Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A friend is doing a business case study for school and I volunteered to help.

If you could take a sample from one of your suspected hets and send it off for genetic analysis to get confirmation that it was a Het, would you?

Let's assume that the test would provide documentation that a 50% het was actually a 100% het, what would that be worth to you for this test?

If you were a buyer, would you prefer to have a genetic proof?

Any help would be appreciated.

we would all like proof...

the seller would get proof and make more cash then

and it all depends on what morph..

amel...?.....hets ...females...less than 100....poss hets at a show....probably still get 50 from someone...so...test gotta be fast and really cheap..

het ---Toffee /candy/ paragon --type balls....aaaaah...worth thousands to have it done at times....

....see....
-----
........JY

>>we would all like proof...
>>

....is the ability to do the test. "Can it be done" is the first question to be answered!
-----
Best regards,
AlanColesReptiles

Alan, It can be done (easiest for Albino) and the pied would be next to easiest. See my post below.

The roblem is how do u test for these traits? The genetic makeup has not been done on bal pythons so quite honestly u wouldn't know where on the DNA strand to look for said trait. We would all love to have this option but not likely nor cost effective in the next decade
-----
Josh & Krysty Hutto

Various Ball Pythons, boas, dogs, cats, fish, a couple sulcatas and a few other odds and ends.

a BAD dog is MADE not bred, support the American Pit Bull Terrier as the greatest breed of dogs on Earth!!!!!

Not only is it possible in the next decade, it is very feasible that we could see this type of thing offered for "a gene" in the very near future, of course characterizing and being able to test for every morph gene currently in the ball python is a very long list and a tall task, as we all know. The technology for quick whole genome sequencing is here now, and not ridiculously expensive anymore either on a per sample analyzed basis once the initial capital purchases and labor force are in place. Next step, the most challenging part, analyzing and characterizing exactly "the what and where", of these genes mutations on the genome. Then, designing an assay for detection from a submitted sample...gravy. There are many different types of assays available for detection of certain human gene mutations, so it wouldn't be "inventing the wheel" just making a new type of wheel. Potentially maybe could be done by a few bright graduate students in a few years, with the right funding and support, the latter being the most limiting factor, better yet powered by a private lab with big money, willing to invest in something non-human with the opportunity for profits.
I personally think it would be interesting to see assays like that developed. Right now I have a trio of 100% het pied, 50% poss het albinos, that would be willing to pay maybe a $100-200 to known the albino part, because the difference between clutch potentials is quite significant, but I guess taking the gamble out, would take some of the fun and trill out of proving out at hatch time too. For the hobby having that knowledge would not change the honesty and integrity issues, but using a test result that could be wrong to call someone a liar has its own issues.
-----
Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com

Thank you all for your feedback...

Jeff, you are right, the technology exists to make a test for Albino's with some moderate upfront investment in the science. This would require some effort in getting samples from a number of albino snakes, a number of normal snakes, and a number of hets.

Sequencing their tyrosinase genes and comparing the different mutations in them would allow for development of the test. The question is how to run the test on a routine basis that brings the cost down to the useable range... That depends on price.

Would people pay $50 to distinguish a 50% het from a 100% het? What about $100?

Before anyone would make the investment in doing the upfront science, they need to know what the price point is, and how many samples they could test in a year to know what the gross income would be to learn if they could make their investment back.

Y'all misunderstood what I was saying. I know the technology does exist to develop the test but at this point we don't know where on the genome the gene is that effects each and every mutation and this would have to be studied before any such test could be performed. Add that to the fact that a very small percentage of the snake keeping population would utilize or even benefit from such test, even makes the time frame of the test being created even longer. I would love to know if my possible hets were in fact hets and would pay for such a service but I just don't see how this could be profitable enough for a private lab to develop and then market the test.
-----
Josh & Krysty Hutto

Various Ball Pythons, boas, dogs, cats, fish, a couple sulcatas and a few other odds and ends.

a BAD dog is MADE not bred, support the American Pit Bull Terrier as the greatest breed of dogs on Earth!!!!!

I agree with much of your statement. We do not know the whole genome, but in the case of albino's we know that they are probably localized in the tyrosinase gene. Enough of those sequences are known that the Python regius tryosinase sequence could be determined quickly and mutaional sites from various types of albinos identified.

Once that happens, development of the test would be straight forward.

Piebald genes are already knowin in mouse and man so they could be mapped with a bit more work.

This gets to the questio, how much would it be worth to a breeder, seller or buyer?

How much would you pay for the test: $100, $50, $25?

Albino hets are cheap. If albino is the easiest to do it would be pointless. The same for pieds unfortunately. A test for some of the newer recessives would be helpful, but there wouldn't be a lot of demand for the tests, because of the small number of animals. By the time there were enough to be tested to make it worth while, the cost of the hets would also be down.

Agree that on a straight one gene albino or even pied it may be worthless but I would assume if you got a 4 banger possible het project you are working on it may be worthwhile to know whether or not you are wasting precious time.
-----
Tosha
JET Pythons

nihil facimus sed id bene facimus

I would think a paternity test would be easier to develop and would have a wider potential customer base without becoming obsolete as a specific morph devalues. I would pay $50 each for a few paternity tests right now to sort out some mixed fathered clutches with new morphs but even going forward I could see a paternity test as a guarantee against retained sperm or pathogenesis.