HTR5B Antibody

Background

HTR5B (HTR5BP), designated as a pseudogene, is a non-functional gene closely related to the 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 5A (HTR5A). Pseudogenes arise from functional ancestral genes through processes such as gene duplication or retrotransposition, resulting in a copy that has lost its ability to produce a functional protein. HTR5B retains significant sequence similarity to HTR5A, but it harbors mutations, insertions, or deletions that disrupt its open reading frame, rendering it non-coding. Despite its non-functional nature, HTR5B provides valuable evolutionary insight into the development and diversification of serotonin receptors within the genome. Pseudogenes like HTR5B can occasionally influence gene regulation by acting as decoys for transcription factors, participating in RNA-mediated regulation, or serving as sources of non-coding RNA. Understanding HTR5B contributes to a broader exploration of the serotonergic system and its role in neurobiology. Although it does not encode a receptor protein, HTR5B exemplifies the genomic plasticity underlying serotonin receptor evolution and highlights the complexity of non-coding genomic elements.