The nucleotide sequence of an Escherichia coli chromosomal region containing the genes for ribosomal proteins S6, S18, L9 and an open reading frame.

The DNA sequence of a cluster of genes for ribosomal proteins S6 (rpsF), S18 (rpsR) and L9 (rplI), and of their surrounding regions was determined. The order of the genes was established as promoter-rpsF-rpsR-rplI. There is a 315 bp open reading frame that begins seven nucleotides after the end of rpsF and ends immediately before rpsR. Based on the data of insertional mutagenesis experiments with transposon gamma delta, we concluded that these genes probably form an operon. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the genes agrees completely with the published amino acid sequence data for protein S6, but there are discrepancies in the case of proteins S18 and L9. The C-terminus of protein S6 was deduced to end with two Glu residues, suggesting that the other Glu residues previously found in this protein are added post-translationally as has been predicted (Reeh and Pedersen 1979). A possible secondary structure in the leader sequence as well as a possible transcriptional terminator after rplI were noticed in the sequence.