Novel polyfunctionalised geohopanoids in a recent lacustrine sediment (Priest Pot, UK)

The sediment of a highly productive lake (Priest Pot, UK) contains the biosynthesised hopanoid bacteriohopanetetrol (BHT) and a series of hopanediols and triols. These polyols represent intermediate stages in the conversion of biologically produced hopanoids to the diagenetic products, hopanes. Two of these geohopanoids, assigned as trishomohopane-32,33-diol and bishomohopane-30,31,32-triol have not been previously reported in recent sediments, and their identification, in addition to that of tetrakishomohopane-32,33,34-triol and a bishomohopanediol gives valuable information on the original composition and subsequent diagenesis of bacteriohopanepolyols within recent sediments.