title: An unspliced group I intron in 23S rRNA links Chlamydiales, chloroplasts, and mitochondria.
abstract: Chlamydia was the only genus in the order Chlamydiales until the recent characterization of Simkania negevensis Z(T) and Parachlamydia acanthamoebae strains. The present study of Chlamydiales 23S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) focuses on a naturally occurring group I intron in the I-CpaI target site of 23S rDNA from S. negevensis. The intron, SnLSU. 1, belonged to the IB4 structural subgroup and was most closely related to large ribosomal subunit introns that express single-motif, LAGLIDADG endonucleases in chloroplasts of algae and in mitochondria of amoebae. RT-PCR and electrophoresis of in vivo rRNA indicated that the intron was not spliced out of the 23S rRNA. The unspliced 658-nt intron is the first group I intron to be found in bacterial rDNA or rRNA, and it may delay the S. negevensis developmental replication cycle by affecting ribosomal function.
authors.affiliation: Avian and Swine Respiratory Diseases Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Ames, Iowa 50010, USA. keverett@calc.vet.uga.edu
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Everett
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kahane
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bush
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Friedman
mesh_terms: D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D002695:Chlamydiales / Q000235:genetics*; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases / Q000235:genetics; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D007438:Introns; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis; D012326:RNA Splicing; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D012338:RNA, Ribosomal, 23S; D012313:RNA; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; C064668:endA protein, bacteria