Board Thread:Q & A/@comment-4097293-20150226082755/@comment-69.91.87.55-20150404200155

Ok, I’m beginning to feel like one of those wild-eyed lunatics who stands around on the street corner muttering strange theories under their breath but, then again, that’s probably not that far from the truth so, here goes:   The latest variation on my theory about Hexenbiests, Grimms, and the innate incompatibility between the two:

First, let’s distinguish between two types of heritable traits:

Genetic factors: sequences of DNA base pairs that code for proteins giving rise to physical traits. Everybody knows about those.

Epigenetic factors: biochemical factors that can influence the expression of genetic traits, either by enhancing or suppressing them. An epigenetic factor may be the product of a DNA sequence but it need not be. The important thing to know is that the expression of an organism’s genetic traits may be altered by the application of epigenetic factors without changing the DNA sequence underlying those genetic traits. Epigenetic factors are also heritable outside of the normal process of genetic inheritance. For instance, they may be passed from mother to child via the ovum even if they are not coded for in either parent’s DNA.

So, we know that a key aspect of being a Grimm is their ability to see Wesen in their transitional, non-fully woged state and that this ability is apparently related to the fact that Grimm’s have more than the usual 3 types of cone cells in their retinas. Cone cells are responsible not only for color vision but also allow for the perception of fine detail and rapid changes in an image, hence the Grimms’ ability to see the transitional stage of the woge which is subliminal to normal human beings.

Color vision is, generally speaking, an X-chromosome linked trait, so my hypothesis is two-fold. Grimms might have X-linked genes that code for additional types of cones but, in addition, they have an epigenetic factor, call it G, that enhances the expression of these genes. The reason for postulating that G is an epigenetic factor will become apparent shortly.

So what about Hexenbiests? Somewhat like Grimms, the essence of a Hexenbiest’s abilities lies in their enhanced mental activity, leading in extreme cases to their possessing telekinetic abilities. Where do their abilities come from? Well, this is just a guess, but my hypothesis is that the Hexenbiests’ abilities arise from a something I call de-X-inactivation. What the …?, you say. We all know that women have two X chromosomes but, what is not so well known is that only one X chromosome is active in each cell of an adult woman’s body. Early in development, one X chromosome in each cell becomes turned off via an epigenetic process known as, well, X-inactivation. My theory is that Hexenbiests possess a unique epigenetic factor, call it H, which suppresses the normal X-inactivation process, allowing a double expression of certain genes on the X chromosomes. Since a disproportionate number of X-linked genes code for neural development, this explains their enhanced intelligence – as evidenced by their ability to concoct all those intricate spells – as well as a higher level of neural activity in general, giving rise to their ability to generate electromagnetic waves which a normal brain with its lower frequency oscillations cannot do. (As an aside, you can see in Juliette’s eyes when she is woged that her brain is revving like a double turbo-charged Italian sportscar.) Now, generally speaking, having both X-chromosomes active is not a good thing, and the unfortunate physical side effects, like the rotting skin, is one result of this. The Hexenbiests’ abilities being the result of double X activation would also explain why they are so few Zauberbiests and why they possibly lack telekinetic powers since they only possess one X chromosome.

So much for the basics of Grimm-ness and Hexenbiest-hood. As to why they don’t get along, biochemically speaking, my guess is that the Grimm factor G suppresses the Hexenbiest factor H so that if a Hexenbiests ingests a Grimm’s “blood” the G factor deactivates her H factor, causing the normal X-inactivation process to resume, leading to the Hexenbiest losing her powers and just becoming a normal woman, phenotypically speaking. The Hexenbiest is still a Hexenbiest, the expression of her powers has just been suppressed. (And btw, I interpret the Hexenbiest “spirit” that left Adalind after she ingested Nick’s blood as just some release of energy that Nick was able to see because of his enhanced vision.) And this is where it is important that G is an epigenetic factor, so that it can be transferred to a Hexenbiest and suppress her epigenetic H factor without there being any fundamental alteration of her underlying genetic identity, which would be much more difficult to pull off.

