Protein-coding introns from the 23S rRNA-encoding gene form stable circles in the hyperthermophilic archaeon...

Two archaeal introns have been discovered in the single-copy 23S rRNA-encoding gene of the hyperthermophile, Pyrobaculum organotrophum. After excision from rRNA transcripts, both introns circularize and are stably retained in the cell. Putative proteins encoded by the introns and covering most of the intron sequence share a decapeptide motif with proteins encoded by another archaeal intron and by group I introns.