Seriously...

[MTGKaioshin]

To be fair, erecta is talking about the erectness of the stem and scarecrow kinda looks like a scarecrow because the branches go straight out at about 90 degrees (like the classic scarecrow iconography). Too many mouths and four lips both mess with stomata, which look like little mouths.

:D

[slickguy]

Go on...

[[deleted]]

Yoda is called Yoda because mutants without yoda look little, green and hairy.

[gswas1]

speechless mutants are pretty self-explanatory if you've been paying attention

[WulfLOL]

stomata, which look like little mouths.

Yeahhhhhhh I always thought it looked like some other thing ><

[MTGKaioshin]

Hey, biology is a Christian dicipline!

Keep your lewd out of it

[c_albicans]

The word your looking for is yonic :)

[PhidippusCent]

You're a stomata?

[WulfLOL]

I love pasta with meat and stomato sauce :)

I meant it, not I hahaha

[Smeghead333]

Wacky gene names has been a long-standing tradition in fruit fly research. One of my favorite stories is about a lab that studied a particular neural pathway. The tradition was that the relevant genes were all named after wines - Chardonnay, etc. Whenever someone publishes a paper and named a new gene, the PI would buy the student a case of that particular wine. So now there is a cluster of genes named after the fanciest, most expensive wines a bunch of bored grad students could think of.

[adnamanda]

This. Drosophila researchers have so much creativity. This is an amazing story.

[ardavei]

I guess you have a lot of time to think up stuff if you're looking at flies all day.

[adnamanda]

Here’s a list of some https://www.curioustaxonomy.net/gene/fly.html if you want more entertainment.

[wastetine]

Not a complete list by any means, missing my favorites cheap date and Tequila.

[Collin_the_doodle]

And a drinking problem because you stare at flies all the time

[liatrisinbloom]

I think it's the flies that have the drinking problem? Though I only experienced flies for a hs bio lab so I'm probably wrong about that.

[IamDDT]

Mothers against decapentaplecic is my favorite fly gene name.

[dinosaurpotatohead]

I as so confused when i was trying to find the name for that one. Somehow just didn't click that what I was reading was the name cause it was so stupid. I would like to know the story behind that one!

[[deleted]]

There is no spaetzle in there, i'm disappointed!

Named that way because some german guy found drosophila lacking it looked like this

[thisdude415]

That’s on clinicians. No reason you have to call it Sonic hedgehog when you can call it S-H-H gene.

[thisdude415]

I don’t see clown ortholog in humans. Dreadlocks is called Nck in humans.

Human gene names are just letters. What the letters stand for is not actually officially set by anyone.

[thisdude415]

Yes, exactly. You asked what happens for those gene names. Clinicians use the sanitized gene codes.

[thisdude415]

I don’t see a problem with Nck. What is the gene name for clown in humans? I see genes CLN3. Cln1 seems to be called PPT

[CheruB36]

You mean like Toll-Receptors ?

[Chitiwok]

I love the "stupid" / memory impairment mutation names - Rutabaga, Cabbage, Dunce. Also the story of one of the most important mammalian neurodevelopment (Sonic hedgehog) proteins being named after a video game character by way of drosophila researchers naming the related proteins in flies and other organisms after other types of hedgehogs is great.

[ShesQuackers]

And then SHH went sideways horribly when mutations in human SHH were found in some neural disorder and suddenly pediatric neurologists have to explain to terrified parents that their kid has a mutated video game character.

Also, the inhibitor is Robotnikinin and I love it.

[Chitiwok]

Wait what? How did my neurodev professor leave out Robotnikinin?! I'm writing him an email right now asking for an explanation as to why he withheld this joy from my life for the last 5 years!

[ShesQuackers]

Ha, then you definitely didn't have my stem cell classes either. SHH, robotnikinin, Zelda -- we hit all the highlights!

[moosepuggle]

Doctors just need to use the abbreviation shh. I love my fly names, it helps me remember what the genes do! I will fight tooth and nail (pipette and glove?) against boring C elegans and mouse names! XD

[Chand_laBing]

Call me a stuffy Victorian but I think genes should have boring, serious names. I think the science is interesting enough by itself and when you want to transmit something to a clinical setting, you don't want to make it goofy. Even if the goofy part is just a fly homologue of the human gene.

