Variations in transcriptional activity of rDNA spacer promoters

We have compared the DNA sequences of several different examples of the duplicated polymerase I promoters that are found in rDNA spacers of Xenopus laevis. Although different spacers exhibit different amounts of transcription in vivo, this does not seem to be due to DNA sequence differences between spacer promoters. We have found that several different spacer promoters when subcloned and injected into oocytes exhibit similar promoter activities when transcription is assayed by primer extension analysis. Moreover, the activity of these spacer promoters is the same as that of a co-injected gene promoter. The equivalence of spacer promoter activity and gene promoter activity was also found when rDNA plasmids containing intact spacers were injected into oocytes and transcription assayed by primer extension. This is in contrast to (1) the inactivity normally exhibited by the promoters of endogenous spacers in oocytes, (2) the relative inactivity of spacer promoters found when transcription of the same rDNA plasmids is assayed by electron microscopy.