GENOMIC ORGANIZATION OF THE ACIDOPHILIC CHEMOLITHOAUTOTROPHIC BACTERIUM THIOBACILLUS-FERROOXIDANS ATCC-21834

The genomic organization of the acidophilic chemolithoautotrophic bact erium Ttiobacillrcs ferrooxidans ATCC 21834 has been studied by pulsed -field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Analysis of its intact DNA, as well as the restriction patterns obtained with several endonucleases, allo wed the characterization of one circular chromosome of 2.9 Mb and one plasmid of 8.6 kb. The first complete and highly resolved physical map (86 restriction sites) of the chromosome of an acidophilic obligate c hemolithoantotrophic bacterium has been constructed by using endonucle ases PmeI, SwaI, XbaI, and SpeI. The rRNA and str operons have been lo cated on the chromosomal physical map.