Envelopes of Thermus strains had a multilayered Gram-negative appearance. Peptidoglycan contained significant amounts of glycine, and ornithine was the dibasic amino acid. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) did not contain heptose and 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate was not positively identified. The polysaccharide from LPS contained glucose, glucosamine, galactose, galactosamine and, in two strains, mannose. The fatty acids identified in lipopolysaccharide were C14, C16 and CIS, both saturated and unsaturated.