The Phylogenetic Position of the Haloalkaliphilic Archaeon Natronobacterium magadii , determined from its 23S Ribosomal RNA Sequence

The nucleotide sequence of the 23S and 5S rRNA genes from the haloalkaliphilic archaeon Natronobacterium magadii were determined by analysis of cloned DNA. A phylogenetic tree for the halobacteria was produced by alignment of the 23S rRNA sequence with those of other archaea. This analysis confirms that the genus Natronobacterium forms a distinct lineage within the halobacteria, and that the halobacterial genera diverged over a relatively short time interval.