Secondary structural elements exclusive to the sequences flanking ribosomal RNAs lend support to the monophyletic nature of the archaebacteria

Abstract

Several sequences flanking the large rRNA genes of several transcripts from extreme thermophiles, extreme halophiles, and methanogens were aligned and analyzed for the presence of common primary and secondary structural features, which would bear on the concept of monophyletic archaebacteria. Few sequences were common to all the archaebacterial transcripts, and these were confined to short regions generally flanking putative double helices. At a secondary structural level, however, in addition to the previously characterized processing stems of the 16S and 23S RNAs, four helices were detected that were common to the archaebacterial transcripts: two in the 16S RNA leader sequence and two in the 16S-23S RNA spacer. Although all of these helices vary in size and form from organism to organism, three of them contain double helical segments that are strongly supported by compensating base changes among the three archaebacterial groups. Three extreme halophiles exhibited two additional helices in their relatively large spacers and a further helix preceding the 5S RNA, which are also supported by compensating base changes. Ribosomal RNA transcripts from eubacteria/chloroplasts and eukaryotes were also examined for secondary structural features with locations and forms corresponding to those of the archaebacteria, but none were detected. The analysis provides support for the monophyletic nature of the archaebacteria and reinforces their differences from eubacteria/chloroplasts and eukaryotes.