CHARACTERIZATION AND OCCURRENCE OF 2 REPEATED PALINDROMIC DNA ELEMENTS OF BRUCELLA SPP - BRU-RS1 AND BRU-RS2

Two repeated DNA elements of 103 bp and 105 bp were discovered in bruc ellae and designated Bru-RS1 and Bru-RS2, respectively. The two elemen ts are palindromic, are 65% similar in sequence, form two families of elements that are slightly divergent in sequence, appear to be interge nic, and are found, collectively, in more than 35 copies in brucellae. These elements are bounded by perfect air nearly perfect inverted rep eats. A third copy of the terminal repeat is found within the elements and iel the terminus for several truncated copies of the Bru-RS1 fami ly. Hybridization patterns for the elements among brucellae were uniqu e. The elements are dispersed, highly conserved among brucellae, and h ot-spots for insertion by IS711.