Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1987 Dec;169(12):5678–5685. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.12.5678-5685.1987

Chlamydial rRNA operons: gene organization and identification of putative tandem promoters.

J N Engel 1, D Ganem 1
PMCID: PMC214038  PMID: 2445732

Abstract

We isolated and characterized the rRNA operons of murine Chlamydia trachomatis. By exhaustively screening a library of chlamydial DNA and by blot hybridization of genomic DNA, we showed that there are only two rRNA operons in C. trachomatis. S1 nuclease protection and primer extension analysis were used to map the 5' and 3' ends of the mature 16S and 23S transcripts in both rRNA cistrons and, additionally, to demonstrate the lack of intervening sequences in these genes. The 5' ends of the presumed primary rRNA transcript were located and found to originate at two tandem sites separated by 100 base pairs. The two tandem chlamydial rDNA transcripts were not differentially regulated. Their products were coordinately expressed and were detectable as early as 9 h postinfection. However, the upstream transcript was only 10% as abundant as the downstream transcript. The sequences surrounding the transcription initiation sites bore little homology with each other or with the classic Escherichia coli -10 and -35 promoter sequences. This finding suggests that chlamydial transcription signals may differ from those of previously studied procaryotes.

Full text

PDF
5678

Images in this article

5680Image
on p.5680
5680Image
on p.5680
5681Image
on p.5681
5682Image
on p.5682
5682Image
on p.5682
5684Image
on p.5684
5685Image
on p.5685

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Becker Y. The chlamydia: molecular biology of procaryotic obligate parasites of eucaryocytes. Microbiol Rev. 1978 Jun;42(2):274–306. doi: 10.1128/mr.42.2.274-306.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Church G. M., Gilbert W. Genomic sequencing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Apr;81(7):1991–1995. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.7.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dennis P. P. Molecular biology of archaebacteria. J Bacteriol. 1986 Nov;168(2):471–478. doi: 10.1128/jb.168.2.471-478.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Fournier M. J., Ozeki H. Structure and organization of the transfer ribonucleic acid genes of Escherichia coli K-12. Microbiol Rev. 1985 Dec;49(4):379–397. doi: 10.1128/mr.49.4.379-397.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gegenheimer P., Apirion D. Processing of procaryotic ribonucleic acid. Microbiol Rev. 1981 Dec;45(4):502–541. doi: 10.1128/mr.45.4.502-541.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ginsburg D., Steitz J. A. The 30 S ribosomal precursor RNA from Escherichia coli. A primary transcript containing 23 S, 16 S, and 5 S sequences. J Biol Chem. 1975 Jul 25;250(14):5647–5654. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Green C. J., Stewart G. C., Hollis M. A., Vold B. S., Bott K. F. Nucleotide sequence of the Bacillus subtilis ribosomal RNA operon, rrnB. Gene. 1985;37(1-3):261–266. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(85)90281-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hoch J. A. Genetics of bacterial sporulation. Adv Genet. 1976;18:69–98. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2660(08)60437-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kaiser D., Manoil C., Dworkin M. Myxobacteria: cell interactions, genetics, and development. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1979;33:595–639. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.33.100179.003115. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lescure A. M., Bisanz-Seyer C., Pesey H., Mache R. In vitro transcription initiation of the spinach chloroplast 16S rRNA gene at two tandem promoters. Nucleic Acids Res. 1985 Dec 20;13(24):8787–8796. doi: 10.1093/nar/13.24.8787. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lindahl L., Zengel J. M. Expression of ribosomal genes in bacteria. Adv Genet. 1982;21:53–121. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2660(08)60297-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Piggot P. J., Coote J. G. Genetic aspects of bacterial endospore formation. Bacteriol Rev. 1976 Dec;40(4):908–962. doi: 10.1128/br.40.4.908-962.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Reznikoff W. S., Siegele D. A., Cowing D. W., Gross C. A. The regulation of transcription initiation in bacteria. Annu Rev Genet. 1985;19:355–387. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ge.19.120185.002035. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. STENT G. S., BRENNER S. A genetic locus for the regulation of ribonucleic acid synthesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1961 Dec 15;47:2005–2014. doi: 10.1073/pnas.47.12.2005. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sanger F., Nicklen S., Coulson A. R. DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Dec;74(12):5463–5467. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.12.5463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Schachter J., Caldwell H. D. Chlamydiae. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1980;34:285–309. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.34.100180.001441. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES