THE NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE OF THE SEC Y-GENE IN THE ARCHAEON SULFOLOBUS-ACIDOCALDARIUS

The sec Y gene from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius has been cloned and sequ enced. It codes for a putative protein containing 463 amino acids. Com puter analysis of the protein sequencee indiates 10 possible hydrophob ic segments that could be located in transmembrane regions as has been shown for other Sec Y proteins. The protein shows substantial amino a cid sequence identity to other archaeal Sec Y proteins (M. vannielii a nd H. marismortui). When this archaeal protein is compared to the Sec Y protein in bacteria and eucarya there is significantly more sequence similarity to the eucaryal Sec Y protein than to the bacterial equiva lent.