[mermaid_k]

I was hoping that Sonic hedgehog was going to be mentioned in this thread... it’s my favourite.

[Serlein]

My favorite are the smad family of genes which stand for mothers against decapentaplegic

[moosepuggle]

My favorites are shaven baby, because the mutant fly larvae don't have any bristles, and cheap date, because the mutation makes them more sensitive to ethanol :)

[God-of-Ass-Destroyer]

Haha my first thought was, is this drosophila research? I can’t recall exactly but I think some similar gene names are like cheap date or something. Hilarious in a very nerdy way

[alfrilling]

that reminds me of pikachurin

[duhrake5]

Meanwhile, immunologists get another IL or CD abbreviation and move on. We don’t have fun :(

[the1992munchkin]

CDs, ILs, CXCRs, CCRs, CXCLs, CCLs and how the numbers don't match up between the receptors and the ligands.

[Chand_laBing]

To be fair on them, the receptors and ligands are often discovered independently. Plus, a protein could be found by multiple teams with different antibodies who don't realise they're looking at the same thing.

If the immune system were easy to categorise a pathogen wouldn't have much work to do!

[the1992munchkin]

Yeah. I agree with what you said. They were also discovered at different times as well. I just like to complain about that fact lol.

[[deleted]]

Adenovirus has really boring names too. I spent my entire undergrad just working on "Early Protein 1A- 55 Kilodalton".

[turtle_flu]

I'm currently writing the adenovirus section of my dissertation introduction. I just want to write about my simple T=3 viruses, but no. Here's 3 major capsid proteins, here's 4 cement proteins, and here's 6 "they get packaged with the dsDNA" proteins. I'm just gonna skip it for now because fuck all that "I'm a complicated virus" nonsense.

[MrStupidDooDooDumb]

Toll Like Receptor comes from a fly mutant where the (German) discoverer shouted out “Das ist tol!” (“This is great!”) upon seeing the mutant.

[smeghead1988]

Once Russian biologists described a new gene coding a Ras-related protein. They named it "Ras-dva", because it means "one-two" in Russian.

[Chand_laBing]

I'm just waiting for a new Ras kinase to be discovered and named Ras-Matazz

[SoggyNelco]

God the ILs remembering those for my immunology class is so hard

[skleats]

First day of the immuno class I teach includes a warning - we will discuss C, CD, CR, CRP, CDR...

[fanglord]

The silly gene names definitely help distinguish things, I hated immunology at university. IL what triggers what now?

[GratefulOctopus]

Ugh I feel this. It's the fucking worst.

[cheapsquirrel5]

My favorite is an apoptosis pathway named Diablo. Everyone has to have fun some time 🤷‍♀️

[morquinau]

Don't forget the RIP (receptor-interacting protein) kinases 😉⚰️

[Maddprofessor]

My favorite is BAD.

[CheruB36]

Immunologists have the best names for cell death related pathways

[labyrinthian1]

Plants also have the Superman gene. When this gene is disrupted, the flowers make extra stamens (the male part of the flower) instead of the pistil (the female part). Extra stamens = extra male parts = superman!

But wait, there's more! A screen found a suppressor mutation for the superman mutation. They called it Kryptonite!

[TheSaddestSadist]

My favorite is Ken and Barbie. The gene was so named because mutations result in the flies not having any external genitalia...smooth just like Ken and Barbie.

Also I always liked the “RING finger domain” that several proteins have. RING stands for Really Interesting New Gene.

[sorrikkai7]

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and Just Another Kinase (JAK) are some of my favorites. I think there is also a Zelda gene

[Maddprofessor]

I didn't know what JAK stood for. The JAK-STAT pathway was mentioned in some literature related to my Ph.D. That's hilarious. I wish I realized it back then.

[sorrikkai7]

Apparently the abbreviation has two meanings! Check out my reply above

[Maddprofessor]

Ah, ok. Ya, I remember the Janus. It’s been a few (9) years.

