201
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Grabrucker S, Jannetti L, Eckert M, Gaub S, Chhabra R, Pfaender S, Mangus K, Reddy PP, Rankovic V, Schmeisser MJ, Kreutz MR, Ehret G, Boeckers TM, Grabrucker AM. Zinc deficiency dysregulates the synaptic ProSAP/Shank scaffold and might contribute to autism spectrum disorders. Brain 2013; 137:137-52. [DOI: 10.1093/brain/awt303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
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202
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Lovci MT, Ghanem D, Marr H, Arnold J, Gee S, Parra M, Liang TY, Stark TJ, Gehman LT, Hoon S, Massirer KB, Pratt GA, Black DL, Gray JW, Conboy JG, Yeo GW. Rbfox proteins regulate alternative mRNA splicing through evolutionarily conserved RNA bridges. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2013; 20:1434-42. [PMID: 24213538 DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 248] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2013] [Accepted: 09/19/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) enables programmed diversity of gene expression across tissues and development. We show here that binding in distal intronic regions (>500 nucleotides (nt) from any exon) by Rbfox splicing factors important in development is extensive and is an active mode of splicing regulation. Similarly to exon-proximal sites, distal sites contain evolutionarily conserved GCATG sequences and are associated with AS activation and repression upon modulation of Rbfox abundance in human and mouse experimental systems. As a proof of principle, we validated the activity of two specific Rbfox enhancers in KIF21A and ENAH distal introns and showed that a conserved long-range RNA-RNA base-pairing interaction (an RNA bridge) is necessary for Rbfox-mediated exon inclusion in the ENAH gene. Thus we demonstrate a previously unknown RNA-mediated mechanism for AS control by distally bound RNA-binding proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Lovci
- 1] Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA. [2] Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA. [3] Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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203
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Han K, Holder JL, Schaaf CP, Lu H, Chen H, Kang H, Tang J, Wu Z, Hao S, Cheung SW, Yu P, Sun H, Breman AM, Patel A, Lu HC, Zoghbi HY. SHANK3 overexpression causes manic-like behaviour with unique pharmacogenetic properties. Nature 2013; 503:72-7. [PMID: 24153177 PMCID: PMC3923348 DOI: 10.1038/nature12630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 262] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in SHANK3 and large duplications of the region spanning SHANK3 both cause a spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders, indicating that proper SHANK3 dosage is critical for normal brain function. However, SHANK3 overexpression per se has not been established as a cause of human disorders because 22q13 duplications involve several genes. Here we report that Shank3 transgenic mice modelling a human SHANK3 duplication exhibit manic-like behaviour and seizures consistent with synaptic excitatory/inhibitory imbalance. We also identified two patients with hyperkinetic disorders carrying the smallest SHANK3-spanning duplications reported so far. These findings indicate that SHANK3 overexpression causes a hyperkinetic neuropsychiatric disorder. To probe the mechanism underlying the phenotype, we generated a Shank3 in vivo interactome and found that Shank3 directly interacts with the Arp2/3 complex to increase F-actin levels in Shank3 transgenic mice. The mood-stabilizing drug valproate, but not lithium, rescues the manic-like behaviour of Shank3 transgenic mice raising the possibility that this hyperkinetic disorder has a unique pharmacogenetic profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kihoon Han
- 1] Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA [2] Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA [3] Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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204
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Awareness about autism among school teachers in Oman: A cross-sectional study. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2013; 19:6-13. [DOI: 10.1177/1362361313508025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Children with special needs such as those with autism spectrum disorder have been recorded as ostracized and stigmatized in many parts of the world. Little is known about whether such negative views are present among mainstream teachers in Oman. A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate school teachers’ awareness about autism spectrum disorder in an urban region in Oman. A total of 164 teachers were randomly enrolled from five schools. Misconceptions about autism spectrum disorder were found to be common among mainstream teachers in the country. We posit that such lack of awareness was likely to be rooted with sociocultural patterning as well as conflicting views often “spun” by the scientific community and mass media. Enlightened views toward children with autism spectrum disorder should be presented to Omani teachers to overcome misconceptions and negative attitudes toward children with autism spectrum disorder.
