[Detection of intragenomic polymorphism in the LR2 region of human intergenic ribosomal spacer].

It is a common point of view today that tandem ribosomal genes are subject to concerted evolution, a process that promotes homogeneity among the many copies through the mechanisms of unequal homologous exchange and gene conversion. These mechanisms can lead to opposite results: they can correct and eliminate new variants and they also can promote the spread of new gene variants throughout individual gene clusters among homologous and non homologous chromosomes. A number of experiments performed to decide which of these mechanisms is more important have yielded contradictory answers to this question. In this work we have cloned and partially sequenced 36 PCR-amplified copies of the human rIGS segment 22763-23523 apart from the transcription start point, obtained from the individual genome. This segment is enriched by (G)n and (AG)n clusters and enters into 2kb LR2 element of the human rIGS. Comparative analysis showed that absolutely identical sequences are absent among 36 inserts sequenced. The 26 clones differed only on a number of repeating elements in the paralogous (G)n and (AG)n clusters. The last ten clones differed not only on a number of cluster repeating elements, but contained insertions and deletions of distinct sizes, which do not correspond to the human rIGS polymorphism variants described earlier.