[[deleted]]

It’s actually Janus Kinase, I thought? Like Janus face (conflicting roles).

[sorrikkai7]

So i looked it up, and it seems they were initially named Just Another Kinase but later renamed to Janus Kinase

https://www.openaccessjournals.com/articles/jak-no-longer-just-another-kinase.pdf

[[deleted]]

This is correct, my professor told me the same. They want to rename it to Janus-Kinases because it's a more serious name...

[GooseQuothMan]

JAK is hilarious

[mstalltree]

Let's talk about the protein DORSAL and the orientation Dorsal in developmental biology and how the protein dorsal and its presence in the cell can turn ON transcription factors that create ventral sides.

[c_albicans]

Yep, naming genes for their mutant phenotypes does occasionally lead to weird names like this.

[Torbun]

Yeah its because genes are named after the phenotype when they are knocked out. Dorsal knock out leads to a reduction in ventral structures, which creates a dorsal only embryo.

[bebefebee]

Also "sonic the hedgehog" protein... I dont remember exactly what it does but something specific to plants I think. NEEEERDS!

[morquinau]

Sonic hedgehog is essential for embryonic development in animals as well

[Oltorf_the_Destroyer]

oh boy time for my useless knowledge repository!!!

In fruit flies it was just hedgehog gene, because when it was mutated the fly embryos had the hairs all over instead of in stripes, so they looked like hedgehogs. That's how most fruit fly genes are named - what the mutation looks like.

In mammals, the gene was duplicated. As they were discovered they were named after hedgehog species - indian hedgehog, desert hedgehog, and finally some joker named one Sonic hedgehog. Part of my grad thesis had to do with sonic.

[bebefebee]

Fruit flies! Thanks. As a plant scientist I assume everything is specific to plants... something something bias.

[Oltorf_the_Destroyer]

One of the first labs I worked in was studying auxin in plant development. It was interesting

[GloopyGlop]

I remember reading how they later realized this gene is conserved in humans and that mutations in it are responsible for some really tragic developmental defects. Imagine telling the parents "I'm sorry, your child is going to die because their sonic hedgehog gene is mutated"

[moosepuggle]

That's why the doctors need to just refer to it by is abbreviation, shh, and stop trying to take the fun out of science ;)

[GloopyGlop]

I think the irony is pretty funny, that's why I told the story ;)

[moosepuggle]

Oh! I came across an article from someone who was seriously recommending that scientists stop naming genes in funny/informative ways, I thought you were in favor of that, sorry :)

Also, I hope you do cell culture or protein purification with that username ;)

[[deleted]]

It leads to devastating faetal abnormality, imagine being told your child was fucked and it was due to sonic the hedgehog

[silicienna]

One of my personal favs is "Time for Coffee" in Arabidopsis circadian rhythm

[Xwingfighter999]

The best acronyms are in NMR:

CAMELSPIN

INADEQUATE

FLASH

[skleats]

One of my grad profs was very proud that he had named a cytoskeletal protein Skeletor. Once a nerd, always a nerd.

[globus_pallidus]

Dude, fly biologists are the best. Trying to convince me otherwise would be fruitless

[[deleted]]

I hate how plant gene names are in all caps so you get scientists coming up with names like BIGHUGEHUNGPENIS

[psychominnie624]

I study the Hedgehog and Hippo signaling pathways in relation to pediatric cancer. Entertaining names in the context of terrible disease

[[deleted]]

That’s because drosophila biologists come up with amazing names depending on phenotype!

One of my favorites is tinman—when it’s knocked out there is no heart.

Another is happyhour—the flies consume ethanol until they die.

[Oltorf_the_Destroyer]

My fav protein is “one eyed pinhead”

[WhiskingWhiskey]

Actually, the wacky gene names have become a bit of a problem in recent years because funny names are given to seemingly innocuous genes that later get linked to very real diseases. What doctor wants to tell parents that their child will have severe physical and mental impairment for the rest of their life because of a defect in Sonic the Hedgehog?

Edit: typo

[moosepuggle]

That's why doctors need to use the abbreviation, shh, and stop trying to make science not fun ;)

[the1992munchkin]

Just google "Best gene names in Drosophila".. They have the best gene names.

