A mutant of E. coli, isolated by Kindler and Hofschneider as a strain defective in RNase III activity, forms a 30S precursor of ribosomal RNA ("30S pre-rRNA"). The half-life of the 30S pre-rRNA in growing cells at 30 degrees , estimated by the rate of specific (3)[H]uridine incorporation, is about 1 min. In rifampicin-treated cells, the RNA is metabolized to mature rRNA with a half-life of abou...

BACKGROUND The concept of ribosomal constraints on rRNA genes is deduced primarily based on the comparison of consensus rRNA sequences between closely related species, but recent advances in whole-genome sequencing allow evaluation of this concept within organisms with multiple rRNA operons. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Using the 23S rRNA gene as an example, we analyzed the diversity among ...

In Escherichia coli, ribosomal RNAs (16S, 23S and 5S) are co-transcribed in a highly regulated manner from seven genomically dispersed operons. Previous studies on the cellular effects of altered levels of two of these rRNAs (16S and 23S) have been useful in better understanding the regulation of rRNA expression. Furthering these studies, we have investigated the effect of 5S rRNA deficiencies ...

Current global phylogenies are built predominantly on rRNA sequences. However, an experimental system for studying the evolution of rRNA is not readily available, mainly because the rRNA genes are highly repeated in most experimental organisms. We have constructed an Escherichia coli strain in which all seven chromosomal rRNA operons are inactivated by deletions spanning the 16S and 23S coding ...

For still unknown reasons, the 23S rRNA of many alpha-Proteobacteria shows a unique fragmentation pattern compared to other bacteria. The 23S rRNA processing involves RNase III and additional, yet unidentified enzymes. The alpha-proteobacterium Rhizobium leguminosarum ATCC 10004(T) possesses two fragmentation sites in its 23S rRNA. The first one harbors an intervening sequence in helix 9 which ...

Eukaryotic ribosome assembly requires over 200 assembly factors that facilitate rRNA folding, ribosomal protein binding, and pre-rRNA processing. One such factor is Rlp7, an essential RNA binding protein required for consecutive pre-rRNA processing steps for assembly of yeast 60S ribosomal subunits: exonucleolytic processing of 27SA3 pre-rRNA to generate the 5' end of 5.8S rRNA and endonucleoly...

Repeated sequences, like the 5.8S rRNA and its flanking regions in C. albicans, can be of particular interest as PCR targets; this is especially true if variations in sequence or length of these regions occur between members of a same genus or species (1). We therefore cloned ribosomal repetitive units of two C. albicans strains and determined the sequence of their respective Internal Transcrib...

PCR amplification and sequencing of phylogenetic markers, primarily Small Sub-Unit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) genes, has been the paradigm for defining the taxonomic composition of microbiomes. However, 'universal' SSU rRNA gene PCR primer sets are likely to miss much of the diversity therein. We sequenced a library comprising purified and reverse-transcribed SSU rRNA (RT-SSU rRNA) molecules from...

We have isolated and partially characterized an endonuclease involved in processing the 5' end of 16S rRNA of Escherichia coli. A mutant strain that is deficient in this enzyme accumulates a new precursor of 16S rRNA, named 16.3S rRNA. This rRNA has the 3' end of mature 16S rRNA but is about 60 nucleotides longer at the 5' end. In vitro, the enzyme preparation cleaves an RNA fragment of about 6...