Organization of the nuclear ribosomal DNA of Chlamydomonas reinhardii

Abstract

Hybridization of cytoplasmic ribosomal RNA (rRNA) to restriction endonuclease digests of nuclear DNA of Chlamydomonas reinhardii reveals two BamHI ribosomal fragments of 2.95 and 2.35 x 10(6) d and two SalI ribosomal fragments of 3.8 and 1.5 x 10(6) d. The ribosomal DNA (rDNA) units 5.3 x 10(6) d in size, appear to be homogeneous since no hybridization of rDNA to other nuclear DNA fragments can be detected. The two BamHI and SalI ribosomal fragments have been cloned and a restriction map of the ribosomal unit has been established. The location of the 25S, 18S and 5.8S rRNA genes has been determined by hybridizing the rRNAs to digests of the ribosomal fragments and by observing RNA/DNA duplexes in the electron microscope. The data also indicate that the rDNA units are arranged in tandem arrays. The 5S rRNA genes are not closely located to the 25S and 18S rRNA genes since they are not contained within the nuclear rDNA unit. In addition no sequence homology is detectable between the nuclear and chloroplast rDNA units of C. reinhardii.