MURINE AND HUMAN TSPYL GENES - NOVEL MEMBERS OF THE TSPY-SET-NAP1L1 FAMILY

Using expressed sequence tag (EST) sequence information, novel genes r elated to the Y chromosome gene family TSPY were isolated and characte rized. Because of a significant homology to TSPY, the novel genes were designated TSPY-Like (TSPYL) and were assigned as new members of the TSPY-SET-NAP 1L1 family. A human TSPYL gene was localized on chromosom e 6 and a murine Tspyl gene was localized on chromosome 10. Expression of TSPYL was observed in all tissues investigated, as well as early o nset during development. Both the human and murine Tspyl homologs lack introns over the entire region so far investigated and are thought to have arisen by an ancient retroposition event. Retroposition of Tspyl genes is supported by the isolation of a murine Tspyl pseudogene on c hromosome 12 which also lacks intronic sequences, and by its observed proximity to an R element, a family of dispersed repetitive DNA.