Mothers against decapentaplegic is a protein from the SMAD family that was discovered in ''

Drosophila ''Drosophila'' () is a genus of flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "small fruit flies" or (less frequently) pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many speci ...

''. During ''Drosophila'' research, it was found that a mutation in the gene in the mother repressed the gene

decapentaplegic Decapentaplegic (Dpp) is a key morphogen involved in the development of the fruit fly '' Drosophila melanogaster'' and is the first validated secreted morphogen. It is known to be necessary for the correct patterning and development of the early ...

in the embryo. The phrase "Mothers against" was added as a humorous take-off on organizations opposing various issues e.g.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is a non-profit organization in the United States, Canada and Brazil that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and strive for stricter impaired drivin ...

(MADD); and based on a tradition of such unusual naming within the gene research community. Several human homologues are known: * Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 1 * Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2 *

Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 also known as SMAD family member 3 or SMAD3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SMAD3 gene. SMAD3 is a member of the SMAD family of proteins. It acts as a mediator of the signals initiated by ...

* Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 *

Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 5 Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 5 also known as SMAD5 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''SMAD5'' gene. SMAD5, as its name describes, is a homolog of the Drosophila gene: "Mothers against decapentaplegic", based on a tradi ...

* Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 6 * Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 7 * Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 9

References

{{reflist Proteins SMAD (protein)