Characterization of cloned rat ribosomal DNA fragments.

Two Charon 4A lambda bacteriophage clones were characterized which contain all and part o the 18S ribosomal DNA of the rat. One clone contained two Eco RI fragments which include the whole 18S ribosomal RNA region and part of 28S ribosomal RNA region. The other clone contained an Eco RI fragment which covers part of 18S ribosomal RNA region. There were differences between the two clones in the non-transcribed spacer regions suggesting that there is heterogeneity in the non-transcribed spacer regions of rat ribosomal genes. The restriction maps of the two clones were compared to the restriction map of the cloned mouse ribosomal DNA. Eco RI, Hind III, Pst I, and Bam HI sites in 18S ribosomal RNA regions were in the same places in mouse and rat DNA but the restriction sites in the 5'-spacer regions were different.