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205
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Wang X, Bey AL, Chung L, Krystal AD, Jiang YH. Therapeutic approaches for shankopathies. Dev Neurobiol 2013; 74:123-35. [PMID: 23536326 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 03/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Despite recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), the current treatments for these disorders are mostly focused on behavioral and educational approaches. The considerable clinical and molecular heterogeneity of ASD present a significant challenge to the development of an effective treatment targeting underlying molecular defects. Deficiency of SHANK family genes causing ASD represent an exciting opportunity for developing molecular therapies because of strong genetic evidence for SHANK as causative genes in ASD and the availability of a panel of Shank mutant mouse models. In this article, we review the literature suggesting the potential for developing therapies based on molecular characteristics and discuss several exciting themes that are emerging from studying Shank mutant mice at the molecular level and in terms of synaptic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine Durham, North Carolina, 27710
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206
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Guilmatre A, Huguet G, Delorme R, Bourgeron T. The emerging role of SHANK genes in neuropsychiatric disorders. Dev Neurobiol 2013; 74:113-22. [PMID: 24124131 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The genetic heterogeneity of neuropsychiatric disorders is high, but some pathways emerged, notably synaptic functioning. A large number of mutations have been described in genes such as neuroligins, neurexins, and SHANK that play a role in the formation and the maintenance of synapses. This review focuses on the disorders associated with mutations in SHANK3 and the other members of its family, SHANK1 and SHANK2. SHANKs are scaffolding proteins of the postsynaptic density of glutamatergic synapses. SHANK3 has been described in the Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS), but also in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia associated to moderate to severe intellectual disability (ID) and poor language. The evolution of patients with PMS includes symptoms of bipolar disorder and regression. SHANK2 has been identified in patients with ASD with mild to severe ID. SHANK1 has been associated with high-functioning autism in male patients, while carrier females only display anxiety and shyness. Finally, based on neuropathological findings in animal models and patients, a possible role of SHANK in Alzheimer's disease is discussed. Altogether, this review describes the clinical trajectories associated with different mutations of the SHANK genes and provides information to further investigate the role of the SHANK genes in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Guilmatre
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; CNRS URA 2182 'Genes, Synapses and Cognition,' Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
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207
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Piven J, Vieland VJ, Parlier M, Thompson A, O'Conner I, Woodbury-Smith M, Huang Y, Walters KA, Fernandez B, Szatmari P. A molecular genetic study of autism and related phenotypes in extended pedigrees. J Neurodev Disord 2013; 5:30. [PMID: 24093601 PMCID: PMC3851306 DOI: 10.1186/1866-1955-5-30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 09/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Efforts to uncover the risk genotypes associated with the familial nature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have had limited success. The study of extended pedigrees, incorporating additional ASD-related phenotypes into linkage analysis, offers an alternative approach to the search for inherited ASD susceptibility variants that complements traditional methods used to study the genetics of ASD. Methods We examined evidence for linkage in 19 extended pedigrees ascertained through ASD cases spread across at least two (and in most cases three) nuclear families. Both compound phenotypes (i.e., ASD and, in non-ASD individuals, the broad autism phenotype) and more narrowly defined components of these phenotypes, e.g., social and repetitive behavior, pragmatic language, and anxiety, were examined. The overarching goal was to maximize the aggregate information available on the maximum number of individuals and to disaggregate syndromic phenotypes in order to examine the genetic underpinnings of more narrowly defined aspects of ASD behavior. Results Results reveal substantial between-family locus heterogeneity and support the importance of previously reported ASD loci in inherited, familial, forms of ASD. Additional loci, not seen in the ASD analyses, show evidence for linkage to the broad autism phenotype (BAP). BAP peaks are well supported by multiple subphenotypes (including anxiety, pragmatic language, and social behavior) showing linkage to regions overlapping with the compound BAP phenotype. Whereas 'repetitive behavior’, showing the