<p>At Ensembl, we categorise synonyms as anything that a gene might also be known as. This includes older names for them, since those names will be in the literature, including where a gene has been split in two.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-14T11:57:48.040Z
2021-07-14T11:57:48.040Z
Emily_Ensembl
<p><em>Answer from @devon-ryan, converted from comment:</em></p>
<p>Both, that's why NAT5 is no longer a human gene symbol.</p>
<p>NAT5 does not equal NAA20, it's an out-dated name for it. Names change over time as people realize that there are more genes for something than originally thought.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-07-14T11:40:04.423Z
2021-07-14T11:40:04.423Z
gringer
<p>&quot;Aliases&quot; or &quot;Synonyms&quot; should represent the same gene but with different names. But when I try to find the sequence of one alias and try to match with another alias they are significantly different.</p>
<p>During bioinformatics analysis, I need to convert NAT5 alias ID to its gene symbol ID (NAA20, NAA50). When I tried to match the sequences of NAA20 and NAA50, they are very different but still NAT5 is an alias of both NAA20 and NAA50.</p>
<p>I have to convert one id to another id (ENSEMBL). These gene symbol and alias is so confusing.</p>
<p>I am looking for NAT5 and when I search for NAT5 in ENSEMBL, it shows both NAA20 and NAA50.</p>
<p>From UniProt the canonical sequence of both the proteins:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P61599#sequences" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P61599#sequences</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q9GZZ1#sequences" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q9GZZ1#sequences</a></p>
<p>I am confused which one to chose?</p>

<ensembl><identifiers><entrez>
Why the gene symbol aliases have significantly different sequences?
# Why the gene symbol aliases have significantly different sequences?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-02-14)

"Aliases" or "Synonyms" should represent the same gene but with different names. But when I try to find the sequence of one alias and try to match with another alias they are significantly different.

During bioinformatics analysis, I need to convert NAT5 alias ID to its gene symbol ID (NAA20, NAA50). When I tried to match the sequences of NAA20 and NAA50, they are very different but still NAT5 is an alias of both NAA20 and NAA50.

I have to convert one id to another id (ENSEMBL). These gene symbol and alias is so confusing.

I am looking for NAT5 and when I search for NAT5 in ENSEMBL, it shows both NAA20 and NAA50.

From UniProt the canonical sequence of both the proteins:

<https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P61599#sequences>

<https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q9GZZ1#sequences>

I am confused which one to chose?

**Tags:** ensembl, identifiers, entrez

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-07-14. Score: 5

At Ensembl, we categorise synonyms as anything that a gene might also be known as. This includes older names for them, since those names will be in the literature, including where a gene has been split in two.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2021-07-14. Score: 2

*Answer from @devon-ryan, converted from comment:*

Both, that's why NAT5 is no longer a human gene symbol.

NAT5 does not equal NAA20, it's an out-dated name for it. Names change over time as people realize that there are more genes for something than originally thought.


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