**3. Discussion**

Our bioinformatics study focused on the 12 members of the human ABCA gene subfamily. These homologous genes are known for their principal role in lipid trafficking and homeostasis; however, other biological functions such as the involvement in signaling pathways activated by lipids and support of tumor progression are discussed in the recent literature. A comprehensive analysis of their 5′UTR sequences, in view of the features known to be involved in translation regulation, was addressed in the current study. We aimed to answer the question if the incidence of these 5′UTR features correlates clearly with protein expression in this group. Since ABCA genes lie behind several human diseases, both inborn and acquired, this information is important for the interpretation of the newly found mutations and polymorphisms in the clinical as well as research settings. Moreover, because similar studies on the gene family level are still missing, we also aimed at a comparison of our results to current knowledge based on the whole-genome level studies, which is addressed in this section.