So how did Adalind get her powers back? I think it is significant that she had to be pregnant while undergoing the contaminatio ritualis. I suspect that somehow the process drew upon the presence of pluripotent (stem) cells in the developing fetus to set in motion the deactivation of the Grimm factor G, allowing Adalind’s Hexenbiest factor H to be reactivated which in turn suppressed the normal X-inactivation process and allowed the return of her Hexenbiest abilities – and bad skin. Now it is also significant that she still had the Grimm factor G in her system, as Viktor pointed out. It had just been rendered inactive. Since the Grimm factor G that suppresses her Hexenbiest factor H is the same factor that enhances the expression of a Grimm’s abilities, if she could somehow transfer the complex in her system that is now suppressing the G factor to a Grimm then, Aha!!

So now comes the entwining twin spell: I originally speculated that the only purpose of the spell was to trick Nick into sleeping with her but now I suspect that there was more to it. I suspect that in order for Adalind to pass the G inactivation complex to Nick she had to somehow be in this state where she possessed twice the normal number of X chromosomes, her own and Juliette’s. In the process initiated by the passing of her bodily fluids to Nick, Juliette’s normal X chromosome(s) stabilized his X-chromosome, allowing the G-inactivation complex from Adalind’s X-chromosome(s) to bind to his G factor, ultimately leading to the suppression of his Grimm abilities. (Remember, when he was at the ophthalmologist’s office she told him that he had this extra structure in his macula but that something was blocking its functioning.)

In order to get his Grimm powers back, the deactivation complex had to be removed from his G factor. So Juliette underwent the entwining twin spell herself so that the process was reversed, possibly by some simple toggle switch like mechanism. While in the entwined state, however, the epigenetic Hexenbiest H factor was transferred from Adalind’s X choromosomes to Juliette’s, initiating the de-X-inactivation process and turning Juliette into a Hexenbiest. And in addition to Adalind’s H factor being passed to Juliette, the G deactivating complex was also transferred, rendering Juliette immune to the normal Grimm factor induced de-Hexenbiestification process. And of course, it is significant that in order for the de-Grimming and re-Grimming processes to take place, Nick had to have unprotected sex with his spellbound partner in order for the requisite contact with bodily fluids to take place, which explains why Adalind got pregnant and why Juliette was initially worried that she might be.

As to why Juliette is more powerful than Adalind: Recall that X-inactivation is normally a good thing. The second X chromosome needs to be turned off during development to allow for normal brain functioning. In a born Hexenbiest, the fact that X-inactivation is interrupted - while it will eventually lead to certain enhanced abilities - has other deleterious effects that limit their power. On the other hand, since Juliette is a normal woman, she had a fully developed and fully functioning brain so that when she was exposed to the de-X-inactivating H factor she manifested all of the resultant enhanced neural abilities with none of the developmental pitfalls. Think for instance of how an adult is able to withstand higher doses of certain beneficial drugs than a child can.

One last variation to the story that I’ve been contemplating is that perhaps Hexenbiest have certain X-linked genetic traits in addition the epigenetic H-factor. A normal woman exposed to the H factor might not become a full-fledged Hexenbiest. The fact that Juliette did become one might mean that she was already carrying the Hexenbiest genetic factor(s) but that they had never been expressed because the normal X-inactivation process suppressed them. That could lead ultimately to some interesting reveals about Juliette’s familial history.

So there you have it, easy as 1-2-3. It’s all total nonsense of course (the application of epigenetics and X-inactivation to the explanation of Hexenbiestiness that is – the biological underpinnings are true) but, for those so inclined, it gives an alternative explanation of what’s happening in terms of scientific “moonshine” rather than magic … which of course goes out the window as soon as the writers reveal that Hexenbiests are all possessed by the spirit of Isis or whatever. Why do I do this to myself?! :-b