Sequence and heterogeneity in the 5S RNA gene cluster of Drosophila melanogaster

The sequence of the entire 5S RNA gene of Drosophila melanogaster was determined by sequencing collectively 23 copies contained in a cloned fragment of Drosophila DNA and by sequencing individually four subcloned gene copies. A repetitive heptamer (GCTG CCT) present in variable numbers immediately following the coding sequence, is responsible for the length heterogeneity in the spacer region. Some of the gene copies contain a nucleotide change in the coding region which results in a new site for the restriction enzyme Mn1 I. The variant 5S RNA produced by these gene copies has not been detected in vivo. Two other single nucleotide variations were identified in the spacer region.