Occurrence of introns in the 16S rRNA genes of members of the genus Thermoproteus.
Multiple introns were detected in the 16S rRNA gene of newly isolated Thermoproteus species strains IC-033 and IC-061 and Thermoproteus neutrophilus JCM 9278. In the 16S rRNA gene of strain IC-033, five introns of 627, 762, 636, 33, and 682 bp existed after positions 548, 781, 1092, 1205, and 1213 (according to the Escherichia coli numbering system), respectively. Likewise, strain IC-061 possessed 764-, 32-, and 688-bp introns after positions 781, 1205, and 1213, respectively; and T. neutrophilus JCM 9278 had 34- and 663-bp introns after positions 1205 and 1213, respectively. All the introns carried the putative intron core structures consisting of a bulge-helix-bulge motif and a long stable stem. The large introns carried open reading frames containing the LAGLI-DADG-like motifs in their terminal inserts; however, three out of four large introns of strain IC-033 seemed to incur frameshift mutations. Occurrence of introns at the same insertion sites in the three strains would allow tracing of the evolutionary movements of these introns.
Japan Collection of Microorganisms, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan. ito@ulmus.riken.go.jp
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Itoh
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Suzuki
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Nakase
D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016368:Frameshift Mutation; D019766:Genes, Archaeal; D007438:Introns; D007564:Japan; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019642:RNA, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D019624:Thermoproteaceae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D012407:rRNA Operon / Q000235:genetics*
D019642:RNA, Archaeal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S