Behind the name of the sonic hedgehog protein

Sonic hedgehogUsually, stories about basic research are filled with impenetrable names for the small biological structures that make up living beings. But my story today is about the sonic hedgehog, whose name is a tribute to a video game character ( Hope for spinal cord injuries – Times Union).

Hedgehog was first discovered in the fruit fly researchers who thought the spiky protein looked like a hedgehog, but other types of hedgehogs were later discovered in other animals so researches expanded on the name.

A local researcher familiar with the topic explained:

Sonic was named as such by the Harvard researcher (Cliff Tabin) because two previous gene family members had been named Indian and dessert hedgehog based on the way fruit flies looked when these gene were mutated.  His kids were playing a lot of sonic at the time he discovered his gene ( circa 1991)so he went with that name for the 3rd family member.

Cathleen Crowley

One Response

  1. Ha! I always wondered about the name of that gene!!