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Abstract
Small GTPases form a big family including Ras, Rho, Rac, Rab, Sar1/Arf subfamilies and Ran homologs, playing important roles in diverse cellular processes. Through data mining, a novel human RAB41 gene was predicted and subsequently isolated from human testis. The open reading frame of RAB41 is 636 bp in length. RAB41 was composed of three exons, and it was mapped to chromosome 3q21.3 by comparing with the human genomic data. RAB41 protein contains a RAB domain. Similarity analysis indicated that RAB41 is closely similar to RAB19. The results of PCR amplification indicated that human RAB41 is widely expressed in brain, testis, lung, heart, ovary, colon, kidney, uterus and spleen but not in liver. By genomic searching, an intronless pseudogene homologous to RAB41 at chromosome 16 — RAB41P was identified at human chromosome 16q11.2. Flanking the pseudogene RAB41P in human genome, there exist some transposable elements LINEs — L1, whose contribution in the generation of this intronless homolog is discussed.