Art Geckos: Enigma Syndrome is an Autosomal Dominant Gene!! :0

[Art Geckos]

Enigma Syndrome (ES) is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. Those affected are either heterozygous or homozygous dominant. In other words, allele A causes the disorder, so those who are AA or Aa are affected. Just one copy of the dominant allele is sufficient to manifest symptoms. Every affected animal has an affected parent. Males and females are equally as likely to inherit the allele and be affected. This is because these are genes on autosomes, of which each female and male has 2 copies. If one parent is a heterozygote, the babies will either inherit the gene or not. (50/50)

So, what's really going on within these equilibrium deficient reptiles?

ES affects brain cells responsible for coordinated movement. Because one copy of the gene is nonfunctional, it produces proteins that aren't quite right, such that when they interact with normal proteins they clump up and lead to a toxic disruption of structural organization. Cells can no longer function normally, cell death occurs, and the parts of the brain are destroyed.

Often this is a late onset neuro-degenerative disease. So you can breed a normal enigma, only to later find out they are affected, and the gene was passed to offspring.

Moral of the story: Only breed unrelated, 'unaffected' individuals, and outbreed to a different population of genes.

It is my opinion, based on research and results, ES is autosomal dominant disorder. It is not autosomal recessive, and it is not an X-linked disorder (as leopard geckos don't have sex chromosomes)

Finally, I am calling upon the gecko community to Rally Support for a name change. From Enigma Syndrome, to Equilibrium Disorder. As this is not an Enigma Problem, it's a leopard gecko problem.

Ben Bargen B.Sc.,
Art Geckos

 

[ehebert]

Excellent work, Ben!

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[acpart]

THis sounds really interesting. I'd love to know a bit more about the research that went into this.

Aliza

 

[Darkrhyno18]

THis sounds really interesting. I'd love to know a bit more about the research that went into this.

Aliza

+1

 

[Phantom240]

If Enigmas are predisposed to Equilibrium Disorder, then why do people still breed them? Seems kinda ass backwards if you ask me. I know I wouldn't want to produce animals that I KNOW will have neurological problems.

 

[iCandiBallPythons]

Very interesting

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[Drgn8D]

This reminds me of the issue with corn snakes, where the Stargazer trait (disorder that affects neurological function and causes unstable movement) is associated primarily with the Sunkissed trait. Sunkissed's are beautiful animals, but unfortunately the trait could be passed on to any other animal, so some very strict breeding needs to happen to weed out stargazer from any babies produced in a sunkissed line... Otherwise it's starting to show up in other morphs like simple amels and aneries, which is obviously not good.

People still want their lovely animals, but more care for the proper breeding and selection of unaffected animals for breeding should be observed to prevent the spread of such neurological disorders!

If Enigmas are predisposed to Equilibrium Disorder, then why do people still breed them? Seems kinda ass backwards if you ask me. I know I wouldn't want to produce animals that I KNOW will have neurological problems.

well, because not ALL enigmas have that disorder, and it's necessary to selectively breed for clean animals to prevent the spread to other genetic lines. Just like corn snakes.

 

[Akari_32]

What gets me is that some breeders think it's ok to breed any animals showing just "mild" symptoms. My Amelia has a pretty "mild" case of Enigma Syndrome, and let me tell you, she gets 2-3 times more attention than my other two. Feeding her takes about a half hour, and tank cleaning is no picnick!

 

[Art Geckos]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! This is an issue near and dear to my heart; both cuz I love neuroscience (my major) and these animal; Glad you would've to read more, cuz this is just the tip of the neurological-iceberg . Ill be posting comprehensive results with case studies and references for those interested.

Interesting this is an issues with cornsnakes too;

I want to be very clear that this isn't isolated to enigmas, all leopard geckos morphs are susceptible to this disorder.

 

[acpart]

Looking forward to the comprehensive results. Is this your own research, others' research or both?

Aliza

 

[indyana]

I'll be looking forward to reading more about this. I find it interesting, as I have not seen anything regarding Enigma syndrome outside Enigma-morph geckos.

 

[B&B Geckos]

In my understanding, and it is late, this summary does not answer the crucial question of whether the dominant allele (gene) that determines the equilibrium disorder is the same that produces the beautiful set of enigma traits. If it is the same, the same protein producing the beautiful enigma traits is producing the equilibrium disorder and no mater how much outcrossing there's no way to isolate the two.

The fact that it's a late onset degenerative disease would mean that its just a matter of time before those geckos that show no symptoms will. By then it's too late. Those breeders that have been fooled into thinking that they have a line of enigmas without enigma syndrome will have produce another generation of enigmas that are not without the equilibrium disorder, but only line-bred to develop the disease at an older age. I hope I'm wrong though.