G6S Explained
Intro
G6S is a genetic dysfunction in Nubian and Nubian-cross goats. It’s estimated that 25% of Nubian's carry this gene though it isn’t widely known. Some goat breeders ignore it and pretend it is just like any other genetic problem. They don’t seem to realize that G6S can be bred out of good lines but like anything that is in your genes-- it cannot be cured.
Cause
G6S is really a enzyme gone a little wrong called N-actylglucosamine-6-sulfate (the G from glucosamine, the 6 is there and the S from sulfate). Now, to truly understand the G6S dysfunction you have to understand the basics. Cells make up every part of our bodies, then the cells have parts to help them do their jobs called organelles. Proteins are one of the things that make up organelles. There are two kinds of proteins, the ones with jobs and the ones without. Since cells are constantly breaking down their proteins and organelles, enzymes do the job of recycling all of those leftover, thrown out pieces. Heparan sulfate is a working protein and can be found on the cell membrane. The G6S mutation is when the enzyme that is suppose to clean up and recycle the Heparan sulfate is broken and doesn’t do its job. So all of the cast away sulfates start to build up and start making it hard for the cell to do its job. Soon it builds up to the point the cell can’t function or do its part at all. Remember, this happens to most cells in the affected goat’s body so, with the goat’s body parts not working, it dies.
Signs and Symptoms
G6S affected kids are born normally but with age they don’t grow quite as they should. Sometimes they don’t get as muscular or they are smaller than other kids their age. Having blocky heads or being “slab-sided” is common for these goats. Some may die within two months of birth but the longest living goat known to be affected with G6S lived just shy of four years. Often the poor goat will have heart, reproductive, neurological, and immune system problems. The ending and death is usually caused by heart failure. Goats are all a little bit different and so are their cells. One type of cell may stop functioning first in some goats and a different type of cell in other goats so side effects may vary.
Testing
Luckily, there is a hair and blood test for Nubians, a goat can either be a Carrier, Normal, or Affected. Of course, a Normal goat has all of the right genetics and will have no problems simply because it has none of the broken genes. A Carrier has one gene that carries the G6S mutation but will not show any side effects talked about earlier. Since a Carrier has one good gene, its body continues to produce the G6S enzyme and will live a happy, normal life. Affected goats are the ones you want to watch out for, they have no gene telling the body to make the G6S enzyme so they are the ones who will show the side effects and may die early.
Sanfilippo IIID
Many people would wonder why there is a blood test for a Nubian-only disease. Why didn’t the scientists spend there time on a test for CL or some other BIG disease that effects all goats? Well, the only reason there’s a test for the G6S defect is because there is a human version called Sanfilippo IIID. Like the goat G6S, Sanfilippo affected children are born normally but as they grow older, they lose muscle mass, stop growing, and eventual die. Most Sanfilippo affected people are mentally challenged, yet, some can live to full adulthood. It’s the same genetic defect as the goats.
Heredity
Now our last topic is how you can avoid getting a heart-break. One way is testing and not buying G6S Affected or Carrier goats. The second way (if you all ready have G6S in your herd) is paying attention to heredity. Of course, Normal goats bred to Normal goats will always have Normal kids. If that is so then logically an Affected and an Affected will always kid Affected. A Carrier bred to a Normal is different, a Normal goat has all good genes and a Carrier has one bad gene and a kid gets one gene from each parent. So, in that circumstance, the Normal parent can only give the normal gene and the Carrier parent will give the bad gene to about half of the kids born. You would end up with half Carriers and half Normal. Carrier bred to Carrier can have the chance for all three kinds; if the kid gets one broken and one normal gene from each parent then it will be a Carrier, one broken and one broken is Affected and two normal genes is Normal. So about 50% of the kids would be Carriers, 25% would be Affected and the other 25% would be Normal kids. If an Affected goat is bred to a Carrier goat then, approximately 50% of the kids would be Carriers and the other 50% Affected. So it would be best to just start out with all Normal goats but having Normal bucks (bucks are pretty much half of your herd) will keep you from ever having Affected.
Conclusion
I hope this cleared up everything you need to know about G6S and keeping the future Nubian generations safe. There is no cure for this and humans suffer along-side our friendly, milking friends. Please don’t ignore this deadly dysfunction, help breed it out of the Nubian dairy-goat breed. Help perfect them.
