Pseudogene

A pseudogene is a DNA sequence resembling a functional gene but generally unable to produce its original functional product. Some pseudogenes are transcribed or acquire regulatory roles.

Processed pseudogene: A pseudogene formed when a processed messenger RNA is copied back into DNA and inserted into the genome. Reverse transcription and insertion create copies that usually lack introns and the original promoter.
Gene: A DNA sequence that contributes to a functional product, such as an RNA or protein. Pseudogenes resemble genes but have lost or lack their original productive capacity.
Comparative genomics: The comparison of genome sequences across species to identify shared and divergent features. Shared pseudogene remnants can reveal when gene loss occurred in evolution.
Gene regulation: The processes that control when, where, and how strongly genes are expressed. Some pseudogene transcripts or DNA regions influence expression of other genes.
GULO: The gene encoding gulonolactone oxidase, an enzyme needed for vitamin C synthesis in many animals. Its disabled human copy is a well-known example of a unitary pseudogene.
Unprocessed pseudogene: A pseudogene derived from a duplicated gene that retains the ancestral gene’s intron–exon structure. Gene duplication leaves an extra copy that can accumulate disabling mutations.
Open reading frame: A stretch of DNA or RNA that could be translated into a protein without an in-frame stop codon. Premature stop codons or frameshifts can disrupt a pseudogene’s coding sequence.
Gene annotation: The identification and description of genes and other functional features in genomic sequences. Pseudogene recognition prevents decayed copies from being misclassified as protein-coding genes.
Competing endogenous RNA: An RNA proposed to regulate other RNAs by competing for shared microRNAs. Some pseudogene transcripts have been studied as microRNA competitors.
ψ-globin genes: Nonfunctional globin gene sequences retained within the human globin gene clusters. They illustrate pseudogenes arising amid the duplication and diversification of globin genes.

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