strongest evidence for linkage (Posterior Probability of Linkage = 62% at 6p25.2-24.3, and 69% at 19p13.3), appears to be linked to novel regions not detected with other compound or narrow phenotypes examined in this study. Conclusions These results provide support for the presence of key features underlying the complexity of the genetic architecture of ASD: substantial between-family locus heterogeneity, that the BAP appears to correspond to sets of subclinical features segregating with ASD within pedigrees, and that different features of the ASD phenotype segregate independently of one another. These findings support the additional study of larger, even more individually informative pedigrees, together with measurement of multiple, behavioral- and biomarker-based phenotypes, in both affected and non-affected individuals, to elucidate the complex genetics of familial ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Piven
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, CB# 3367, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Veronica J Vieland
- Battelle Center for Mathematical Medicine, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, 575 Children's Crossroad, Columbus, OH 43215, USA.,Department of Pediatrics and Department of Statistics, The Ohio State University, 575 Children's Crossroad, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Morgan Parlier
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, CB# 3367, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Ann Thompson
- McMaster Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, 1200 Main Street west, L9H 3Z5, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Irene O'Conner
- McMaster Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, 1200 Main Street west, L9H 3Z5, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Mark Woodbury-Smith
- McMaster Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, 1200 Main Street west, L9H 3Z5, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Yungui Huang
- Battelle Center for Mathematical Medicine, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, 575 Children's Crossroad, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Kimberly A Walters
- Battelle Center for Mathematical Medicine, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, 575 Children's Crossroad, Columbus, OH 43215, USA
| | - Bridget Fernandez
- Provincial Medical Genetics Program, Health Sciences Center, 300 Prince Philip Drive, A1B 3V6, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
| | - Peter Szatmari
- McMaster Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, 1200 Main Street west, L9H 3Z5, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, 80 Workman Way, Toronto, ON, Canada
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208
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Cooper DN, Krawczak M, Polychronakos C, Tyler-Smith C, Kehrer-Sawatzki H. Where genotype is not predictive of phenotype: towards an understanding of the molecular basis of reduced penetrance in human inherited disease. Hum Genet 2013; 132:1077-130. [PMID: 23820649 PMCID: PMC3778950 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-013-1331-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 407] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Accepted: 06/15/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Some individuals with a particular disease-causing mutation or genotype fail to express most if not all features of the disease in question, a phenomenon that is known as 'reduced (or incomplete) penetrance'. Reduced penetrance is not uncommon; indeed, there are many known examples of 'disease-causing mutations' that fail to cause disease in at least a proportion of the individuals who carry them. Reduced penetrance may therefore explain not only why genetic diseases are occasionally transmitted through unaffected parents, but also why healthy individuals can harbour quite large numbers of potentially disadvantageous variants in their genomes without suffering any obvious ill effects. Reduced penetrance can be a function of the specific mutation(s) involved or of allele dosage. It may also result from differential allelic expression, copy number variation or the modulating influence of additional genetic variants in cis or in trans. The penetrance of some pathogenic genotypes is known to be age- and/or sex-dependent. Variable penetrance may also reflect the action of unlinked modifier genes, epigenetic changes or environmental factors. At least in some cases, complete penetrance appears to require the presence of one or more genetic variants at other loci. In this review, we summarize the evidence for reduced penetrance being a widespread phenomenon in human genetics and explore some of the molecular mechanisms that may help to explain this enigmatic characteristic of human inherited disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David N. Cooper
- Institute of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XN UK
| | - Michael Krawczak
- Institute of Medical Informatics and Statistics, Christian-Albrechts University, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Chris Tyler-Smith
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA UK
