Cilia and flagella are comprised of a microtubular backbone, the axoneme, which is organized by the basal body and surrounded by plasma membrane. SPAG16 encodes 2 major proteins that associate with the axoneme of sperm tail and the nucleus of postmeiotic germ cells, respectively (Zhang et al., 2007 [PubMed 17699735]).[supplied by OMIM, Jul 2008].
Zhang, Zariwala, Mahadevan, Caballero-Campo, Shen, Escudier, Duriez, Bridoux, Leigh, Gerton, Kennedy, Amselem, Knowles, Strauss: "A heterozygous mutation disrupting the SPAG16 gene results in biochemical instability of central apparatus components of the human sperm axoneme." in: Biology of reproduction, Vol. 77, Issue 5, pp. 864-71, (2007) (PubMed).