title: [Study on the identification characteristics of rRNA genes on Yersinia pestis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the identification characteristics of rRNA genes on Yersinia (Y.) pestis.
  
  
  METHODS
  By means of comparative genomics, we compared the rRNA genome sequences of nine completely sequenced strains of Y. pestis isolated from China and other countries by Clustal W software. We also compared the 2000 bp sequence adjacent to the rRNA genes, rRNA genes and 16S-23S rRNA spacer region respectively to determine the identification features of rRNA genes for Y. pestis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 6 rRNA gene clusters in the strains of D182038, D106004, Z176003 and CO92 respectively (6 copies strain). There were 7 rRNA gene clusters in the strains of 91001, KIM, Nepal516, Antiqua and Pestoides F (7 copies strain). According to the 2000 bp sequence, 13 types of rRNA gene clusters could classify the strains between the 6 copies and 7 copies. There were 4 types of tRNA gene among the 16S-23S rRNA spacer region that could classify the strains among the 6 copies and 7 copies strains respectively. The number of point mutation among the 23S rRNA gene was statistically different in some copies under ANOVA analysis (F = 0.548, P = 0.815 > 0.05 among the strains and F = 5.228, P < 0.01 among the copies).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 2000 bp sequence adjacent to the rRNA genes, tRNA gene and 23S rRNA gene sequence could serve as the identification sign of rRNA genes for classifing the strains of Y. pestis.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Juan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jian-Chun
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: En-Min
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-Na
authors.initials: XN
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Xiao-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Dong-Lei
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Li-Na
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jian-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dong-Zheng
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hai
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D005810:Multigene Family; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification