Summary
The leader and spacer regions of the two rRNA operons of Mycoplasma PG50 have been sequenced. The leader sequences are almost identical 120 bp upstream of the 16S rRNA genes and part of the identical region is highly homologous to the corresponding Bacillus subtilis sequences. The sequences flanking both the 16S and the 23S rRNA genes can be folded into large secondary structures with striking similarities to the corresponding structures proposed for B. subtilis. For each operon only one putative promoter can be identified. Approximately 100 bp upstream of the promoter for rrnA the genes for tRNALys and tRNALeu are located. The genes probably form a separate transcriptional unit as deduced from transcription initiation and termination signals. The organization of the tRNA genes including the presence of the promoter is identical to that of a part of the B. subtilis trnE operon. The homologies to the B. subtilis genes are 76% and 84% for the tRNALys and tRNALeu genes, respectively. A consensus sequence for stringent control in Mollicutes could not be found.
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Rasmussen, O.F., Frydenberg, J. & Chirtiansen, C. Analysis of the leader and spacer regions of the two rRNA operons of Mycoplasma PG50: two tRNA genes are located upstream of rrnA . Mole Gen Genet 208, 23–29 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00330417
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00330417