List of unusual biological names
The trouble with unusual names has not been lost on scientists when needing to explain genetic diseases to lay-people.[1] This has particularly been noted in patients with a defect in the sonic hedgehog gene pathway and the disease formerly named CATCH22 for "cardiac anomaly, T-cell deficit, clefting and hypocalcaemia for chromosome 22q11.2 microdeletions". This name was abandoned due to the no-win connotations.[2]
In 1993 Alfonso Martinez Arias, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, was ordered to change the name of the gene he had discovered, VELCRO, because of copyright issues with Velcro.[3] The gene was renamed to puckered.[4] In 2005, Pokémon threatened to sue the discoverer of POKEMON because the name was attracting attention when its link to the development of cancer was published.[3]
Genes and proteins
In the early discovery days of genomics, genes were often given creative names upon discovery. Although a nomenclature committee has now been formed, several of these names remain.[5]
| Name | Explanation | Biological role |
|---|---|---|
| Bag-of-marbles | ||
| Buttonhead | ||
| Cheap date[6] | Mutations in this gene cause marked susceptibility to alcohol intoxication | |
| Deadpan | ||
| DIABLO | Direct IAP binding protein, low | |
| Dreadlocks | Mutations in this gene cause cell projections to clump together like dreadlocks | Murine ortholog of Nck |
| Dunce | A memory-related gene | A memory-related gene associated with Rutabaga |
| ELMO | Engulfment and Cell Motility | Contains the family ELMO1, ELMO2, and ELMO3 |
| Exuperantia | Named after St. Exuperantia | A gene associated with dividing the head and body into regions |
| Fizzy-related | ||
| Flippase | A protein that "flips" phosphatidylserines on the inner side of the cell membrane | |
| Floppase | A protein that "flops" phosphatidylserines on the outer side of the cell membrane | |
|
Named for the video game character Sonic the Hedgehog | Critical gene involved in development and tumorigenesis |
| Headcase[7] | ||
| Hunchback | ||
| Indy | Short for I'm not dead yet | |
| Ken and Barbie[8] | Drosophila gene | |
| Lunatic Fringe, Manic Fringe, and Radical Fringe | ||
| MAP kinase kinase kinase and MAP kinase kinase kinase kinase | ||
| Mothers against decapentaplegic 1–9, and the associated Daughters against dpp[9] | Takes the name from "Mothers against drunk driving" and similar campaigns | Mutations in the gene of the mother cause improper development in the offspring |
| NEMO | NF-kappa-B essential modulator | |
| Methuselah-like proteins | Named for Methuselah, extends the lifespan of an organism | |
| NUDEL-Gen | German for "Noodle" | NudE Neurodevelopment Protein 1 Like 1 [10] |
| RING | Short for Really Interesting New Gene | |
| POKEMON | POK erythroid myeloid ontogenic factor, changed to Zbtb7 after a lawsuit was threatened[11] | |
| Pikachurin | ||
| Salvador | ||
| Scramblase | An enzyme that "scrambles" phospholipids between the inside and outside of the cell membrane | |
| Slingshot homolog | ||
| Slit-Robo and the associated Netrin-Frazzled | ||
| SMURF1 and SMURF2, which interacts with Mothers against decapentaplegic 7 | SMAD Ubiquitination Regulatory Factor 1/2 | |
| SPOCK1 | Zebrafish with this mutation develop pointed-ears reminiscent of Spock | |
| SWEET transporters | Sugars will eventually be exported transporter | Sugar transporters |
| Swiss cheese[12] | Mutations cause the brain to develop with lesions resembling Swiss cheese | |
| Spätzle | based on the spaetzle-like (German for a type of noodle) shape of the larvae of D. melanogaster | |
| Tafazzin | Named after the masochistic Italian comic character Tafazzi after alleged hardships in its discovery | |
| Time for Coffee[13] | Active in the night. | Regulator of circadian clock in Arabidopsis thaliana |
| Tinman gene | Named for the tinman, required for proper development of the heart | |
| Toll-like receptors | "Toll" is German for "Amazing", "Awesome". Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and her colleague Prof. Eric Wieschaus sat at a double microscope that allows two people to examine the same object at the same time. When they saw an embryo mutant one day whose development was ventralised, they were both completely surprised and spontaneously exclaimed "Toll" (great) |
