THE GLYCYL-TRANSFER-RNA SYNTHETASE OF CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases specifically charge tRNAs with their cognat e amino acids. A prototype for the most complex aminoacyl-tRNA synthet ases is the four-subunit glycyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli, encoded by two open reading frames. We examined the glycyl-tRNA synth etase gene from Chlamydia trachomatis, a genetically isolated bacteriu m, and identified only a single open reading frame for the chlamydial homolog (glyQS). This is the first report of a prokaryotic glycyl-tRNA synthetase encoded by a single gene.