The Biology of... Panic

discovermagazine.com/2002/apr/featbiology/?searchterm=hereditary



Summary:

Molecular geneticist Xavier Estivill thinks that almost every social phobia and panic disorder is rooted in a single stretch of about 60 genes." While working with physician Antoni Bulbena, it was noticed that double-jointed patients complain more often than others about nervous disorders. Estivill did a study looking for genetic abnormalities in the DNA and found that 87% of the double-jointed people and 90% of the people with nervous disorders had a duplicate region of DNA stretching for 60 genes. He did a follow-up study with unrelated people and found that 97% of the people with a known nervous disorder had the same duplication of 7% of the general population.

Estivill's research shows that the duplication isn't being transfered the way other mutations are. The duplication changes position on the chromosome and sometimes the sequences are inverted. Regular mutations are in a specific location on a specific chromosome. Estivill says that the duplication itself isn't being passed on, it's the tendency to duplicate. Estivill says that there are two ways that the duplication can occur. 1) the enzymes copying our DNA could be faulty and start doubling errors, or 2) junk DNA could throw of the copier enzymes.

Estivill thinks that this could be behind other disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and schizophrenia or illnesses such as heart disease and asthma.

Because of his discoveries, treatments might be found, but a cure might be "going too far." ..."a certain amount of anxiety is good for people."

Response:

Using Estivill's research, we might just finally understand how people become they way they are. I never really put together a connection between double-jointed people and anxiety-ridden people, but hey, if it's related, then I guess that explains alot.