10 Genes Named After Fantasy Icons

5. Smaug

Here's another one for you Tolkien addicts. Smaug is the fire-drake of Hobbit lore that drove the Dwarves out of Erebor. Smaug is also the name of a protein that governs the translational switch for mRNA, which conducts the activation of nanos mRNA (you know the ones). Nanos mRNA are later incorporated in pole cells that make up the beginnings of a fly's reproductive system. Flies have wings, and that's literally the only thing that Smaug has in common with the gene of his namesake. Still, it's nice to know the scientists are big enough nerds to care that he at least gets an insect gene named after him.