Desert problems

[Andreass]

Tomorrow i have an exam about genetics, and yes i should be studying but i found something interesting in my syllabus.

It is a long text but i will only write a part of it since i need to translate it from dutch and english isn't my strongest.

I quote from my course:

Often there is searched for tempraturesensitive mutations. Temprature has a major role at the development of proteins. Temprature sensitive mutations are mutations in a gene that assembles, with a permissive temprature, a normal type proteïne. But at a higher restrictive temprature the protein will denaturate and looses his function.

So in my own words: A mutation ( lets say dessert) can cause a letal mutation, in a certein proteïn, but this will only take affect at higher tempratures.

I heard there are rumors about dessert females being able to breed at lower temps. I'm not saying this is the problem, actually the chance is pretty low this is the problem but maybe it is worth it to take it into consideration.

So if the letal mutation affects a protein that is necessary for lets say folicel development. Then the higher temps are messing up the protein. While at lower( normal) temps the protein is just fine.


But this theory has a tail. If this is correct, and dessert females are successfully bred, then this implicates that we are incubating eggs at a temprature that is too high.

Each protein has an optimum temprature, proteins that we have in our body do best around 98°F. They still work if we have a fever or are a little supercooled, but not that good anymore. They do best at 98°F.
With snakes this is just the same, they have an optimum temprature at wich there metabolism will do best. If it gets a little hotter, it wil still work, but not with the same efficiency. This means that incubating at slightly lower temps ( no man will know how much lower) can result in a higher succesrate of living youngster. According to what protein is affectet, less slugs, babies with a disability or whatever you can come up with.

I'm not saying this is the big solution, chances are very little. But I think it is worth to think about it. And there are breeders how are doing this wright now so there will be answers fast.