How to obtain Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency?

Ornithine Transcarbamylase (OTC) Deficiency is a very common hereditary disorder and is an X-linked recessive disorder where the mother is a carrier of the mutated gene herself. There are two sex chromosomes in everyone, one of which is an X-chromosome. X-linked conditions happens when the mutated gene is situated on the X-chromosome. The distinctive of X-linked disorders is that the X-linked traits can only be passed on from the mother also only to their sons. Therefore, males will definitely have a higher chance of getting affected with OTC deficiency as compared to females.

In order for males to be contracted with OTC deficiency, all they need is a copy of the non-functional genes from their mothers. Females with a copy of the non-functional gene may express symptoms related to the condition. There is a possibility of having more than one child which has the condition when either one or both of the parents possess the non-functional gene.

There are cases whereby OTC deficiency do not get inherited by any of their children at all. This is due to the OTC gene either being deficient or missing.


References:
http://aidanselephants.co.uk/about-us/about-otc-deficiency/

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