CHARACTERIZATION OF THE FMET INITIATOR TRANSFER-RNA GENE OF BARTONELLA-BACILLIFORMIS

A ribosomal RNA operon was cloned from the agent of human Oroya fever, Bartonella bacilliformis. The 3' end of the operon contains a 77-nucl eotide (nt) N-formylmethionine (fMet) initiator tRNA-encoding gene wit h 100% sequence identity to the fMet tRNA-encoding gene of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The 3' region downstream from the gene has an 8-nt inver ted repeat and 28 contiguous direct repeats of the heptamer 5'-TTCTCTA . To date, B. bacilliformis and R. sphaeroides are the only known euba cteria which have an fMet tRNA-encoding gene within the 3' end of thei r rRNA operons.