Gene organization of chloroplast DNA from the broad bean Vicia faba

Summary Six protein genes have been mapped on broad bean chloroplast DNA by Southern hybridization using the tobacco chloroplast genes as probes. In broad bean chloroplast DNA, the genes for the and subunits of proton-translocating ATPase and the 32,000 dalton thylakoid membrane protein are located near the large subunit gene of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. The gene for the subunit of proton-translocating ATPase is distantly located from the and genes. The gene for the ribosomal protein CS19 was found close to the ribosomal RNA operon. The gene organization of broad bean chloroplast DNA is therefore quite different from that of tobacco chloroplast DNA. The nucleotide sequence of the spacer region between the large subunit and the genes of the broad bean has been determined. Conserved sequences are found among the putative promoter regions of the chloroplast protein genes.