Genetics of magic: can the magic powers of Harry Potter be recorded in his DNA?

In the world of "Harry Potter" magical abilities were inherited. Witches and wizards had parents who also had magical abilities, like their grandparents. Nevertheless, there were exceptions to this rule. For example, Hermione Granger was born to a pair of Muggles (people without magical powers), and Harry's roommate Seymus Finnigan was the son of a Magle father and an Irish witch.

But sometimes pairs of witches and wizards had children without magical abilities, called squibs. Such were, for example, the observer of the Hogwarts Argus Filch or the neighbor of Harry Arabella Figg. As you can see, magic has inheritance rules, but what genetic factors explain why some are born by witches or wizards, while others do not have magical abilities at all?

It was this issue that decided to study Eric Spana - an assistant professor of biology at Duke University in North Carolina, who held a conference on this topic.

Recessive genes

Genetics can provide answers to many questions in the magical world of "Harry Potter", and not only explain the magic of its heroes. For example, the hair color of the Weasley family can also explain genetics. Red hair is caused by a mutation in the MC1R gene. However, this is a recessive sign, that is, it manifests only when the mutation is present in both sets of DNA that the child inherits. Since both Arthur and Molly Weasley are redheaded, their children inherited two copies of the gene mutation and also were born with red hair.

Nevertheless, in the final scene of the last movie "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2", we see that Lily - the little daughter of Harry and Ginny - also has red hair, although Harry has them dark. This means that Harry inherited a copy of the mutation from his mother, who was also a redhead, and gave it to her daughter. Despite the fact that Harry inherited from his mother a recessive gene for red hair, he was born with dark hair, as his father James did not have this mutation. Thus, this recessive gene only manifested itself in the daughter of Harry and Ginny.

Dominant genes

Is the gene of magic also recessive, as in the case of red hair? According to Spana, Hagrid - a forester at the Hogwarts - convincingly proves that this is not so. Giants do not have magical abilities, and Hagrid was born into the family of a giant mother and a wizard father. Thus, the only copy of the magic gene passed to him from his father, which means that it was dominant, not recessive.

Autosomal characteristics

This example seems to imply that the magical abilities are associated with the Y-chromosome, that is, the magic gene must be transmitted from the father's DNA (women have two X-chromosomes, while in men one X and Y- Chromosomes). Nevertheless, Seimus Finnigan's father was a magus, and his mother a witch, so he could not transmit magical abilities through the Y-chromosome. According to Spana, this makes magical abilities autosomal, that is, not associated with sexual characteristics. Thus, we can conclude that the magic gene is autosomal and dominant.

Random mutation

It would seem that everything is simple, but how could magicians have appeared in the Muggle family? If this is the dominant feature, then where did the magic of Hermione come from, because she is the first witch in her family? Hermione is an example of a genetic mutation de novo, which first appears due to a change in the egg or semen, or inside the embryo after fertilization. And this type of mutation occurs quite often in real life.

Such a random mutation can also explain how a squib could have been born in a family of two wizards. If the magic gene works correctly, it creates a certain type of protein. The phenotype, or observable characteristics arising from this activity, are magical abilities. But if there is a mutation in this gene (Spana suggested calling it a SQUIB mutation), another type of protein appears that changes the magic gene. If the DNA of one of the parents carries a copy of the SQUIB mutation, it can turn off the magic protein, which will not allow the child to develop abilities for magic.

Similarly, scientists can now change the genes of fruit flies, meaning manipulation of hereditary traits in general, and not genes of magic, as Dr. Spana explained.

What determines the power of magicians

But there is one more question: why are some witches and wizards recognized as more powerful than others? Can it be called individual variations of magical abilities? And can this explain genetics? Scientists say, not really.

Imagine a child whose parents have a "basketball" growth. The child will be able to inherit it, but this does not guarantee that he will successfully play basketball. Thus, heredity does not guarantee you outstanding skills. The knowledge and strength of Hermione, as well as the ability of the Weasleys, are not entirely dependent on genetics.

At the end of the conference, one of its participants asked Dr. Span what he thought the faculty would send the "Distributing Hat" himself. "100% in" Slytherin, "or, as I call it," Management "," Spana replied.