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Why "Motile sperm domain-containing protein 2" has nothing to do with "sperm"?

Hi Biostars, (maybe my question is more biological than bioinformatic, of course I have asked it in other website but I could not find the answer, yet. If it is "OFFTOPIC" please remove it).

One of my rna-seq sequences has annotated with "motile sperm domain-containing protein 2".

I have searched the databases (e.g uniprot) and related GO terms but it seems that it has not any relation to "sperm" and/or "spermatogenesis".

Why is that?

My questions:

1- Does this gene has any relation to sperm/sperm motility? (please give me the reference)

2- If 1 = Negative, why there is a "motile sperm" in this gene's "name"?

NOTE: I have found it in brain samples!

~ Best

gene annotation biology
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updated by harold.smith.tarheel harold.smith.tarheel • written by Farbod Farbod

Hi @genomax, and thanks. So are you agree that MOSPD2 has noting to do with sperm?

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written by Farbod Farbod

Dear @cpad0112 Hi and Thanks. Can you clarify me that this gene has role in sperm swimming speed or not? what does having same/shared conserved domain mean here?

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written by Farbod Farbod

Can you clarify me that this gene has role in sperm swimming speed or not?

Unless scientifically proven (by reproducible experiments and establish in models), it is not easy to assign a function to protein. Hence sharing a functional sequence motif doesn't imply the same function (non-functional unless proven - to be conservative)

what does having same/shared conserved domain mean here?

That is the observation at sequence level. One has to prove in lab.

To answer your question, it is unknown at this point whether it has role in sperm swimming speed or not, unless some publications (reproducible research) say so.

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written by cpad0112 cpad0112

Many gene names don't really make sense, especially if their name is derived from some homology with a certain protein domain.

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written by WouterDeCoster WouterDeCoster

1 answer

[Not really a bioinformatics question, but since I know the answer, here goes]

MSP (major sperm protein) was first identified in nematode sperm. It forms filaments that drive sperm motility (crawling, not swimming). The MSP domain is evolutionarily conserved in a variety of transmembrane proteins involved in vesicle fusion, trafficking, and cell signaling, and is not limited to sperm.

PM/email me if you want more info.

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written by harold.smith.tarheel harold.smith.tarheel

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