Nucleotide sequence of the 5 S rRNA gene and flanking regions in the cyanobacterium, Anacystis nidulans

AbstractThe nucleotide sequence of the 5 S rRNA gene and flanking regions (including the terminal 232 nucleotides of the 23 S rRNA gene) of Anacystis nidulans has been determined. The spacer between the 23 S and 5 S rRNAs is 70 nucleotides long and contains no detectable transcription termination or initiation signals similar to those found in the comparable region of plastid genomes. A stable stem-and-loop structure can be formed 16 nucleotides downstream from the 5 S rRNA gene, and this is probably the transcription termination signal for the rRNA gene cluster. Homologies between cyanobacterial and plastid genes have been calculated and their evolutionary significance discussed