Silencing of the Y-chromosomal gene tspy during murine evolution.

We have studied the process of tspy gene silencing in murine evolution. We have isolated functional tspy sequences from Apodemus agrarius, A. sylvaticus, A. flavicollis, and Mus platythrix (subgenus Pyromys) and nonfunctional tspy sequences from species of the subgenus Mus. We present two alternative models as to how tspy may have lost its function in the murine lineage.