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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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SPA17
sperm autoantigenic protein 17
Chromosome 11 · 11q24.2
NCBI Gene: 53340Ensembl: ENSG00000064199.8HGNC: HGNC:11210UniProt: A0A172Q397
44PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingcytoplasmsperm fibrous sheathsperm principal pieceneurodegenerative diseaseirritable bowel syndromeneoplasmcancer
✦AI Summary

SPA17 (sperm autoantigenic protein 17) is a conserved mammalian protein primarily characterized as a sperm surface zona pellucida binding protein that facilitates spermatozoa attachment with high affinity. In reproductive physiology, SPA17 localizes to the sperm principal piece and ciliary structures 1, where it participates in the acrosome reaction during fertilization 2. The protein functions through interactions with A-kinase-anchoring proteins (AKAPs) and PKA signaling; oxidative stress-induced elevation of SPA17 inhibits sperm capacitation and reduces acrosomal reactions by suppressing AKAP4/PKARII protein expression 3. Beyond reproduction, SPA17 has emerged as a cancer-testis antigen (CTA) aberrantly expressed in multiple malignancies 2. Pan-cancer analysis reveals SPA17 predicts prognosis across cancer types and significantly correlates with immune cell infiltration and immune-activated hallmarks 2. Notably, SPA17 expression predicts anti-PD1/PDL1 immunotherapy response, positioning it as a promising immunotherapy biomarker 2. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, SPA17 contributes to a biomarker panel distinguishing chemotherapy responders (AUROC: 0.977) 4. Recently, SPA17 has been identified as a pan-interstitial lung disease (ILD) marker correlating positively with disease severity and lung function progression in systemic sclerosis-associated ILD and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis 5.

Sources cited
1
SPA17 is upregulated as a mature ciliated cell marker in the fallopian tube epithelium and localizes to ciliary structures
PMID: 40158048
2
SPA17 is a cancer-testis antigen re-expressed in tumors that predicts prognosis and correlates with immune cell infiltration and immunotherapy response to anti-PD1/PDL1 therapies
PMID: 35592314
3
SPA17 binds to AKAP proteins and participates in AKAP4/PKA signaling; elevated SPA17 under oxidative stress inhibits sperm capacitation and acrosomal reactions
PMID: 37695244
4
SPA17 is part of a biomarker panel that distinguishes chemotherapy-responsive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients with high diagnostic accuracy
PMID: 37533202
5
SPA17 serves as a pan-ILD marker upregulated in systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, correlating with disease severity and lung function progression
PMID: 40165483
6
SPA17 is a D/D domain protein that forms homodimers and tetramers and binds AKAP18 with nanomolar affinity, functioning as a protein-interaction element in motile cilia
PMID: 34256050
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.22Weak
irritable bowel syndromeOpen Targets
0.17Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.10Weak
cancerOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
multiple myelomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Romano-Ward syndromeOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Familial progressive cardiac conduction defectOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
SAPHO syndromeOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
familial atrial fibrillationOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Familial short QT syndromeOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardiaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
diffuse large B-cell lymphomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Brugada syndromeOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasiaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
hypertrophic cardiomyopathyOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Rare familial disorder with hypertrophic cardiomyopathyOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
atrial fibrillationOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
sudden cardiac arrestOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
non-small cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
AKAP3Protein interaction98%CABYRProtein interaction98%ROPN1Protein interaction98%AKAP14Protein interaction96%ROPN1LProtein interaction94%ZPBPProtein interaction86%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Brain
100%
Bone Marrow
54%
Lung
28%
Heart
20%
Ovary
11%
Liver
9%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
SPA17AKAP3CABYRROPN1AKAP14ROPN1LZPBP
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB8J07 · 4.10 Å · EM
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.13LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.05Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.57 [0.31–1.13]
RankingsWhere SPA17 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #9,657of 20,598
    Most Researched44
  • #11,637of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.13
Genes detectedSPA17
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Immunological Features and Potential Biomarkers of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.
PMID: 40165483
Clin Respir J · 2025
1.00
2
Sperm Autoantigenic Protein 17 Predicts the Prognosis and the Immunotherapy Response of Cancers: A Pan-Cancer Analysis.
PMID: 35592314
Front Immunol · 2022
0.90
3
Spatial transcriptomic profiling of the human fallopian tube epithelium reveals region-specific gene expression patterns.
PMID: 40158048
Commun Biol · 2025
0.80
4
Gene expression profiling of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas in response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
PMID: 37533202
Cancer Med · 2023
0.70
5
Sperm protein antigen 17 and Sperm flagellar 1 cancer testis antigens are expressed in a rare case of ciliated foregut cyst of the common hepatic duct.
PMID: 37224658
Pathol Res Pract · 2023
0.60