SPAG6

The correlation of anti-sperm antibodies with cases of unexplained infertility implicates a role for these antibodies in blocking fertilization. Improved diagnosis and treatment of immunologic infertility, as well as identification of proteins for targeted contraception, are dependent on the identification and characterization of relevant sperm antigens. The protein expressed by this gene is recognized by anti-sperm antibodies from an infertile man. This protein localizes to the tail of permeabilized human sperm and contains eight contiguous armadillo repeats, a motif known to mediate protein-protein interactions. Studies in mice suggest that this protein is involved in sperm flagellar motility and maintenance of the structural integrity of mature sperm. Alternatively spliced variants that encode different protein isoforms have been described but the full-length sequences of only two have been determined. [provided by RefSeq]

Full Name

sperm associated antigen 6

Function

Important for structural integrity of the central apparatus in the sperm tail and for flagellar motility.

Biological Process

Biological Process cilium movementManual Assertion Based On ExperimentIBA:GO_Central
Biological Process epithelial cilium movement involved in extracellular fluid movementManual Assertion Based On ExperimentIBA:GO_Central
Biological Process filopodium assemblyManual Assertion Based On ExperimentIBA:GO_Central
Biological Process neuron projection extensionManual Assertion Based On ExperimentIBA:GO_Central
Biological Process sperm axoneme assemblyManual Assertion Based On ExperimentIBA:GO_Central

Cellular Location

Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton
Cell projection, cilium, flagellum
Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, cilium axoneme
Associated with microtubules. Detected on the sperm flagellum (PubMed:10493827).
Localizes in the cilium axoneme in a SPEF1-dependent manner (By similarity).