Molecules
- Moronic acid, a natural triterpene
- Traumatic acid, a monounsaturated dicarboxylic acid naturally occurring in plants
Species
DC Comics
- †Kalelia, a genus of carditid clam named after Kal-El, the Kryptonian name of Superman.[14]
- Otocinclus batmani, a species of catfish named after Batman for the bat-shaped mark on its tail.[15]
- †Kariridraco dianae, a species of Pterosaur named after Diana Prince, the civilian identity of Wonder Woman.[16]
Marvel Comics
- Gekko hulk, a species of gekko named after the Hulk for sharing the characteristics of "great physical strength and a very aggressive temperament".[17]
- Daptolestes bronteflavus, a species of robber fly that means "blonde thunder" and was given the common name "Thor's fly."[18]
- Daptolestes illusiolautus, a species of robber fly that means "elegant deception" and was given the common name "Loki's fly."[18]
- Medusaceratops lokii, an extinct species of ceratopsian dinosaur named after Loki, who had a "helmet with . . . two giant hooks that come out of the top".[19][20]
- Daptolestes feminategus, a species of robber fly that means "woman wearing leather" and was given the common name "Black Widow's fly."[18]
- Cirrhilabrus wakanda, a species of fairy wrasse named for Wakanda, the home country of Black Panther. It was given the common name "Vibranium fairy wrasse" as the "purple chain-link scale pattern of the new species is reminiscent of" the fictional metal Vibranium.[21]
- †Thanos simonattoi, a species of theropod named after the supervillain Thanos from Marvel Comics.[22]
- Humorolethalis sergius, a species of robber fly that means "wet and dead" and was given the common name "Deadpool's fly" for sharing similar markings to Deadpool's mask.[18]
Doctor Who
- Cyclocardia dalek, a species of bivalve named after the Daleks.[23]
- Choeras zygon, a species of parasitoid wasp named after the Zygons.[24]
- †Mestoronema, an extinct genus of lesueurillid molluscs named after the Gastropod Mestor from The Twin Dilemma.[25]
Star Trek
- Ledella spocki, a species of mussel named after Spock from Star Trek as its "valves resembles the shape of the pointed ear of the Vulcans".[26]
- Conus tribblei, a species of sea snail named after a pet cat that was named after the Tribbles.[27]
- Annuntidiogenes worfi, a species of fossil hermit crab named for its resemblance to the forehead of Worf from Star Trek: The Next Generation.[28]
- Agra dax, a species of ground beetle named for Jadzia Dax from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and dedicated to Terry Farrell.[29]
- Phanuromyia odo, a species of wasp named for its variable morphology, a trait it shares with Odo from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.[30]
Pokémon
- Bulbasaurus phylloxyron, a species of dicynodont named after the Pokémon Bulbasaur.
- Chilicola charizard, a species of bee named after the Pokémon Charizard.[31]
- Stentorceps weedlei, a species of wasp named after the Pokémon Weedle.[32]
- Aerodactylus, a disputed pterosaur genus named for the Pokémon Aerodactyl.
- Binburrum articuno, B. zapdos, and B. moltres, species of beetle named after the Pokémon Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres.
SpongeBob SquarePants
- Spongiforma squarepantsii, a fungus species from Malaysia named after the Nickelodeon character SpongeBob SquarePants from the show of the same name.
- Astrolirus patricki, a species of starfish that was observed attached to hexactinellid sponges and named after Patrick Star.[33][34]
Other
- Anelosimus dude and Anelosimus biglebowski are closely related species of spiders found only in the Udzungwa Mountains in Tanzania. The former is named after Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, the protagonist of the 1998 film The Big Lebowski, while the latter is named after the film itself. [35]
Techniques
- Chromatin Interaction Analysis by Paired-End Tag Sequencing (ChIA-PET) is a technique to determine chromatin interactions which shares a name with Chia Pets.
- GluSnFR (Glutamate-sensitive fluorescent reporter ) ("glue-sniffer") is a genetically engineered protein used to monitor glutamate release into the synapse.
References
- Hopkin, Michael (2006). "Troublesome gene names get the boot". News@nature. doi:10.1038/news061106-2. S2CID 86514270.
