Structures and profiles of novel sulfur-linked chlorophyll derivatives in an Antarctic lake sediment

High performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry has permitted the identification of a homologous series of novel alkylsulfide derivatives of chlorophyll a containing between one and five carbon atoms, in sediment from a coastal Antarctic lake. The sulfur-containing compounds are present in varying abundance in stratigraphic horizons representing a phase when the lake was a marine basin. Throughout this marine phase photic zone anoxia is recorded by the presence of bacteriochlorophyll c and d-derivatives. Distributional variations between sulfurised and non-sulfurised chlorophyll a-derivatives throughout the sediment section studied indicate that the extent of sulfurisation is not controlled by chlorophyll a abundance alone.