Defensin alpha 7 pseudogene (DEFA7P)

**Defensin alpha 7 pseudogene (DEFA7P)** is a member of the alpha-defensin multigene family, classified as a pseudogene in humans. Unlike functional alpha-defensin genes, such as DEFA1 or DEFA5, DEFA7P does not encode a functional peptide due to disabling mutations that prevent its proper transcription or translation into an active antimicrobial protein. While functional alpha-defensins act as small cationic peptides involved in the innate immune response by disrupting bacterial membranes and modulating immune signaling, pseudogenes like DEFA7P are remnants of gene duplication and birth-and-death evolution processes in the defensin locus and do not have a known biological or disease-related function. Therefore, DEFA7P is not considered a therapeutic target, nor is it involved in any drug interactions or diseases. Its significance lies primarily in evolutionary studies of immune gene families and the molecular evolution of host defense systems in primates[1][3]. **Key point:** DEFA7P is a pseudogene, not a functional protein-coding gene, and not a therapeutic target.

Other names

DEFA7DEFA7P