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209
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Grabrucker AM. A role for synaptic zinc in ProSAP/Shank PSD scaffold malformation in autism spectrum disorders. Dev Neurobiol 2013; 74:136-46. [PMID: 23650259 PMCID: PMC4272576 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2012] [Revised: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 04/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The establishment and maintenance of synaptic contacts as well as synaptic plasticity are crucial factors for normal brain function. The functional properties of a synapse are largely dependent on the molecular setup of synaptic proteins. Multidomain proteins of the ProSAP/Shank family act as major organizing scaffolding elements of the postsynaptic density (PSD). Interestingly, ProSAP/Shank proteins at glutamatergic synapses have been linked to a variety of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) including Phelan McDermid Syndrome, and deregulation of ProSAP/Shank has been reported in Alzheimer's disease. Although the precise molecular mechanism of the dysfunction of these proteins remains unclear, an emerging model is that mutations or deletions impair neuronal circuitry by disrupting the formation, plasticity and maturation of glutamatergic synapses. Several PSD proteins associated with ASDs are part of a complex centered around ProSAP/Shank proteins and many ProSAP/Shank interaction partners play a role in signaling within dendritic spines. Interfering with any one of the members of this signaling complex might change the output and drive the system towards synaptic dysfunction. Based on recent data, it is possible that the concerted action of ProSAP/Shank and Zn2+ is essential for the structural integrity of the PSD. This interplay might regulate postsynaptic receptor composition, but also transsynaptic signaling. It might be possible that environmental factors like nutritional Zn2+ status or metal ion homeostasis in general intersect with this distinct pathway centered around ProSAP/Shank proteins and the deregulation of any of these two factors may lead to ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas M Grabrucker
- Neurology Department, WG Molecular Analysis of Synaptopathies, Neurocenter of Ulm University, Ulm, Germany; Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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210
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de Bartolomeis A, Latte G, Tomasetti C, Iasevoli F. Glutamatergic postsynaptic density protein dysfunctions in synaptic plasticity and dendritic spines morphology: relevance to schizophrenia and other behavioral disorders pathophysiology, and implications for novel therapeutic approaches. Mol Neurobiol 2013; 49:484-511. [PMID: 23999870 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-013-8534-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2013] [Accepted: 08/13/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Emerging researches point to a relevant role of postsynaptic density (PSD) proteins, such as PSD-95, Homer, Shank, and DISC-1, in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. The PSD is a thickness, detectable at electronic microscopy, localized at the postsynaptic membrane of glutamatergic synapses, and made by scaffolding proteins, receptors, and effector proteins; it is considered a structural and functional crossroad where multiple neurotransmitter systems converge, including the dopaminergic, serotonergic, and glutamatergic ones, which are all implicated in the pathophysiology of psychosis. Decreased PSD-95 protein levels have been reported in postmortem brains of schizophrenia patients. Variants of Homer1, a key PSD protein for glutamate signaling, have been associated with schizophrenia symptoms severity and therapeutic response. Mutations in Shank gene have been recognized in autism spectrum disorder patients, as well as reported to be associated to behaviors reminiscent of schizophrenia symptoms when expressed in genetically engineered mice. Here, we provide a critical appraisal of PSD proteins role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. Then, we discuss how antipsychotics may affect PSD proteins in brain regions relevant to psychosis pathophysiology, possibly by controlling synaptic plasticity and dendritic spine rearrangements through the modulation of glutamate-related targets. We finally provide a framework that may explain how PSD proteins might be useful candidates to develop new therapeutic approaches for schizophrenia and related disorders in which there is a need for new biological treatments, especially against some symptom domains, such as negative symptoms, that are poorly affected by current antipsychotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea de Bartolomeis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Psychiatry, Unit of Treatment Resistant Psychosis, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Odontostomatologic Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University School of Medicine "Federico II", Via Pansini 5, 80131, Naples, Italy,
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211
