LIPOAMINO ACIDS :
N-ACYL and ESTER DERIVATIVES of
AMINO ACIDS
Several types of derivatives are known according to
their amino acid moiety:
1 - Lysine-containing lipids
Some of them are known as Siolipin A. In these compounds lysine is N-linked
to a fatty acid (normal or hydroxylated, R1) and to a fatty alcohol
(R2) (ester link). They are found
in Streptomyces species of bacteria.
2 - Ornithine-containing lipids
In these lipids ornithine is linked to a fatty acid (R1) by an amide link and to
a long-chain fatty alcohol (R2) by an ester link.
The fatty acid chain (R1) has 16 to
18 carbon atoms and the fatty alcohol may have a cyclopropane ring. They occur
in photosynthetic purple bacteria (Gorshein A, Biochim Biophys Acta 1968,
152, 358).
Less complex forms containing ornithine linked
to fatty acids only were also described.
