SPANX-A co-precipitates with proteins involved in cell growth and proliferation (such as mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) and F-box only protein 50 (NCCRP1)), cell adhesion (such as carcinoma-like desmoglein-1 (DSG1) and desmocollin-1 (DSC1), which are involved in different types of cancer30–33 and cytoskeletal proteins (such as actin, tubulins and keratins, which are associated with the capacity of cells to migrate and invade new tissues18). Here, MAP2K1 is linked to carcinoma.