Study on 16S rRNA gene structure in the Chloroplast of Heterochlorella luteoviridis SAG211-2a

In order to study whether the intron and double-hairpin structure in the Chloroplast 16S rRNA gene of Heterochlorella luteoviridis SAG211-2a were removed during the maturation of rRNA, H. luteoviridis SAG211-2a coming from the algae collection of Gothenburg University in Germany was used as material. The 16S rRNA gene was amplified by PCR using the extracted H. luteoviridis SAG211 -2a DNA as template, and was compared with the 16S rRNA from homologous species. Then, the 16S rRNA gene mature transcript was amplified by one step of RT-PCR method using the total RNA extracted from H. luteoviridis as template and was inserted into expression vector pMD19 -T, then was transformed to E. coli DH5. Plasmids were extracted and sequenced. The results showed that the Chloroplast 16S rRNA gene of H. luteoviridis SAG211-2a had a double-hairpin structure (DHE) of 46 bp and a Group玉intron of 537 bp. The Group I intron was removed in the rRNA maturation, and the double-hairpin structure was retained in the rRNA. Thus verified that the double-haipin structure was not removed in the rRNA maturation.