sperm mitochondrial-associated cysteine-rich protein (SMCP, MCS, MCSP)

Function

• role in sperm motility

Compartment

• cytoplasm
• mitochondrial membrane
• peripheral membrane, cytoplasmic side (putative)
• becomes associated with the spermatid mitochondrion capsule at step 16 of spermatogenesis (putative)

Expression

• testis
• selectively expressed in the spermatids of seminiferous tubules
• expressed in postmeiotic cells

Pathology

• absence is associated with genetic background dependent male infertility
• infertility may be due to reduced sperm motility in the female reproductive tract & inability to penetrate the oocyte zona pellucida

Notes

• originally thought to be a selenoprotein, known as sperm mitochondrial capsule selenoprotein

More general terms

• selenoprotein
• mitochondrial protein
• testis-specific protein

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=4184
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:4184
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/601148
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P49901.html