Ribosomal protein L8 pseudogene 4 (RPL8P4)

**Ribosomal protein L8 pseudogene 4 (RPL8P4)** is a *processed pseudogene* of the ribosomal protein L8 gene. Unlike functional protein-coding genes, pseudogenes like RPL8P4 lack the ability to produce a functional protein product due to mutations or deletions that disrupt transcription or translation. Pseudogenes are often the result of gene duplication or retrotransposition events followed by loss of function, and they typically do not have direct biological function or therapeutic relevance[1][2][5]. **Key context:** - RPL8P4 is not a coding gene; it is a pseudogene derived from the ribosomal protein L8 gene family[1][2][5]. - Ribosomal protein pseudogenes are abundant in the human genome and, while useful in evolutionary studies, most do not encode functional proteins or have known biological activities[5]. - Its parent gene, **RPL8 (ribosomal protein L8)**, is a component of the 60S ribosomal subunit and is involved in protein synthesis[4][7]. However, the pseudogene RPL8P4 does not encode this protein and has no known role as a therapeutic or diagnostic target[1][2][5]. **Important note:** Confusion with the functional RPL8 gene should be avoided. Only the protein-coding RPL8 gene (not its pseudogene) has been investigated for roles in cancer and cellular function[4][7], but RPL8P4 itself does not serve as a drug target, biomarker, or disease gene.

Other names

RPL8_1_438RPL8P4