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Ey E, Torquet N, Le Sourd AM, Leblond CS, Boeckers TM, Faure P, Bourgeron T. The Autism ProSAP1/Shank2 mouse model displays quantitative and structural abnormalities in ultrasonic vocalisations. Behav Brain Res 2013; 256:677-89. [PMID: 23994547 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2013] [Revised: 07/23/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Mouse ultrasonic vocalisations have been often used as a paradigm to extrapolate vocal communication defects observed in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The role of these vocalisations as well as their development, structure and informational content, however, remain largely unknown. In the present study, we characterised in depth the emission of pup and adult ultrasonic vocalisations of wild-type mice and their ProSAP1/Shank2(-/-) littermates lacking a synaptic scaffold protein mutated in ASD. We hypothesised that the vocal behaviour of ProSAP1/Shank2(-/-) mice not only differs from the vocal behaviour of their wild-type littermates in a quantitative way, but also presents more qualitative abnormalities in temporal organisation and acoustic structure. We first quantified the rate of emission of ultrasonic vocalisations, and analysed the organisation of vocalisations sequences using Markov models. We subsequently measured duration and peak frequency characteristics of each ultrasonic vocalisation, to characterise their acoustic structure. In wild-type mice, we found a high level of organisation in sequences of ultrasonic vocalisations, suggesting a communicative function in this complex system. Very limited significant sex-related variations were detected in their usage and acoustic structure, even in adult mice. In adult ProSAP1/Shank2(-/-) mice, we found abnormalities in the call usage and the structure of ultrasonic vocalisations. Both ProSAP1/Shank2(-/-) male and female mice uttered less vocalisations with a different call distribution and at lower peak frequency in comparison with wild-type littermates. This study provides a comprehensive framework to characterise abnormalities of ultrasonic vocalisations in mice and confirms that ProSAP1/Shank2(-/-) mice represent a relevant model to study communication defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Ey
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; CNRS URA 2182 'Genes, synapses and cognition', Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France.
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212
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Abstract
Motifs rich in arginines and glycines were recognized several decades ago to play functional roles and were termed glycine-arginine-rich (GAR) domains and/or RGG boxes. We review here the evolving functions of the RGG box along with several sequence variations that we collectively term the RGG/RG motif. Greater than 1,000 human proteins harbor the RGG/RG motif, and these proteins influence numerous physiological processes such as transcription, pre-mRNA splicing, DNA damage signaling, mRNA translation, and the regulation of apoptosis. In particular, we discuss the role of the RGG/RG motif in mediating nucleic acid and protein interactions, a function that is often regulated by arginine methylation and partner-binding proteins. The physiological relevance of the RGG/RG motif is highlighted by its association with several diseases including neurological and neuromuscular diseases and cancer. Herein, we discuss the evidence for the emerging diverse functionality of this important motif.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palaniraja Thandapani
- Terry Fox Molecular Oncology Group and Bloomfield Center for Research on Aging, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research and Departments of Oncology and Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1E2, Canada
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213
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Fisch GS. Autism and epistemology IV: Does autism need a theory of mind? Am J Med Genet A 2013; 161A:2464-80. [PMID: 23956150 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.36135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2013] [Accepted: 06/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In their article, "Does the autistic child have a 'theory of mind'?," Baron-Cohen et al. [1985] proposed a novel paradigm to explain social impairment in children diagnosed as autistic (AD). Much research has been undertaken since their article went to print. The purpose of this commentary is to gauge whether Theory of Mind (ToM)-or lack thereof-is a valid model for explaining abnormal social behavior in children with AD. ToM is defined as "the ability to impute mental states to oneself and to others" and "the ability to make inferences about what other people believe to be the case." The source for their model was provided by an article published earlier by Premack and Woodruff, "Does the chimpanzee have a theory of mind?" Later research in chimpanzees did not support a ToM in primates. From the outset, ToM as a neurocognitive model of autism has had many shortcomings-methodological, logical, and empirical. Other ToM assumptions, for example, its universality in all children in all cultures and socioeconomic conditions, are not supported by data. The age at which a ToM emerges, or events that presage a ToM, are too often not corroborated. Recent studies of mirror neurons, their location and interconnections in brain, their relationship to social behavior and language, and the effect of lesions there on speech, language and social behavior, strongly suggests that a neurobiological as opposed to neurocognitive model of autism is a more parsimonious explanation for the social and behavioral phenotypes observed in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gene S Fisch
