In the cow genome, ALDH1A3P1 resembles the product of a partial gene duplication event. The coding region would translate a peptide sharing 100 per cent sequence identity to the 127 carboxy-terminal AAs of the full-length parent gene. Such a high degree of sequence identity is suggestive of a relatively recent evolutionary duplication. Even if the truncated gene encodes the 127-AA peptide; however, it lacks many highly conserved residues required for ALDH activity. Thus, the truncated peptide would probably be targeted for rapid degradation. As such, this gene represents a nonfunctional pseudogene and has been named accordingly.
