Ribosomal protein L31 pseudogene 44 (RPL31P44)

Ribosomal protein L31 pseudogene 44 (RPL31P44) is a processed pseudogene in the human genome. Pseudogenes are DNA sequences similar to known genes but generally lack the ability to encode functional proteins. RPL31P44 arises from the parent gene for ribosomal protein L31 (RPL31), which is a component of the large subunit (60S) of the ribosome involved in protein synthesis. Like most ribosomal protein genes, RPL31 has multiple processed pseudogenes scattered through the genome; RPL31P44 is one such copy[4][5][7][8]. There is no evidence that RPL31P44 encodes a functional protein, nor is it implicated as a therapeutic target. It should not be confused with the protein-coding RPL31 gene (Ribosomal protein L31), which has functional significance in ribosome biogenesis and disease associations[1][4]. The parent gene, RPL31, is involved in the formation of ribosomes and is associated with diseases like Diamond-Blackfan anemia[4]. RPL31P44 itself does not share these functions. There is no current evidence that RPL31P44 plays any direct functional or disease role, nor is it a drug target in any context. You may see confusion in the literature between parent ribosomal protein genes and their many pseudogenes; always confirm whether the entry refers to the functional gene or a pseudogene[5][7][8].

Other names

RPL31_14_1046RPL31_14_1046 (occasionally alternative abbreviations are simply database accession descriptors)