Organization of sequences related to U6 RNA in the human genome

Small nuclear RNAs were isolated from human placenta and fractionated into individual molecular species. They were then iodinated with 125I and used as probes to screen the human genome. Of 2 x 10(4) recombinant phage clones screened, 22 clones hybridized with U6 RNA, suggesting that there were about 200 copies of this sequence family per haploid genome. Southern blots of these cloned DNAs digested with several restriction enzymes gave the following results: 1, each clone had only one fragment that carried the U6 sequence, 2, the lengths of these fragments varied from clone to clone. These observations indicate that U6 sequences exist as dispersed middle repetitive DNA, and that the sequences surrounding these loci vary. Two of the loci and their flanking regions were subcloned into plasmid and sequenced. Both of the loci showed microheterogeneity of mainly A/G and T/C, but had closely related sequences to U6 RNAs of rat or mouse. The divergence of the flanking regions begins immediately outside the loci. The implication on the microheterogeneity of the U6-related sequences is discussed.