r/interestingasfuck • u/Significant_Snow_718 • 29d ago

/r/all Chick with genetic defect

Post image
74.8k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

3.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

127

u/ElSapio 29d ago

Probably not a germline mutation, looks like a signal pathway mutation that happened in the embryo

72

u/akrebsel 29d ago

How can you tell?

I’m taking a developmental biology course right now and am genuinely curious

74

u/magic_in_a_meatsuit 29d ago

This article goes into really good detail about the signaling molecules and their significance in interacting with each other in limb development:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2698795/

6

u/AdAppropriate2295 29d ago

Nerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd

Thanks

17

u/ElSapio 29d ago

Because it’s localized to one segment. Could be a gap gene or hedgehog problem

5

u/akrebsel 29d ago

Ah okay thank you

So it’s kind of similar to Ultrabithorax in drosophila?

4

u/ElSapio 29d ago

Exactly! I could be wrong though, I was more into molecular biology

3

u/akrebsel 29d ago

Okay cool, maybe ill do some research on it

Thanks a bunch though, I appreciate your insight!

4

u/kgm2s-2 29d ago

I'd guess hbox, based on the similarity to bicoid (but in reverse).

1

u/Rule34NoExceptions2 27d ago

It's a chicken, not a hedgehog

6

u/Lechateau 29d ago

A lot of pathways in early embryo development affect symmetry and how poles in the embryo are formed.

When you have repetition of segments or structures you have an indication that one of those pathways failed.

5

u/DindonImperial 29d ago

I don't know if this helps because i'm not a biologist, but as someone who has worked on a chicken farm, if something goes wrong during the brooding, it's gonna affect the chick's legs first, almost everytime. Tho to be fair i've never seen it add or remove full limbs, they tend to just get weird orientations, but it could have something to do with it too 🤷‍♂️

24

u/davidkali 29d ago

I was recently reading how it’s the strength of multiple hormones in a spot that trigger development. And as it travels across body the confluence says “hey, I can detect x% of this hormone, and y% of this hormone and z% of this hormone so I should trigger A & B genes … and presto your appendix forms.

Wouldn’t hormone disruption cause things like this?

21

u/ElSapio 29d ago

That’s exactly right and what I’m referring to. If this was a germline mutation, x ligand would not be recognized throughout, as opposed to in one location. I’m sure it could be germline, it just looks more somatic. You’re talking about gap genes and segmentation and it incredibly cool stuff.

4

u/OhBenjaminFranklin 29d ago

If this was a germline mutation, x ligand would not be recognized throughout, as opposed to in one location. I’m sure it could be germline, it just looks more somatic.

Hmm... yes, I concur.

2

u/Stinger22024 29d ago

I concur. 

 I know nothing about what you said. But I wanna sound smart. Don’t tell anyone please. 

2

u/badjokes4days 28d ago

So you're telling me that this isn't AI?

2

u/ElSapio 27d ago

It’s possible to make a fly have 3 sets of wings, this is the same idea. Looks more like stuff I studied in devbio than any ai I’ve seen.