- MacLean, Ken (2006). "Humour of gene names lost in translation to patients". Nature. 439 (7074): 266. Bibcode:2006Natur.439..266M. doi:10.1038/439266d. PMID 16421543.
- Simonite, Tom (2005). "Pokémon blocks gene name". Nature. 438 (7070): 897. Bibcode:2005Natur.438..897S. doi:10.1038/438897a. PMID 16355177.
- "puc puckered [ Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) ]".
- "The Problem with Naming Genes".
- Moore, Monica S; Dezazzo, Jim; Luk, Alvin Y; Tully, Tim; Singh, Carol M; Heberlein, Ulrike (1998). "Ethanol Intoxication in Drosophila: Genetic and Pharmacological Evidence for Regulation by the cAMP Signaling Pathway". Cell. 93 (6): 997–1007. doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(00)81205-2. PMID 9635429. S2CID 15312752.
- "Headcase".
- Lukacsovich, Tamas; Yuge, Kazuya; Awano, Wakae; Asztalos, Zoltan; Kondo, Shunzo; Juni, Naoto; Yamamoto, Daisuke (2003). "Theken and barbie gene encoding a putative transcription factor with a BTB domain and three zinc finger motifs functions in terminalia development of Drosophila". Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology. 54 (2): 77–94. doi:10.1002/arch.10105. PMID 14518006.
- "FlyBase Gene Report: Dmel\Dad".
- "NDEL1 Gene - GeneCards | NDEL1 Protein | NDEL1 Antibody". www.genecards.org. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
- Brendan Sinclair (2005-12-19). "Pokémon USA threatens to sue cancer researchers". GameSpot. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
- Kretzschmar, D; Hasan, G; Sharma, S; Heisenberg, M; Benzer, S (1997). "The swiss cheese mutant causes glial hyperwrapping and brain degeneration in Drosophila". The Journal of Neuroscience. 17 (19): 7425–32. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.17-19-07425.1997. PMC 6573436. PMID 9295388.
- "TIC - Protein TIME FOR COFFEE - Arabidopsis thaliana (Mouse-ear cress) - TIC gene & protein". www.uniprot.org. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
- Pérez, Damián E.; del Río, Claudia J. (November 2017). "The family Carditidae (Bivalvia) in the early Danian of Patagonia (Argentina)". Journal of Paleontology. 91 (6): 1148–1165. doi:10.1017/jpa.2017.69.
- Lehmann A., Pablo (December 2006). "Otocinclus batmani, a new species of hypoptopomatine catfish (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from Colombia and Peru". Neotropical Ichthyology. 4 (4): 379–383. doi:10.1590/S1679-62252006000400001.
- Cerqueira, Gabriela; Santos, Mateus; Marks, Maikon; Sayão, Juliana; Pinheiro, Felipe (2021). "A new pterosaur species from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil and the paleobiogeography of the Tapejaridae (Azhdarchoidea)". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 66 (3): 555–570. doi:10.4202/app.00848.2020.
- Grismer, L. Lee; del Pinto, Lelani; Quah, Evan S. H.; Anuar, Shahrul; Cota, Micheal; McGuire, Jimmy A.; Iskandar, Djoko T.; Wood Jr, Perry L.; Grismer, Jesse L. (3 February 2022). "Phylogenetic and multivariate analyses of Gekko smithii Gray, 1842 recover a new species from Peninsular Malaysia and support the resurrection of G. albomaculatus (Giebel, 1861) from Sumatra". Vertebrate Zoology. 72: 47–80. doi:10.3897/vz.72.e77702.
- Robinson, Isabella J; Li, Xuankun; Yeates, David K (August 2020). "Revision of the endemic Australian robber fly genus Daptolestes Hull, 1962 (Diptera: Asilidae) and description of Humorolethalis gen. nov". Austral Entomology. 59 (3): 487–504. doi:10.1111/aen.12465.
- Ryan, Michael J.; Russell, Anthony P., and Hartman, Scott. (2010). "A New Chasmosaurine Ceratopsid from the Judith River Formation, Montana", In: Michael J. Ryan, Brenda J. Chinnery-Allgeier, and David A. Eberth (eds), New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium, Indiana University Press, 656 pp. ISBN 0-253-35358-0.
