Abstract Although the presence of sulfur in amber has been previously reported, its origins and nature are not precisely known. The recent identification by NMR of sulfides related to tricyclic resin acids in a Cretaceous amber sample unambiguously showed that sulfur occurs in amber as organic…
Abstract Hypersaline environments, including brines and brine inclusions of evaporite crystals, are currently of great interest due to their unique preservation properties for the search for terrestrial and potentially extraterrestrial biosignatures of ancient life. However, much is still unclear…
Abstract Archaeal membranes exhibit remarkable stability under extreme environmental conditions, a feature attributed to their unique lipid composition. While it is widely accepted that tetraether lipids confer structural integrity by forming monolayers, the role of bilayer-forming diether lipids…
Abstract The lipid cis-trans isomerase (Cti) is a periplasmic heme-c enzyme found in several bacteria including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogen known for causing nosocomial infections. This metalloenzyme catalyzes the cis-trans isomerization of unsaturated fatty acids in order to rapidly…
Abstract A seed recovered during archaeological excavations of a cave in the Judean desert was germinated, with radiocarbon analysis indicating an age of 993 CE– 1202 calCE. DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis identified the seedling as belonging to the angiosperm genus Commiphora Jacq.,…
Abstract Eukaryotic life appears to have flourished surprisingly late in the history of our planet. This view is based on the low diversity of diagnostic eukaryotic fossils in marine sediments of mid-Proterozoic age (around 1,600 to 800 million years ago) and an absence of steranes, the molecular…
Abstract Lipid biomarkers, such as the various bacteriohopanetetrol (BHT) isomers studied here, are useful tools in tracing bacterially mediated nitrogen and carbon cycle processes affecting greenhouse gas emissions, including the anaerobic oxidation of ammonia. Three BHT isomers occur commonly in…
Abstract Two novel compounds isolated from an amber sample from the Santonian of Piolenc (Vaucluse, SE France) were identified using nuclear magnetic resonance and high-resolution mass spectrometry as sulfurized analogues of diterpenic acids from the isopimaric series originating from ancient…
Abstract Elaboration of new engine oil specifications and growing level of environmental awareness have been calling for better fuel efficiency and reduction of carbon emissions. In this context, molybdenum dithiocarbamates (MoDTC) are important lubricant additives used to reduce friction…
Abstract During engine tests, it has been observed that the combined use of molybdenum dithiocarbamates (MoDTC) and methylene-bis(dithiocarbamates) (MBDTC) in formulated engine oils resulted in better fuel efficiency, keeping the friction coefficient stable at low values for a longer period of time…
Abstract The absence of unambiguous animal body fossils in rocks older than the late Ediacaran has rendered fossil lipids the most promising tracers of early organismic complexity. Yet much debate surrounds the various potential biological sources of putative metazoan steroids found in Precambrian…
Abstract The tribological performances of engine oils have been shown to be enhanced by the synergistic interactions between Mo dithiocarbamates (Mo(DTC)2) with other additives, and notably Zn dithiophosphates (Zn(DTP)2). Being two key components in formulated lubricants, a detailed understanding…
Abstract Elucidating the lipidome of Archaea is essential to understand their tolerance to extreme environmental conditions. Previous characterizations of the lipid composition of Pyrococcus species, a model genus of hyperthermophilic archaea belonging to the Thermococcales order, led to…
Abstract Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is a major process of bioavailable nitrogen removal frommarine systems. Previously, a bacteriohopanetetrol (BHT) isomer, with unknown stereochemistry, elut-ing later than BHT when examined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), was…
Abstract Bacteria and Eukarya organize their plasma membrane spatially into domains of distinct functions. Due to the uniqueness of their lipids, membrane functionalization in Archaea remains a debated area. A novel membrane ultrastructure predicts that monolayer and bilayer domains would be…
Abstract The widely distributed aromatic di- and triterpenoids from higher plants occurring in sediments are formed by diagenetic microbial processes affecting their precursor plant lipids. These compounds and their stable isotopic composition (δ13C and δ2H) have the potential to be used for…
Abstract Birch bark tar, an organic material frequently encountered during archaeological excavations, has been identified from its lipid composition on the cracks of a ceramic dated to the late Neolithic. Lipids of this black substance were dominated by a characteristic triterpenoid assemblage of…
Abstract Plant exudates have been extensively used in the past for different applications related to their olfactory, physical or medical properties. Their identification in archaeological samples relies, notably, on the characterisation of chemotaxonomic molecular markers but is often hampered by…
