PiggyBac Transposable Element Derived Protein 4 (PGBD4)

The piggyBac family of proteins, found in diverse animals, are transposases related to the transposase of the canonical piggyBac transposon from the moth, Trichoplusia ni. This family also includes genes in several genomes, including human, that appear to have been derived from the piggyBac transposons. PGBD4 belongs to the subfamily of piggyBac transposable element derived (PGBD) genes. The PGBD proteins appear to be novel, with no obvious relationship to other transposases, or other known protein families.

The similarly abundant MER75 and MER75B elements appear to be derived from PGBD4, although the PGBD4 transposase exon is no longer neatly flanked by its derivative elements as PGBD3 is by MER85.