- Mangels, John; Dealer, The Plain (28 May 2010). "Cleveland Museum of Natural History curator Michael Ryan identifies a new kind of horned dinosaur". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- Tea, Yi-Kai; Pinheiro, Hudson T.; Shepherd, Bart; Rocha, Luiz A. (11 July 2019). "Cirrhilabrus wakanda, a new species of fairy wrasse from mesophotic ecosystems of Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa (Teleostei, Labridae)". ZooKeys. 863: 85–96. doi:10.3897/zookeys.863.35580.
- Delcourt, Rafael; Vidoi Iori, Fabiano (2018). "A new Abelisauridae (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from São José do Rio Preto Formation, Upper Cretaceous of Brazil and comments on the Bauru Group fauna". Historical Biology. 32 (7): 917–924. doi:10.1080/08912963.2018.1546700. S2CID 92754354.
- Pérez, Damián E.; Del Río, Claudia J. (24 October 2017). "Systematics of the family Carditidae (Bivalvia: Archiheterodonta) in the Cenozoic of Argentina". Zootaxa. 4338 (1): 51–84. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4338.1.3.
- "Choeras zygon Fagan-Jeffries & Austin, 2019". GBIF. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
- Wagner, Peter J. (2002). "Phylogenetic Relationships of the Earliest Anisostrophically Coiled Gastropods". Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology (88): 76. doi:10.5479/si.00810266.88.1.
- Viegas, Diniz Corrêa Paone; Benaim, Natalia Pereira; Absãlo, Ricardo Silva (1 September 2014). "Description of Four New Species of Ledella Verrill and Bush, 1897 (Pelecypoda: Nuculanidae) Off the Coast of Brazil, Using a Morphometric Approach". American Malacological Bulletin. 32 (2): 183–197. doi:10.4003/006.032.0201.
- Walls, J.G. (1977). "Two New Cones from the Western Pacific". The Pariah. 1: 1–3.
- Fraaije, René H.B.; Klompmaker, Adiël A.; Artal, Pedro (1 January 2012). "New species, genera and a family of hermit crabs (Crustacea, Anomura, Paguroidea) from a mid-Cretaceous reef of Navarra, northern Spain". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. 263 (1): 85–92. doi:10.1127/0077-7749/2012/0213.
- Erwin, Terry L. (March 2000). "Arboreal Beetles of Neotropical Forests: AGRA Fabricius, A Taxonomic Supplement for the PLATYSCELIS Group with New Species and Distribution Records (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Lebiini, Agrina)". The Coleopterists Bulletin. 54 (1): 90–119. doi:10.1649/0010-065X(2000)054[0090:ABONFA]2.0.CO;2.
- Nesheim, Katherine; Masner, Lubomir; Johnson, Norman (27 March 2017). "The Phanuromyia galeata species group (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae, Telonominae): shining a lantern into an unexplored corner of Neotropical diversity". ZooKeys (663): 71–105. doi:10.3897/zookeys.663.11554. PMC 5523176. PMID 28769619. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- Monckton, Spencer K. (19 May 2016). "A revision of Chilicola (Heteroediscelis), a subgenus of xeromelissine bees (Hymenoptera, Colletidae) endemic to Chile: taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography, with descriptions of eight new species". ZooKeys. 591: 1–144. doi:10.3897/zookeys.591.7731. ISSN 1313-2970.
- Nielsen, M.; Buffington, M. (September 2011). "Redescription of Stentorceps Quinlan, 1984 (Hymenoptera: Figitidae), with a Description of Five New Species". African Entomology. 19 (3): 597–613. doi:10.4001/003.019.0305.
- Zhang, Ruiyan; Zhou, Yadong; Xiao, Ning; Wang, Chunsheng (2020-05-27). "A new sponge-associated starfish, Astrolirus patricki sp. nov. (Asteroidea: Brisingida: Brisingidae), from the northwestern Pacific seamounts". PeerJ. 8: e9071. doi:10.7717/peerj.9071. ISSN 2167-8359.
- "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Astrolirus patricki Zhang, Zhou, Xiao & Wang, 2020". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
- Agnarsson, Ingi; Zhang, Jun-Xia (2006). "New species of Anelosimus (Araneae: Theridiidae) from Africa and Southeast Asia, with notes on sociality and color polymorphism" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1147: 1–34. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1147.1.1. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
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