I have a genetics question

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Posted on behalf of a friend of mine

"I'm writing a novel (since 2000, yes, it's been that long, re-written
it 3 times now) that has a strong genetic theme. It's a
human-plant-parasite co-evoloutionary triad based on trypanosynomisis
(sp?) parasite (sleeping sickness) and a regulatory sequence/gene that
turn some humans (mostly africans in modern times) into fairies/elves
or the like."

I know, she doesn't really ask a question. Just do the best you can.

Very very first place to start is John Wyndham's novel "Trouble with Lichen". It's dated in many ways, but it does show how you can write about science without having to include all the science.

Then, check http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/BLAST/ - this is a genome search engine, and their website also has the raw genetic lettering for many things. There's all the raw data you could possibly want.

Well, the disease you've been writing about is spelled trypanosomiasis if that helps. It's rough.

Using a eukaryotic organism is an interesting way to go; on the one hand, it can carry a hefty wallop of genetic alteration because it physically has room for an entire genome, but on the other your friend will have to overcome the problem that eukaryotic organisms don't mix-and-match genetic material with their hosts in any known parasite (including sleeping sickness).

Viruses do mess around with host DNA, but any genetic alteration is generally limited to a single gene (a couple, at most) because a virus doesn't have a lot of room inside its capsid for more.

Some information on parasites altering host behaviour can be found here: link. The article names the parasites, giving your friend terms for further search.

Would the parasite in the story change only behaviour or also appearance? How complex are the changes, and do the people with the infection live and reproduce? From the information you gave, probably both. Your friend may have to think a bit whether the parasite is only harmful, or whether it might give some benefits to the carriers (whatever benefits she comes up with could be frequency dependent). If there are benefits, what would they be? Does it matter how the parasite acts? If your friend postulates an entirely separate and coherent behaviour pattern which is not just up and down regulation of existing behavioural elements, then it would be necessary to assume that there is some selection for this coherent alternative pattern. Then it would be necessary to assume frequency dependent benefits of the infection.

Gromit

Sleeping sickness is weird actually there is no cure because its actually an aftershock of Spanish Flu (similar to Avian flu only its H3N1 instead of H5N1) Its caused by the virus messing with DNA. The faulty DNA replicates and this can lead to the body shutting down (espically in the brain area) thats why sufferes go in to a comatic like state instead of just simply dieing. Eventually however they do die. its a nasty illness . I hope that helped also for ideas about writing simplified science read Stephen Hawkings- A brief history of time or the universe in a nutshell.

Actually, that's not accurate. Sleeping sickness is not caused by a virus, certianly not by inflluenza (spanish or otherwise).

Actually, that's not accurate. One malady called "sleeping sickness", African trypanosomiasis, is not caused by a virus, but a parasite. However another malady, also called "sleeping sickness", encephalitis lethargica, was indeed attributed to a virus. It seems it is now believed to be a bacterial infection that triggers it. A set of moving accounts are documented by Oliver Sacks in his book "Awakenings", where he used L-DOPA as a treatment (with mixed blessings).