Constancy of DNA organization of polymorphic and nonpolymorphic genes during development in Xenopus

A study was undertaken to test for the occurrence of DNA rearrangements or amplifications during embryonic development in Xenopus laevis. DNA isolated from testes and liver was digested with four restriction enzymes, separated on agarose gels, transferred to nitrocellulose, and hybridized with over 50 cloned cDNA probes generated from embryonic poly (A)+ RNA. No qualitative or quantitative differences were detectable in the DNA hybridization patterns of testes and liver DNA, suggesting that, at least during liver development, selective amplifications or rearrangements occur rarely if at all. In the course of this investigation a wide range of restriction-site polymorphisms for different genes was observed. While some genes showed little polymorphism among different animals, several genes showed considerable polymorphism, involving changes in several restriction enzyme sites. These complex polymorphisms could be the result of gene rearrangements that occur occasionally during the course of sexual reproduction rather than during development.