Mys, a family of mammalian transposable elements isolated by phylogenetic screening

Abstract

It has recently been demonstrated both emperically and mathematically that transposable elements may spread rapidly throughout a population once introduced even when they dramatically reduce the fitness of individuals that carry them. Such events result in pronounced differences in the phylogenetic distribution of genetic elements capable of rapid genome invasion. Using a simple and general procedure to screen the genome of the white-footed mouse Peromyscus leucopus, we have isolated a family of retrovirus-like elements which is apparently absent from the genome of the house mouse Mus domesticus. Here, we report this procedure and an analysis of the organization, phylogenetic distribution and sequence of this family of transposable elements.