My bio major friends kept talking abt it and when I asked, they used a whole bunch of terminology that I couldn’t understand so here I am.
In: 3
Assuming that this is [the correct SEPTIN7](https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q16181/entry), then, I’ll explain the description found at UniProt (an important protein database) as best I can:
* Filament-forming cytoskeletal GTPase.
* The [cytoskeleton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytoskeleton) is a skeleton for your cells. (Cyto means cell.) It’s a network of proteins that gives the cell its shape.
* Each filament is basically a “bone” in the cytoskeleton. A bunch of proteins link together to form a filament. This protein is one of them.
* A GTPase is a protein that burns GTP. GTP is one of the chemicals that are used to provide power to proteins.
* Required for normal organization of the actin cytoskeleton.
* Actin filaments are one of the filament types.
* Filaments perform the same role as bones, but they’re very different. Filaments get created and broken down as needed. Apparently they don’t organize properly without Septin7.
* Required for normal progress through mitosis.
* Mitosis is the process of cell division. It uses filaments to help manage the way the cell splits apart. It makes sense that a protein required for the cytoskeleton, is required for mitosis.
* Involved in cytokinesis.
* Cytokinesis is one of the steps in mitosis. It’s the final splitting of the cell.
* Required for normal association of CENPE with the kinetochore.
* So when cells split, they have to divide the genome in half. Specifically, they have to divide each individual chromosome in half.
* The kinetochore is a protein structure that helps pull the chromosomes apart, and the [CENPE](https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q02224/entry) is one of the important proteins that does the pulling step.
* Apparently Septin7 is necessary for CENPE to do its job.
* Plays a role in ciliogenesis and collective cell movements.
* Ciliogenesis refers to cilia. Cilia are the little hairs on cells that beat to help cells move.
* Ciliogenesis is the process where cilia get created. Apparently Septin7 plays a role in that too.
* Forms a filamentous structure with SEPTIN12, SEPTIN6, SEPTIN2 and probably SEPTIN4 at the sperm annulus which is required for the structural integrity and motility of the sperm tail during postmeiotic differentiation.
* The tail of the sperm is what helps it move. The annulus is a part of the sperm at the base of the tail, so the annulus is necessary for proper function of the sperm’s tail.
* Specifically, sperm moves by using cytoskeleton components. Septin7 is one of the cytoskeleton components.
* So it makes sense that Septin7 would be required for sperm motility.
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