annexin

Term:annexin

Literally meaning: “protein of bringing together”

Origin: Anc Greek

ανά-/ana-(=prefix denoting up to, toward, against) >ανά/ana(=up, on, upon before, first)

(simple future) άξω/axo  > άγω/ago (=bring, lead)

Coined/History 

The name annexin was chosen to describe the principal property nearly of all annexins i.e. the binding of certain biological structures in membranes. They were discovered in the late 1970s and early 1980 and received diverse and unrelated names based on thheir biochemical properties i.e synexin (for granule aggragating protein) or calpactins (proteins binding Ca, phospholipid and actin).

The first study concerning annexiun was published in 1978 by Creutz et al, who identified a calcium dependemt protein that was responsible for aggregation of granules amongst each other and the plasma membrane. This protein was named synexin from Greek  word σύναξις/synaxis meaning meeting.  

Sources

Creutz Carl E. , Pazoles Christopher J., Pollard Harvey B. (April 1978). "Identification and purification of an adrenal medullary protein (synexin) that causes calcium-dependent aggregation of isolated chromaffin granules". Journal of Biological Chemistry 253 (8): 2858–66. 

Definition

Annexin is a group of proteins which share a similar gene structure and have a  characteristic 70 amino acid repeat. All annexins are capable to bind negatively charged phospholipids.