- Genetic mutations are a permanent alteration in a DNA sequence making a gene
- Mutations can be beneficial, harmful or neutral depending on their location
- Some mutations can even lead to seemingly ‘superhuman’ abilities
- A mutation in a gene that makes a muscle protein can lead to a condition where muscle cells grow bigger, leading to a very muscular physique, even in children
- Other mutations can lead to extra bone-strength and even super speed and energy bursts that give sprinters and weight lifters their abilities
Cecile Borkhataria For Dailymail.com
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Genetic mutations already in the population today may make the X-men movies seem less like science fiction than you think.
It turns out that there are some genetic mutations that seemingly give some people superhuman abilities.
For example, some people have a very rare genetic mutation that makes muscle cells grow bigger and divide more than usual, resulting in a condition where people, and even children, can look like body builders.
A gene mutation is a permanent alteration in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene, such that the sequence differs from what is found in most people.
Mutations can be beneficial, harmful or neutral depending on their context and location.
A new video by SciShow explains how small changes and mutations can lead to big changes in physical traits, giving three examples of ‘superhuman abilities’ that can result from mutations – starting with increase muscle strength.
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There are many different molecules that affect how muscle cells grow, including skeletal muscles – the ones used to move.
One such molecule is a protein called myostatin – made with instructions from a gene called MSTN.
THE SUPERPOWER MUTATIONS
Mutations can be beneficial, harmful or neutral depending on their context and location.
Small changes and mutations can lead to big changes in traits – leading to certain effect that may seem ‘superhuman,’ such as:
- Super muscle strength: Myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy is a condition where a gene that makes a protein called myostatin has a mutation. This protein normally limits how much these muscle cells grow and divide. But in this condition, the mutated gene stops making myostatin proteins work – allowing muscle cells to grow bigger and divide more than usual – giving people a boost in their muscle mass.
- Super speed: Fast-twitch muscle fibers are muscle cells that have rapid contraction times and give bursts of force, letting people for example sprint. Researchers think that alpha-actinin, a protein in skeletal muscle cells, helps make or stabilize these fast twitching fibers. Many people have a mutation in that gene so they don’t have working alpha-actinin, however, some top sprinters and weight lifters have at least one copy of this gene that works, so they can make the proteins that lead to seemingly superhuman bursts of speed and power.
- Super bone strength: There’s a gene called LRP5 that is part of a pathway that affects important cell processes including cell development. Some people have a gain of function mutation in this gene – which means it causes the protein it codes for to have a whole new function. This mutation can kickstart certain signalling pathways on the bone cells, making them grow denser and bulkier – conditions which are generally called osteosclerosis and hyperostosis. Some people with these condition don’t have health problems, and having dense bones means that may not have to worry about breaking their bones as much.
Myostatin normally binds to certain receptors on skeletal muscle cells, which activate pathways that limit how much they grow and divide.
But researchers have found one mutation in the gene that causes it to stop making myostatin molecules – or at least stop making proteins that work.
Without myostatin, muscle cells grow bigger and divide more than usual, giving a boost in muscle mass and strength.
Myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy is a condition where people and even children become very muscular and look like body-builders – without exercising. Pictured is Liam Hoekstra, a boy who has the condition
This leads to a condition called myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy, where people and even children become very muscular and look like body-builders – without exercising.
Another, different genetic mutation can potentially lead to speed and energy bursts.
There’s a protein in skeletal muscles called alpha-actinin-3, encoded for by a gene called ACTN3.
Researchers think it’s involved with fast-twitch muscle fibers – muscle cells that have rapid contraction times and give bursts of force, letting people for example sprint fast.
These muscle fibers contain proteins that break down sugar stores in a molecule called glycogen, converting them into glucose and other energy-containing compounds that the muscles need to work.
Researchers think that alpha-actinin helps make or stabilize these fast twitching fibers or break down glycogen.
Many people have a mutation in that gene so they don’t have working alpha-actinin, however, some top sprinters and weight lifters have at least one copy of this gene that works, so they can make the proteins that lead to seemingly superhuman bursts of speed and power.
There’s a protein in skeletal muscles called alpha-actinin-3, encoded for by a gene called ACTN3. Researchers think it’s involved with fast-twitch muscle fibers – muscle cells that have rapid contraction times and give bursts of force, letting people, for example, sprint faster. Pictured is Benin Odile Ahouanwandou during the women’s 100 meter hurdles of the athletics events at the Baku 2017 4th Islamic solidarity games
Finally, there’s another genetic mutation that can lead to bone strength.
There’s a gene called LRP5 that is involved in chemical signalling between cells, and it’s part of a pathway that affects important cell processes including cell development.
Some people have a gain of function mutation in this gene – which means it causes the protein it codes for to have a whole new function.
This particular mutation can kickstart certain signalling pathways on the bone cells, making them grow denser and bulkier – conditions which are generally called osteosclerosis and hyperostosis.
While Wolverine in the X-Men movies (pictured) had super bone strength because his were coated in metal, a real-life genetic mutation in a gene called RLP5 can kickstart certain signalling pathways on the bone cells, making them grow denser and bulkier – conditions which are generally called osteosclerosis and hyperostosis
Some people with these condition don’t have health problems, and having dense bones means that may not have to worry about breaking their bones as much.
But in other cases, it can cause too much hyperostosis, which can lead to severe types of bone growth where, for example, the skull puts too much pressure on the brain or bones pinch nerves.
While these mutations are rarer, human are all mutants in some way – it’s just that some of these mutations only affect hair color, skin color or milk tolerance.
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