Hydroxy-delta-5-steroid dehydrogenase, 3 beta, pseudogene 3 (HSD3BP3)

Hydroxy-delta-5-steroid dehydrogenase, 3 beta, pseudogene 3 (HSD3BP3) is a human pseudogene, meaning it represents a genomic sequence highly similar to active steroidogenic enzymes but is not translated into a functional protein. It is related by sequence to the family of HSD3B enzymes, which are actual enzymes responsible for key steps in the biosynthesis of steroids (i.e., oxidoreductases that convert delta-5, 3-beta-hydroxysteroids into delta-4, 3-ketosteroids)[4][6]. However, as a pseudogene, HSD3BP3 does not encode an active enzyme and is not considered a biological target for drug discovery or therapeutic intervention. Thus, it plays no established molecular, physiological, or pathological role in humans. The "pseudogene" label means HSD3BP3 is not an active enzyme, receptor, or drug target; it is a non-coding DNA sequence derived from a once-functional gene. HSD3B enzymes (not HSD3BP3) are part of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase family and act as oxidoreductases (a class of enzymes), but this does not apply to pseudogenes such as HSD3BP3[4][6]. No evidence links HSD3BP3 to disease, drug interaction, biomarker status, or therapeutic relevance. HSD3BP3 is a pseudogene related to the genuine steroidogenic enzyme family HSD3B, but it is not a functional protein-coding gene and plays no role as a molecular target in therapeutic or physiological processes[4][6].