Ribosomal protein L21 pseudogene

A ribosomal protein L21 pseudogene is a genomic sequence similar to the functional RPL21 gene, which encodes a key component of the large (60S) ribosomal subunit. Pseudogenes such as these have lost their protein-coding ability due to disabling mutations and do not produce a functional ribosomal protein. There are many ribosomal protein L21 pseudogenes scattered throughout the human genome, often as a result of retrotransposition (“processed pseudogene”) or genomic duplication (“duplicated pseudogene”). While once dismissed as junk DNA, some pseudogenes are now understood to have potential regulatory roles, such as influencing the expression of their parent gene at the RNA level, though this is not uniformly established or therapeutically actionable for ribosomal protein L21 pseudogenes. These loci are not considered valid therapeutic targets, do not encode proteins, and should not be confused with the functional RPL21 gene, which is clinically relevant. The ribosomal protein L21 pseudogene family consists of non-functional, non-coding DNA elements derived from the RPL21 gene and does not serve as a protein-coding therapeutic target or receptor. They are mostly of academic interest in genomics, with no established clinical or therapeutic significance.

Other names

RPL21 pseudogeneRibosomal protein L21PRPL21PRPL21P4RPL21P21

None (pseudogenes are not targeted by drugs)