Expression of Cytochrome $b_{5}$ Retropseudogenes in Hunam Blood

Cytochrome $b_{5}$($b_{5}$) can be found in a variety of tissues and plays a role in the electron transfer pathways. Several retropseudogenes (numbered as I, II, II, IV, V) have been identified and well investigated for their structures. However, retropseudogene I is not clear in terms of its location on the chromosome. In addition the structure and the exression of retropseudogene V have not been confirmed. To examine the structure of bs retropseudogenes V and to see whether it is expressed in human blood we applied recombinant DNA technologies including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing. Retropseudogene V turned out to contain open reading frame (ORF) within its structure, however, no evidence of its expression was detected. Retropseudogene I was also found on the chromosome V. This study should contribute to the understanding of the structure of bs gene family.