Human ribosomal DNA fragments amplified in hamster cells are transcribed only by RNA polymerase II and are not silver stained.

Cloned human rRNA gene fragments that included the promoter region were introduced into Chinese hamster dihydrofolate reductase-deficient (dhfr-) cells by cotransformation with a dhfr minigene and amplified by selection for methotrexate resistance. The human ribosomal DNA was transcribed by RNA polymerase II, not RNA polymerase I or III. The metaphase chromosome regions containing the transcriptionally active human ribosomal DNA failed to show silver staining.