Organization and expression of rat Tspy

We have isolated both a full-length rat Tspy cDNA from testicular mRNA by r apid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and RT-PCR and a full-length rat Tsp y gene from genomic DNA by PCR. In contrast to the mouse, where Tspy is pre sent in a single copy and is apparently functionless, and to man and cattle , where TSPY is organized in a moderately repetitive cluster, the rat Tspy locus apparently consists of one complete functional and one truncated, pro bably nonfunctional, copy, coherently localized on Yp, as revealed by FISH analysis.