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An intron within the 16S ribosomal RNA gene of the archaeon Pyrobaculum aerophilumThe 16S rRNA genes of Pyrobaculum aerophilum and Pyrobaculum islandicum were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, and the resulting products were sequenced directly. The two organisms are closely related by this measure (over 98% similar). However, they differ in that the (lone) 16S rRNA gene of Pyrobaculum aerophilum contains a 713-bp intron not seen in the corresponding gene of Pyrobaculum islandicum. To our knowledge, this is the only intron so far reported in the small subunit rRNA gene of a prokaryote. Upon excision the intron is circularized. A secondary structure model of the intron-containing rRNA suggests a splicing mechanism of the same type as that invoked for the tRNA introns of the Archaea and Eucarya and 23S rRNAs of the Archaea. The intron contains an open reading frame whose protein translation shows no certain homology with any known protein sequence.
Document ID
20050000499
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Burggraf, S.
(Universitat Regensburg Germany)
Larsen, N.
Woese, C. R.
Stetter, K. O.
Date Acquired
August 22, 2013
Publication Date
March 15, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume: 90
Issue: 6
ISSN: 0027-8424
Subject Category
Exobiology
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
NASA Discipline Exobiology
NASA Program Exobiology
NASA Discipline Number 52-30
Non-NASA Center

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