Defensin beta 108 pseudogene 5 (DEFB108F)

Defensin beta 108F (DEFB108F, also known as DEFB108P5 or beta-defensin 108B-like) is a gene locus annotated as a pseudogene in the human genome. Pseudogenes such as DEFB108F are non-functional segments of DNA that closely resemble genes encoding beta-defensins, a family of small, cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptides involved in innate immunity. Functional beta-defensins are known to disrupt microbial membranes and contribute to defense against infection, but DEFB108F shows no evidence of protein expression or biological activity and is not considered a protein-coding therapeutic target, disease biomarker, or direct druggable entity. Beta-defensins as a class are well-studied for roles in antimicrobial defense. DEFB108F is part of a rapidly evolving, duplicated multigene family; many human DEFB genes are pseudogenes. No protein structure, peptide data, or functional assays for DEFB108F exist in the literature, distinguishing it from functionally-validated beta-defensins like beta-defensin 2 (DEFB4A) or hBD-2. DEFB108F is a defensin beta pseudogene without established functional protein product, biological role, or druggability. It is an example of the genomic complexity and rapid evolution of the beta-defensin gene family, with many human defensins being non-functional duplicates or pseudogenes.

Other names

DEFB108P5Beta-defensin 108B-likeDefensin beta 108 pseudogene 5DEFB108F