Endonuclease recognition sites mapped on Zea mays chloroplast DNA.

The closed-circular DNA molecules of 85 x 10(6) daltons from Zea mays chloroplasts were isolated, digested with the restriction endonucleases Sal I, Bam I, and EcoRI, and the resulting fragments sized by agarose gel electrophoresis. A map of maize chloroplast DNA showing the relative location of all the Sal I recognition sequences and many of the Bam I and EcoRI recognition sites was determined. A DNA sequence representing approximately 15% of the Zea mays chloroplast genome is repeated. The two copies of this sequence are in an inverted orientation with respect to one another and are separated by a nonhomologous sequence representing approximately 10% of the genome length. The inverted repeats contain the genes for chloroplast ribosomal RNAs.