Ammonifex is a thermophilic member of the low GC, gram-positive
Bacteria that grows anaerobically by H
2 oxidation coupled to the reduction of NO
3- to NH
3. It contains ether-linked lipids similar to the thermophilic bacterium
Thermodesulfobacterium. This is interesting because the glycerol side chains of these ether-linked lipids are not phytanyl groups but instead a unique C
17 hydrocarbon along with some fatty acids.
Taken from the text Brock Biology of Microorganisms (10th ed.). Madigan, M.T., Martinko, J.M., and Parker, J. 2003. Prentice Hall. 441p.