What is gene paralog?

Gene paralogs are genes that have resulted from duplication events in an organism's genome. These duplicated genes are similar in sequence and function to their original copy, and are referred to as paralogs. Duplications can occur through several mechanisms, including unequal crossing-over, retrotransposition, and segmental duplication.

Paralogs can vary in their degree of similarity depending on how long ago the duplication event occurred. Recently duplicated paralogs typically have a higher degree of sequence similarity, while older duplicates may have accumulated mutations and diverged in function.

Gene paralogs can have several functional implications for an organism. They can provide redundancy in gene function, allowing for backup in case one copy of a gene is lost or mutated. They can also contribute to the evolution of new functions, as they can accumulate mutations that lead to novel activities. Paralogs can also influence genetic diseases, as mutations in one copy of a paralog may compensate for the loss of function in the second copy. Overall, gene paralogs play an important role in genome evolution and function.