We have used a new technique of denaturing gradient gel blotting to determine the prevalence of alterations in the intracellular domain of the insulin receptor in normal individuals and subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). This method detects DNA sequence differences as restriction fragment melting polymorphisms (RFMP) and is sensitive to changes in sequence at both restriction sites and within the fragments themselves. Using restriction digests with AluI, HaeIII, HinfI, RsaI, Sau3A, and Sau96, 12 RFMPs were found to localize to the region of the beta-subunit of the insulin receptor gene. Using exon-specific probes, these RFMPs could be localized to specific regions surrounding individual exons, including exons 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, and 22. In general, linkage disequilibrium between polymorphisms was inversely related to their distance in the gene structure, although there was a "hot spot" for recombination between exons 19 and 20. No difference in melting temperatures or allele frequency was observed between NIDDM patients and controls. These data indicate that the region of the insulin receptor gene coding for the intracellular portion of the beta-subunit is highly polymorphic and that polymorphisms surrounding specific exons can be identified by denaturing gradient gel blotting, but there is no evidence that variation at this locus contributes to NIDDM susceptibility in most individuals.