Paenibacillus macerans possesses two types of 16S rDNA copies in a genome with a length difference of twelve base pairs

Two Paenibacillus macerans strains, JCM 2500T and MCRI 12, exhibited two types of 16S rDNA copies in their genomes, accompanied by a length difference of 12 bp at positions 203 to 214 (Escherichia coli numbering). The long-type sequences were newly identified for P. macerans 16S rDNA, and the copy numbers were different between the two strains. Both types of 16S rRNA were expressed in each strain, and it was predicted that the polymorphism at this position is located in helix H10, based on a comparison with the E. coli 16S rRNA secondary structure model.