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, NYU Colleges of Dentistry and Nursing, New York, New York
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214
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Corradi A, Fadda M, Piton A, Patry L, Marte A, Rossi P, Cadieux-Dion M, Gauthier J, Lapointe L, Mottron L, Valtorta F, Rouleau GA, Fassio A, Benfenati F, Cossette P. SYN2 is an autism predisposing gene: loss-of-function mutations alter synaptic vesicle cycling and axon outgrowth. Hum Mol Genet 2013; 23:90-103. [PMID: 23956174 PMCID: PMC3857945 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of genes predisposing to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has been identified, many of which are implicated in synaptic function. This 'synaptic autism pathway' notably includes disruption of SYN1 that is associated with epilepsy, autism and abnormal behavior in both human and mice models. Synapsins constitute a multigene family of neuron-specific phosphoproteins (SYN1-3) present in the majority of synapses where they are implicated in the regulation of neurotransmitter release and synaptogenesis. Synapsins I and II, the major Syn isoforms in the adult brain, display partially overlapping functions and defects in both isoforms are associated with epilepsy and autistic-like behavior in mice. In this study, we show that nonsense (A94fs199X) and missense (Y236S and G464R) mutations in SYN2 are associated with ASD in humans. The phenotype is apparent in males. Female carriers of SYN2 mutations are unaffected, suggesting that SYN2 is another example of autosomal sex-limited expression in ASD. When expressed in SYN2 knockout neurons, wild-type human Syn II fully rescues the SYN2 knockout phenotype, whereas the nonsense mutant is not expressed and the missense mutants are virtually unable to modify the SYN2 knockout phenotype. These results identify for the first time SYN2 as a novel predisposing gene for ASD and strengthen the hypothesis that a disturbance of synaptic homeostasis underlies ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Corradi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV 3, Genova 16132, Italy
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215
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Jiang YH, Yuen R, Jin X, Wang M, Chen N, Wu X, Ju J, Mei J, Shi Y, He M, Wang G, Liang J, Wang Z, Cao D, Carter M, Chrysler C, Drmic I, Howe J, Lau L, Marshall C, Merico D, Nalpathamkalam T, Thiruvahindrapuram B, Thompson A, Uddin M, Walker S, Luo J, Anagnostou E, Zwaigenbaum L, Ring R, Wang J, Lajonchere C, Wang J, Shih A, Szatmari P, Yang H, Dawson G, Li Y, Scherer S. Detection of clinically relevant genetic variants in autism spectrum disorder by whole-genome sequencing. Am J Hum Genet 2013; 93:249-63. [PMID: 23849776 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2013.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 330] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2013] [Revised: 05/13/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) demonstrates high heritability and familial clustering, yet the genetic causes remain only partially understood as a result of extensive clinical and genomic heterogeneity. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) shows promise as a tool for identifying ASD risk genes as well as unreported mutations in known loci, but an assessment of its full utility in an ASD group has not been performed. We used WGS to examine 32 families with ASD to detect de novo or rare inherited genetic variants predicted to be deleterious (loss-of-function and damaging missense mutations). Among ASD probands, we identified deleterious de novo mutations in six of 32 (19%) families and X-linked or autosomal inherited alterations in ten of 32 (31%) families (some had combinations of mutations). The proportion of families identified with such putative mutations was larger than has been previously reported; this yield was in part due to the comprehensive and uniform coverage afforded by WGS. Deleterious variants were found in four unrecognized, nine known, and eight candidate ASD risk genes. Examples include CAPRIN1 and AFF2 (both linked to FMR1, which is involved in fragile X syndrome), VIP (involved in social-cognitive deficits), and other genes such as SCN2A and KCNQ2 (linked to epilepsy), NRXN1, and CHD7, which causes ASD-associated CHARGE syndrome. Taken together, these results suggest that WGS and thorough bioinformatic analyses for de novo and rare inherited mutations will improve the detection of genetic variants likely to be associated with ASD or its accompanying clinical symptoms.
