16S ribosomal RNA

For the mitochondrially encoded 16S RNA, see MT-RNR2.
Molecular structure of the 30S Subunit from Thermus thermophilus. Proteins are shown in blue and the single RNA strand in a pale orange-brown colour.[1]

16S ribosomal RNA (or 16S rRNA) is the RNA component of the 30S subunit of a prokaryotic ribosome (SSU rRNA). It binds to the Shine-Dalgarno sequence and provides most of the SSU structure.

The genes coding for it are referred to as 16S rRNA genes and are used in reconstructing phylogenies, due to the slow rates of evolution of this region of the gene.[2] Carl Woese and George E. Fox were two of the people who pioneered the use of 16S rRNA in phylogenetics in 1977.[3] Multiple sequences of the 16S rRNA gene can exist within a single bacterium.[4]

  1. ^ Schluenzen F, Tocilj A, Zarivach R, Harms J, Gluehmann M, Janell D, et al. (September 2000). "Structure of functionally activated small ribosomal subunit at 3.3 angstroms resolution". Cell. 102 (5): 615–623. doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(00)00084-2. PMID 11007480. S2CID 1024446.
  2. ^ Woese CR, Fox GE (November 1977). "Phylogenetic structure of the prokaryotic domain: the primary kingdoms". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 74 (11): 5088–5090. Bibcode:1977PNAS...74.5088W. doi:10.1073/pnas.74.11.5088. PMC 432104. PMID 270744.Open access icon
  3. ^ Woese CR, Kandler O, Wheelis ML (June 1990). "Towards a natural system of organisms: proposal for the domains Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 87 (12): 4576–4579. Bibcode:1990PNAS...87.4576W. doi:10.1073/pnas.87.12.4576. PMC 54159. PMID 2112744.
  4. ^ Case RJ, Boucher Y, Dahllöf I, Holmström C, Doolittle WF, Kjelleberg S (January 2007). "Use of 16S rRNA and rpoB genes as molecular markers for microbial ecology studies". Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 73 (1): 278–288. Bibcode:2007ApEnM..73..278C. doi:10.1128/AEM.01177-06. PMC 1797146. PMID 17071787.