Summary
The number and organization of genes for ribosomal RNA in Methanococcus vannielii was analyzed by Southern hybridization of EcoRI, ClaI, HincII and HindIII digested chromosomal DNA with purified 5′-32P-labelled 5S, 16S and 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Four physically closely linked sequences hybridizing with all three rRNA species were demonstrated; the hybridization pattern indicated the following linkage in each case: 16S-23S-5S. In addition, digested Methanococcus DNA contained one sequence solely hybridizing with 5S rRNA and not with 16S or 23S rRNA.
Two of the presumptive rRNA operons and the single 5S rRNA hybridizing fragment have been cloned into the EcoRI site of vector pUR2; the hybrid plasmids were characterized by restriction enzyme, Southern blotting and R-loop analyses. The close linkage of 16S-23S-5S rRNA hybridizing sequences was confirmed; 16S and 23S rRNA sequences are separated by a spacer of 240 bp in one “operon” and by an even shorter spacer region in the second. DNA fragments containing the spacer region hybridized with 5′-32P-labelled tRNA. No intervening sequences were present in the 16S and 23S rRNA coding sequences. Analysis of the plasmid containing the 5S rRNA hybridizing sequence revealed that it is at least 6.6 kb remote from any other cistron for rRNA; it contains, however, genes for tRNA.
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Jarsch, M., Altenbuchner, J. & Böck, A. Physical organization of the genes for ribosomal RNA in Methanococcus vannielii . Molec Gen Genet 189, 41–47 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00326053
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00326053