Conservation of primary structure in 16S ribosomal RNA

THERE is no doubt that the large ribosomal RNAs play specific roles in ribosome function 1 . Yet the thrust of experimentation during the past 5 years indicates clearly that the biologist tends to view these roles as structural, function being reserved by and large for the ribosomal protein components 2,3 . Whether or not this prejudice can be maintained remains to be seen. In any case, the existence of an approximate sequence for a 16S rRNA provides a basis for detailed characterisations of this molecule 3,4 . Here we begin to define 16S rRNA function by localising the major conserved regions in the molecule through a comparative analysis of 27 prokaryotic 16S rRNA primary structures.