Multiple heterogeneities in the transcribed spacers of ribosomal DNA from Xenopus laevis

Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) from Xenopus laevis contains several heterogeneities in all three transcribed spacers, as revealed by analysis of cloned and uncloned amplified rDNA from oocytes and cloned chromosomal rDNA from erythrocytes. Heterogeneities include single base changes and length variants of one to several nucleotides. Sites of variation are widely but non-uniformly distributed, some occurring only a short distance outside the boundaries of the rRNA coding regions. No two transcription units that we have yet examined are identical throughout their transcribed spacer regions.