PARTIAL SEQUENCE OF THE GENE FOR A SERINE-PROTEASE FROM A HALOPHILIC ARCHAEUM HALOFERAX-MEDITERRANEI R4, AND NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCES OF 16S RIBOSOMAL-RNA-ENCODING GENES FROM SEVERAL HALOPHILIC ARCHAEA

A part of the gene coding for a halophilic serine protease from a halo philic archaeum Haloferax mediterranei R4 was amplified by PCR and its 672 nucleotide sequence was determined. Tentative translation to the amino acid sequence suggested that the enzyme was quite similar to hal olysin produced by another halophilic archaeum strain 172P1. Nucleotid e sequences of 16S rRNA encoding genes from 9 halophilic archaea were determined. Alignment of 19 sequences known so far showed that there a re more than 20 positions carrying bases or deletions specific for eac h halobacterial genus: Halobacterium, Haloarcula, Haloferax, and Haloc occus.