CBS Genetics

Here's another post that will make no sense to you unless you are a genetics Geek.  These are some illuminating comments made about a very misunderstood gene called CBS by phD researcher and Very Smart Person Susan Owens, who I have known for years in the autism community.  Genetics Geeks, enjoy! 

QUESTION: Not sure if anyone would know but trying to understand this. I have the CBS ++ but when tested i have under range ammonia levels. Does this mean my methyl is not upregulated?

Susan Owens Actually, the [CBS] SNP that Yasko was emphasizing so is actually viewed by scientists as an advantage, and not a problem. That is why it was being studied, because of its benefits!  Until the scientists figure out what was in linkage disequilibrium with it, we won't know what it's "thing" really is. I don't know if those studies will be done because I don't think scientists are finding that it is all that important. All we know right now is that it doesn't seem to involve this big upregulation that Yasko thought was there because she confused it with a more serious mutation, apparently....   

 Sara, the upregulation is GOOD for you, because it is upregulated to make more glutathione for you. This is what Yasko really had confused, and I'm afraid now that it has given CBS a bad name. It is a very beneficial molecule because it helps us combat oxidative stress!... 

I don't known if I am the only old person around here, but maybe some of the others of you remember that a group named the Byrds popularized a beautiful song out of Ecclesiastes 3 which says: There is a time for everything,and a season for every purpose under heaven. Well, there is a time for methylation, and there is a time for transsulfuration but when it is time for methylation, transsulfuration must wait; when it is time for transsulfuration, methylation must wait. This is how we are designed and it is a very good thing that we have this switch so that we can go to bat for ourselves when we are in oxidative stress....

Sara, you can help reduce oxidative stress with supplements like N-acetylcysteine, and glutathione, and alpha lipoic acid, vitamin E, CoQ10, ascorbic acid, melatonin, selenium, etc. By restricting these, you just keep the body trying to cope with more efforts to convert methionine to glutathione, keeping methylation on hold. Methionine synthase cannot work when there is too much oxidative stress. It turns off on purpose.