HYALP1

HYALP1, short for hyaluronidase-like 1 pseudogene, is a human gene that is classified as a processed pseudogene related to the hyaluronidase enzyme family. It is part of the HYAL gene cluster and, in humans, is located on chromosome 3p21.3 in current genome annotations. HYALP1 does not encode a functional hyaluronidase enzyme.

HYALP1 originated through retrotransposition of HYAL1 mRNA, resulting in a sequence that typically lacks introns and regulatory elements. The open reading frame of HYALP1 is disrupted by mutations, preventing the production of an active protein. As a result, HYALP1 is not believed to contribute to hyaluronidase activity in normal physiology.

Expression data for HYALP1 are limited and the gene is generally regarded as nonfunctional. In some RNA sequencing datasets, low-level transcripts resembling HYALP1 have been reported, but there is no clear evidence that these transcripts translate into a functional enzyme or have a defined biological role. In genomic analyses, HYALP1 can complicate read mapping and variant interpretation due to its sequence similarity to the functional HYAL1 gene.

Evolutionarily, HYALP1 is one of several processed pseudogenes derived from hyaluronidase genes. Such pseudogenes illustrate retrotransposition events that create noncoding copies of active genes, often accumulating mutations over time.

Clinical significance for HYALP1 remains unestablished. It is primarily of interest for studies of genome evolution, pseudogene formation, and bioinformatic annotation considerations rather than as a contributor to human physiology or disease.