Gene that shuts down immune system found in 20 percent of people of African descent

[RyanJ]

Scientists have found that about 20% of people of an African descent have a potentially deadly protein called Caspase-12.

 

This protein is quite a nasty character as it has the ability to completly shut down the body's immune system... this could possibly lead to some nasty developmnets in the near future.

 

There are many questions that still have to be answered, such why only African populations have this enzyme.

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060506234925.htm

 

- Ryan Jones

[Dr. Dalek]

There are many questions that still have to be answered' date=' such why only African populations have this enzyme.

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060506234925.htm

 

- Ryan Jones[/quote']

 

Most people who are not of direct African ancestry are supposedly descendants of a family of fifty that migrated from Africa some thousands of years ago. Perhaps the family had no history of this gene, or those that did were the first to die of the foreign diseases they all encountered in their travels.

 

It is an interesting correlation that non-Africans lost the Caspase-12 gene 60,000 years ago, and ,if my memory serves me correctly, that is around the same time the family separated from the African gene pool. I will check my information, but I believe it is correct.

[SmallIsPower]

Caspase-12 has to convey some fitness if it occurs 20% of the time in blacks, don't allegies come from too strong a reaction of the immune system?

[Dr. Dalek]

Caspase-12 has to convey some fitness if it occurs 20% of the time in blacks, don't allergies come from too strong a reaction of the immune system?

That is true, it may be similar to the sickle cell trait which prevents malaria in Africans, however if the gene appears more than once in the genome it can result in sickle cell anemia.

Yes I know to well about the blunder of immunity, allergies.