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Angelman Syndrome Research Paper

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An English physician discovered Angelman syndrome in 1965, Dr. Harry Angelman, who described this disorder by three patient, which showed similar characteristics such as: stiff, jerky gait, absent speech, and excessive laughter and seizures. Angelman syndrome is a severe intellectual disability resulting in ataxia (movement and balance difficulties), epilepsy, behavioral uniqueness, mental retardation, and severe speech impairment. The occurrence of this genetic disorder is approximately 1/20,000 births. The disorder is categorized as a neurodevelopment disorder as it affects primarily the nervous system. Patients have been described as having an angel-like demeanor as they are frequently smiling and/or laughing; the patients have a very happy and excitable personality. Exterior qualities recognized are the following: having light skin, reduced retinal pigment, low hair bulb tyrosinase activity, and incomplete melanization of melaonsomes. Typically newborns will not show abnormalities in the phenotype. Starting around the age of six months parents will start to see developmental delays in their child. The clinical features as mentioned above do not …show more content…

First, the most common, which affects 75% of the population, is resulting from de novo maternal deletions involving chromosome 15q.11.2-913. Second, approximately 25% of the population results in mutations in gene encoding the ubiquitin protein ligase E3A gene. Third, there are 2-3% whom results in AS through imprinting defects. Lastly, 2% of the population results from uniparental disomy of 15q11.2-913, where the child receives two copies of a chromosome from parent and no copies from the other parent. The image below (Figure 1) shows the different genetic mechanisms that cause Angelman syndrome. We have a side-by-side visual of the chromosome and what the defect(s) look like, and where it takes place on the maternal

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