G6S is a genetic dysfunction in Nubian and Nubian-cross goats. It’s estimated that 25% of Nubian's carry this gene though it isn’t widely known. Some goat breeders ignore it and pretend it is just like any other genetic problem. They don’t seem to realize that G6S can be bred out of good lines but like anything that is in your genes-- it cannot be cured.
Cause
G6S is really a enzyme gone a little wrong called N-actylglucosamine-6-sulfate (the G from glucosamine, the 6 is there and the S from sulfate). Now, to truly understand the G6S dysfunction you have to understand the basics. Cells make up every part of our bodies, then the cells have parts to help them do their jobs called organelles. Proteins are one of the things that make up organelles. There are two kinds of proteins, the ones with jobs and the ones without. Since cells are constantly breaking down their proteins and organelles, enzymes do the job of recycling all of those leftover, thrown out pieces. Heparan sulfate is a working protein and can be found on the cell membrane. The G6S mutation is when the enzyme that is suppose to clean up and recycle the Heparan sulfate is broken and doesn’t do its job. So all of the cast away sulfates start to build up and start making it hard for the cell to do its job. Soon it builds up to the point the cell can’t function or do its part at all. Remember, this happens to most cells in the affected goat’s body so, with the goat’s body parts not working, it dies.
Signs and Symptoms
G6S affected kids are born normally but with age they don’t grow quite as they should. Sometimes they don’t get as muscular or they are smaller than other kids their age. Having blocky heads or being “slab-sided” is common for these goats. Some may die within two months of birth but the longest living goat known to be affected with G6S lived just shy of four years. Often the poor goat will have heart, reproductive, neurological, and immune system problems. The ending and death is usually caused by heart failure. Goats are all a little bit different and so are their cells. One type of cell may stop functioning first in some goats and a different type of cell in other goats so side effects may vary.
Testing
Luckily, there is a hair and blood test for Nubians, a goat can either be a Carrier, Normal, or Affected. Of course, a Normal goat has all of the right genetics and will have no problems simply because it has none of the broken genes. A Carrier has one gene that carries the G6S mutation but will not show any side effects talked about earlier. Since a Carrier has one good gene, its body continues to produce the G6S enzyme and will live a happy, normal life. Affected goats are the ones you want to watch out for, they have no gene telling the body to make the G6S enzyme so they are the ones who will show the side effects and may die early.
Sanfilippo IIID
Many people would wonder why there is a blood test for a Nubian-only disease. Why didn’t the scientists spend there time on a test for CL or some other BIG disease that effects all goats? Well, the only reason there’s a test for the G6S defect is because there is a human version called Sanfilippo IIID. Like the goat G6S, Sanfilippo affected children are born normally but as they grow older, they lose muscle mass, stop growing, and eventual die. Most Sanfilippo affected people are mentally challenged, yet, some can live to full adulthood. It’s the same genetic defect as the goats.
Heredity
Now our last topic is how you can avoid getting a heart-break. One way is testing and not buying G6S Affected or Carrier goats. The second way (if you all ready have G6S in your herd) is paying attention to heredity. Of course, Normal goats bred to Normal goats will always have Normal kids. If that is so then logically an Affected and an Affected will always kid Affected. A Carrier bred to a Normal is different, a Normal goat has all good genes and a Carrier has one bad gene and a kid gets one gene from each parent. So, in that circumstance, the Normal parent can only give the normal gene and the Carrier parent will give the bad gene to about half of the kids born. You would end up with half Carriers and half Normal. Carrier bred to Carrier can have the chance for all three kinds; if the kid gets one broken and one normal gene from each parent then it will be a Carrier, one broken and one broken is Affected and two normal genes is Normal. So about 50% of the kids would be Carriers, 25% would be Affected and the other 25% would be Normal kids. If an Affected goat is bred to a Carrier goat then, approximately 50% of the kids would be Carriers and the other 50% Affected. So it would be best to just start out with all Normal goats but having Normal bucks (bucks are pretty much half of your herd) will keep you from ever having Affected.
Conclusion
I hope this cleared up everything you need to know about G6S and keeping the future Nubian generations safe. There is no cure for this and humans suffer along-side our friendly, milking friends. Please don’t ignore this deadly dysfunction, help breed it out of the Nubian dairy-goat breed. Help perfect them.
