Mystique: The Ultimate Mutant
Abstract
This paper puts the powers of the mutant Mystique, seen in the Marvel Universe, into a biological context by exploring the genes she uses to change her appearance. These genes may be pre-existing and required to mutate or completely novel. It was found that several aspects of her appearance would be able to change, but over a much longer timescale than depicted in the films and comics, and possibly at a detriment to her health.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Marvel Database, (2016). Raven Darkholme (Earth-616). [online] Available at: http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Raven_Darkholme_(Earth-616 ) [Accessed 03/02/2016].
Sturm, R. and Frudakis, T. (2004) Eye colour: portals into pigmentation genes and ancestry. Trends in Genetics, 20, 8, 327-332.
Sturm, R., Box, N. and Ramsay, M. (1998) Human pigmentation genetics: the difference is only skin deep. Bioessays, 20, 9, 712-721.
White, D. and Rabago-Smith, M. (2010) Genotype–phenotype associations and human eye color. Journal of Human Genetics, 56, 1, 5-7.
Guenther, C., Tasic, B., Luo, L., Bedell, M. and Kingsley, D. (2014) A molecular basis for classic blond hair color in Europeans. Nature Genetics, 46, 7, 748-752.
Han, J., Kraft, P., Nan, H., Guo, Q., Chen, C., Qureshi, A., Hankinson, S., Hu, F., Duffy, D., Zhao, Z., Martin, N., Montgomery, G., Hayward, N., Thomas, G., Hoover, R., Chanock, S. and Hunter, D. (2008) A Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Novel Alleles Associated with Hair Color and Skin Pigmentation. PLoS Genetics, 4, 5, e1000074.
Genetics Home Reference, (2016). Is eye color determined by genetics?. [online] Available at: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/traits/eyecolor [Accessed 25/01/2016].
Sturm, R. (2009) Molecular genetics of human pigmentation diversity. Human Molecular Genetics, 18, R1, R9-R17.
Sturm, R., Duffy, D., Zhao, Z., Leite, F., Stark, M., Hayward, N., Martin, N. and Montgomery, G. (2008) A Single SNP in an Evolutionary Conserved Region within Intron 86 of the HERC2 Gene Determines Human Blue-Brown Eye Color. The American Journal of Human Genetics, 82, 2, 424-431.
Abdel-Malek, Z. and Swope, V. (2011) Epidermal Melanocytes: Regulation of Their Survival, Proliferation, and Function in Human Skin. Melanoma Development, 7-33.
McDevitt, D. (1982). Cell biology of the eye. (Academic Press), 200.
Cichorek, M., Wachulska, M., Stasiewicz, A. and Tymińska, A. (2013) Skin melanocytes: biology and development. Advances in Dermatology and Allergology, 1, 30-41.
AskNature, (n.d.). Rapid color change used for protection: cuttlefish. [online] Available at: http://www.asknature.org/strategy/346cbaa168e0f33cd4fc21a6d0cb50eb [Accessed 29/01/2016].
Deravi, L., Magyar, A., Sheehy, S., Bell, G., Mathger, L., Senft, S., Wardill, T., Lane, W., Kuzirian, A., Hanlon, R., Hu, E. and Parker, K. (2014) The structure-function relationships of a natural nanoscale photonic device in cuttlefish chromatophores. Journal of The Royal Society Interface, 11, 93, 20130942-20130942.
Stuart-Fox, D. (2013). How do chameleons and other creatures change colour?. [online] Phys.org. Available at: http://phys.org/news/2013-05-chameleons-creatures-colour.html [Accessed 29/01/2016].
Andouche, A., Bassaglia, Y., Baratte, S. and Bonnaud, L. (2013) Reflectin genes and development of iridophore patterns in Sepia officinalis embryos (Mollusca, Cephalopoda). Dev. Dyn., 242, 5, 560-571.
Kimura, T., Nagao, Y., Hashimoto, H., Yamamoto-Shiraishi, Y.-i., Yamamoto, S., Yabe, T., Takada, S., Kinoshita, M., Kuroiwa, A. and Naruse, K. (2014) Leucophores are similar to xanthophores in their specification and differentiation processes in medaka. PNAS, 111, 20, 7343-7348.
Uniprot, (n.d.). Paired box protein Pax-7. [online] Available at: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P23759 [Accessed 29/01/2016].
Farooqi, I. and O’Rahilly, S. (2006)Genetics of Obesity in Humans. Endocrine Reviews, 27, 7, 710-718.
Vaisse, C., Clement, K., Durand, E., Hercberg, S., Guy-Grand, B. and Froguel, P. (2000) Melanocortin-4 receptor mutations are a frequent and heterogeneous cause of morbid obesity. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 106, 2, 253-262.
Lango Allen, H., Estrada, K., Lettre, G., et al. (2010) Hundreds of variants clustered in genomic loci and biological pathways affect human height. Nature, 467, 7317, 832-838.
Trivellin, G., Daly, A., Faucz, F., et al. (2014) Gigantism and Acromegaly Due to Xq26 Microduplications and GPR101 Mutation. New England Journal of Medicine, 371, 25, 2363-2374.
Wikipedia, (2016). Robert Wadlow. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Wadlow [Accessed 03/02/2016].
Wikipedia, (2016). Anna Haining Bates. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Haining_Bates [Accessed 03/02/2016].
Wikipedia, (2016). André the Giant. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/André_the_Giant [Accessed 03/02/2016].
Wikipedia, (2016). Jorge González (wrestler). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_González_(wrestler) [Accessed 03/02/2016].
Navarro, C. (2006) Molecular bases of progeroid syndromes. Human Molecular Genetics, 15, 2, R151-R161.
Hirschfeld, G., Berneburg, M., von Arnim, C., Iben, S., Ludolph, A. and Scharffetter-Kochanek, K. (2007). Progeroid Syndromes. [pdf] Deutsches Ärzteblatt. Available at: https://www.aerzteblatt.de/pdf/DI/104/6/a346e.pdf [Accessed 03/02/2016].
Oren, D. (2002). Accelerated Aging: Human Progeroid Syndromes. [online] Encyclopedia.com. Available at: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3402200013.html [Accessed 03/02/2016].
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.