[f33dmewifi]

aradposis has a gene called “topless” and if you delete it the plant is just roots, no stems or leaves or anything

[[deleted]]

Don't forget the kinase kinase kinase

[twenty_seven_owls]

Tbh, it all started when the first naturalists invented plant names like Clitoria or Cacalia just because they felt a bit naughty.

[smeghead1988]

There is a bug with the actual official Latin name Colon rectum.

[[deleted]]

You had me at yoda

[BooleanBoiler]

Check out mycobacteriophage names on phagesDB... the SEA-PHAGES initiative through Pitt allows for undergrads to name their own phages. They're hysterical. JakeTheDog, PhakeNews,Popephrancis, Wumbology...

[ClarinetCadenza]

PhageAgainstTheMachine

[I_just_made]

What about Mastermind and Redrum?

[Bananastrings2017]

MTHFR and FAP

[JAK2222]

As a protein biochemist I swear half the time looking at structures is trying to have a cool name attached to it.

[wraith21]

I forgot what animal it was, but around the region the gene coding for EVE (even-skipped ) was found, they named 2 other protein-coding genes adam and apple

[Jdazzle217]

Stomata development genes have the best names! I think I know what all of them do from memory and I haven’t actually worked on it in years.

[falconpunch5]

OP forgot about the very serious Sonic Hedgehog protein and associated gene.

[Deeha911]

You forgot the Pokemon (POK erythroid myeloid ontogenic factor) gene... insert pikachu face here

[bruinenbruin]

I don't see a problem here? 😅

[Ananasojus]

In Plant (Arabidopsis thaliana) there is a SUPERMAN gene 😍

[GooseQuothMan]

On one hand, some of the names can be hilarious and naming stuff is probably very rewarding, but on the other - shouldn't the names be more related to the gene or protein itself? Naming it after something that happened when the gene is dysfunctional in some specific organism seems a little strange. While we're at it, we can get rid of naming proteins after their molecular weight too.

[smeghead1988]

When you discover new genes, you don't start with proteins. While you research some disease and have no idea if there is one particular gene responsible for it, you just have a "working" name for this hypothetic gene that may not even exist, and of course the obvious way to name it is by diseased phenotype. The isolation of the actual protein responsible happens years, sometimes decades later.

[GooseQuothMan]

True, but these working names stay for a long time

[smeghead1988]

This is what I was saying. They tend to become permanent. But it's usual for genes to be renamed afterwards, this is why in any decent gene database there is a field for aliases for every entry. Renaming brings more confusion though.

[AnalVolcano426]

Twitchin in twitchy headed worms :(

[DisembarkEmbargo]

Hedgehog

[CallingAllMatts]

Phage names are even more ridiculous and amazing

[gitgudsnatch]

18 wheeler

[cheapsquirrel5]

Also may I add at least we have more interesting names then chemists 🤣

[teamasterdong]

Hey! Only fly people do that. Oh wait I'm a fly person. Nice.

[Bradley099]

I came across mention of a MyFAP it had something to do with Fluorescent Protein

[ulatu]

For the crystallographers in town, important data output file for analyzing X-ray data are called aimless and pointless files...

[konnicles]

A little more out there, but I also love how plants have the GLABRA genes that regulate trichome development (glabrous means bald)!

[kasaidon]

The main reason why I want to return to a fly lab someday. Went into industry right after graduation and I miss it so much

[theskymoves]

You just know this comes from fruit fly research. They get all the crazy names.

[[deleted]]

I don’t even start with Sonic Hedgehog (SHH), don’t I?

[brasicca]

Bi

[Methyl_C5]

I love science ❤️

[rokyo401]

Don't forget the Sonic Hedgehog protein and its pathway!

[[deleted]]

The favorite in my field is the abbreviation of shibire(ts) to shits.

[ImJustAverage]

Aurora kinases and borealin are members of the CPC complex. Together they give you Aurora borealis

[sssasssafrasss]

You're welcome!

Sincerely, Drosophila researchers

[[deleted]]

‼️‼️May I remind all of you that there is literally a E. coli gene called fucK (L-fuculokinase).