This forum is in permanent archive mode. Our new active community can be found here.

Autism

edited October 2006 in Everything Else
Scott suggested, on the podcast, that since autism is more common in males, we should look on the Y chromosome for genes that cause it. I just wanted to point on that if something occurs in both males & females, but is more prevalent in males, it is generally expressed on the X chromosome, but is a recessive gene...at least as far as I understand it. I work with some people who dabble in genetics, and could ask them for more info, but that's my understanding of it based on other genetic disorders, e.g. male pattern baldness and color-blindness.

Ah, just found an article supporting what I'm saying:
Encyclopedia of Genetic DisordersRed/green and blue color blindness appear to be located on at least two different gene locations. The majority of affected individuals are males. Females are carriers but are not normally affected. This indicates that the X chromosome is one of the locations for color blindness. Male offspring of females who carry the altered gene have a fifty-fifty chance of being color-blind. The rare female that has red/green color blindness, or rarer still, blue color blindness, indicates there is an involvement of another gene. As of 2001, the location of this gene has not been identified.
I'm not trying to show Scott up, or anything...I just find this sort of stuff interesting, and thought others might like to geek out about it a bit, too.

Comments

  • You're right Belarm, if something happens in males and females it has to be on the X chromosome. Even if the gene is recessive and the guy has only one copy of it, he has whatever is associated with that gene. It also accounts for variability in the severity of the disease in women due to being mosaic.

    Mosaic means that in every cell of a woman's body one X chromosome is turned off. They shut off randomly at an early point in development and so each cell can display a different phenotype. This is why you can have female calico cats, etc.
  • I was only one off.
  • 50 / 50 chance :-p
  • 50 / 50 chance :-p
    Uh, no. Humans have I think 24 chromosomes.
  • Smartass ^_^ you know what I meant.
Sign In or Register to comment.