 pp.
1155-1157, 2000
3. H.-J. Freisleben et al. “Reconstitution of bacteriorhodopsin and ATP synthase from Micrococcus luteus into liposomes of the purified main tetraether lipid
from Thermoplasma acidophilum : proton conductance and light-driven ATP synthesis” Chemistry and Physics of Lipids, Vol. 78:2 pp. 137, 1995
4. H.-J. Freisleben et al. “Toxicity and Biodistribution of Liposomes of the Main Phospholipid from the Archaebacterium Thermoplasma Acidophilum in
Mice” Journal of Liposome Research, Vol. 5:1 pp. 215, 1995