I found this article from the Nature news website quite amusing:
…the Human Genome Organisation (HUGO) Gene Nomenclature Committee…is renaming a number of genes that have potentially offensive or embarrassing names. The shortlist of 10 genes – including radical fringe, lunatic fringe and, bizarrely, Indian hedgehog – was compiled in response to physicians’ worries about “inappropriate, demeaning and pejorative” names. The problem arose because most of the genes were initially discovered in fruitflies, and their names were then transferred to the human versions of the genes, which were discovered later…when applied to the human versions of the genes, many of these names become uncomfortable. While no one wants to curtail the creativity of fruitfly geneticists, it will be important to ensure that, in the future, no joky names are adopted for human genes where they might cause offence. Other quirky names in the fruitfly genome include headcase and mothers against decapentaplegia (MAD).
“I’m sorry, Madam, but our tests show that you have a headcase mutation!”
Genes are usually named for the phenotype (or appearance) of the organism lacking that gene. My favourite gene names aren’t too offensive. They include:
- brainiac mutants have large brains;
- cerberus mutants have extra heads (named after the dog in Greek mythology, depicted above by William Blake);
- cyclops mutants have one eye;
- dickkopf;
- grim and reaper mutants have programmed cell death taking place when it shouldn’t;
- inebriated mutants are uncoordinated;
- lilliputian mutants are small;
- methuselah mutants live longer, like the Biblical character who lived to the ripe old age of
4767969 (Genesis 5: 21-27); - sonic hedgehog mutants resemble the computer game character in appearance; and
- stargazer mutants repeatedly raise their heads due to a malformation of the cerebellum
(Click on each name for a paper about the gene; by convention, the name of the gene, but not its product, is italicized.)
What, I hear you ask, is the phenotype of the dickkopf mutant? Any guesses?
Mo Costandi 
Methuselah only lived to be 969, but that’s bad enough, considering that it’s entirely possible that he had to live at least 909 of those years with an enlarged prostate.
Ouch.
Thanks Anomalous4 – I was just checking to see if anyone was paying attention! Actually, I haven’t read the Book of Genesis for a while, so the details were a bit fuzzy. Besides, whether Methuselah lived to be 4767 or 979 is irrelevant – both numbers are utterly ridiculous, and I’m pretty certain he couldn’t have been much older than 120 when he died.
Even if Methuselah only lived to be 120 years, the name is very well deserved.
4767 – I was thinking of the world’s oldest tree!
Since when have physicians been PC? Perhaps geneticists could launch a counter-offensive about bedside manners (or lack thereof).
Hands off, I say! Those bizarre names are the only laughs I get out of genetics. (I’m a zoologist surrounded by gel jocks. They use an impenetrable argot and it’s scary. At least those gene names make the science a fraction more accessible.)