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216
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Won H, Mah W, Kim E. Autism spectrum disorder causes, mechanisms, and treatments: focus on neuronal synapses. Front Mol Neurosci 2013; 6:19. [PMID: 23935565 PMCID: PMC3733014 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2013.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 07/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of developmental disabilities characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication and restricted and repetitive interests/behaviors. Advances in human genomics have identified a large number of genetic variations associated with ASD. These associations are being rapidly verified by a growing number of studies using a variety of approaches, including mouse genetics. These studies have also identified key mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of ASD, many of which involve synaptic dysfunctions, and have investigated novel, mechanism-based therapeutic strategies. This review will try to integrate these three key aspects of ASD research: human genetics, animal models, and potential treatments. Continued efforts in this direction should ultimately reveal core mechanisms that account for a larger fraction of ASD cases and identify neural mechanisms associated with specific ASD symptoms, providing important clues to efficient ASD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyejung Won
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyDaejeon, South Korea
| | - Won Mah
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyDaejeon, South Korea
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic ScienceDaejeon, South Korea
| | - Eunjoon Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyDaejeon, South Korea
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic ScienceDaejeon, South Korea
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217
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Mameza MG, Dvoretskova E, Bamann M, Hönck HH, Güler T, Boeckers TM, Schoen M, Verpelli C, Sala C, Barsukov I, Dityatev A, Kreienkamp HJ. SHANK3 gene mutations associated with autism facilitate ligand binding to the Shank3 ankyrin repeat region. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:26697-708. [PMID: 23897824 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.424747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Shank/ProSAP proteins are major scaffold proteins of the postsynaptic density; mutations in the human SHANK3 gene are associated with intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorders. We have analyzed the functional relevance of several SHANK3 missense mutations affecting the N-terminal portion of the protein by expression of wild-type and mutant Shank3 in cultured neurons and by binding assays in heterologous cells. Postsynaptic targeting of recombinant Shank3 was unaltered. In electrophysiological experiments, both wild-type and L68P mutant forms of Shank3 were equally effective in restoring synaptic function after knockdown of endogenous Shank3. We observed that several mutations affected binding to interaction partners of the Shank3 ankyrin repeat region. One of these mutations, L68P, improved binding to both ligands. Leu-68 is located N-terminal to the ankyrin repeats, in a highly conserved region that we identify here as a novel domain termed the Shank/ProSAP N-terminal (SPN) domain. We show that the SPN domain interacts with the ankyrin repeats in an intramolecular manner, thereby restricting access of either Sharpin or α-fodrin. The L68P mutation disrupts this blockade, thus exposing the Shank3 ankyrin repeat region to its ligands. Our data identify a new type of regulation of Shank proteins and suggest that mutations in the SHANK3 gene do not necessarily induce a loss of function, but may represent a gain of function with respect to specific interaction partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Germaine Mameza
- From the Institut für Humangenetik, Universitätskrankenhaus Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
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218
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Walker S, Scherer SW. Identification of candidate intergenic risk loci in autism spectrum disorder. BMC Genomics 2013; 14:499. [PMID: 23879678 PMCID: PMC3734099 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2013] [Accepted: 07/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Copy number variations (CNVs) and DNA sequence alterations affecting specific neuronal genes are established risk factors for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In what is largely considered a genetic condition, so far, these mutations account for ~20% of individuals having an ASD diagnosis. However, non-coding genomic sequence also contains functional elements introducing additional disease risk loci for investigation. Results We have performed genome-wide analyses and identified rare inherited CNVs affecting non-genic intervals in 41 of 1491 (3%) of ASD cases examined. Examples of such intergenic CNV regions include 16q21 and 2p16.3 near known ASD risk genes CDH8 and NRXN1 respectively, as well as novel loci contiguous with ZHX2, MOCS1, LRRC4C, SEMA3C, and other genes. Conclusions Rare variants in intergenic regions may implicate new risk loci and genes in ASD and also present useful data for comparison with coming whole genome sequence datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Walker
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
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219
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Abstract
The autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by impairments in social interaction and stereotyped behaviors. For the majority of individuals with ASD, the causes of the disorder remain unknown; however, in up to 25% of cases, a genetic cause can be identified. Chromosomal rearrangements as well as rare and de novo copy-number variants are present in ∼10-20% of individuals with ASD, compared with 1-2% in the general population and/or unaffected siblings. Rare and de novo coding-sequence mutations affecting neuronal genes have also been identified in ∼5-10% of individuals with ASD. Common variants such as single-nucleotide polymorphisms seem to contribute to ASD susceptibility, but, taken individually, their effects appear to be small. Despite a heterogeneous genetic landscape, the genes implicated thus far-which are involved in chromatin remodeling, metabolism, mRNA translation, and synaptic function-seem to converge in common pathways affecting neuronal and synaptic homeostasis. Animal models developed to study these genes should lead to a better understanding of the diversity of the genetic landscapes of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Huguet
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France;
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220
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Verpelli C, Montani C, Vicidomini C, Heise C, Sala C. Mutations of the synapse genes and intellectual disability syndromes. Eur J Pharmacol 2013; 719:112-116. [PMID: 23872408 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2013.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2013] [Revised: 06/04/2013] [Accepted: 07/01/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Intellectual disability syndromes have been found associated to numerous mutated genes that code for proteins functionally involved in synapse formation, the regulation of dendritic spine morphology, the regulation of the synaptic cytoskeleton or the synthesis and degradation of specific synapse proteins. These studies have strongly demonstrated that even mild alterations in synapse morphology and function give rise to mild or severe alteration in intellectual abilities. Interestingly, pharmacological agents that are able to counteract these morphological and functional synaptic anomalies can also improve the symptoms of some of these conditions. This review is summarizing recent discoveries on the functions of some of the genes responsible for intellectual disability syndromes connected with synapse dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Verpelli
- CNR Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milano, Italy
| | - Caterina Montani
- CNR Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milano, Italy
| | - Cinzia Vicidomini
- CNR Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milano, Italy
| | - Christopher Heise
- CNR Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milano, Italy
| | - Carlo Sala
- CNR Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Via Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milano, Italy; Neuromuscular Diseases and Neuroimmunology, Neurological Institute Foundation Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133 Milan, Italy.
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221
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Penzes P, Buonanno A, Passafaro M, Sala C, Sweet RA. Developmental vulnerability of synapses and circuits associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. J Neurochem 2013; 126:165-82. [PMID: 23574039 PMCID: PMC3700683 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, including intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), schizophrenia (SZ), and Alzheimer's disease, pose an immense burden to society. Symptoms of these disorders become manifest at different stages of life: early childhood, adolescence, and late adulthood, respectively. Progress has been made in recent years toward understanding the genetic substrates, cellular mechanisms, brain circuits, and endophenotypes of these disorders. Multiple lines of evidence implicate excitatory and inhibitory synaptic circuits in the cortex and hippocampus as key cellular substrates of pathogenesis in these disorders. Excitatory/inhibitory balance--modulated largely by dopamine--critically regulates cortical network function, neural network activity (i.e. gamma oscillations) and behaviors associated with psychiatric disorders. Understanding the molecular underpinnings of synaptic pathology and neuronal network activity may thus provide essential insight into the pathogenesis of these disorders and can reveal novel drug targets to treat them. Here, we discuss recent genetic, neuropathological, and molecular studies that implicate alterations in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic circuits in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Penzes
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
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222
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Persico AM, Napolioni V. Autism genetics. Behav Brain Res 2013; 251:95-112. [PMID: 23769996 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2012] [Revised: 06/03/2013] [Accepted: 06/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a severe neuropsychiatric disease with strong genetic underpinnings. However, genetic contributions to autism are extremely heterogeneous, with many different loci underlying the disease to a different extent in different individuals. Moreover, the phenotypic expression (i.e., "penetrance") of these genetic components is also highly variable, ranging from fully penetrant point mutations to polygenic forms with multiple gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. Furthermore, many genes involved in ASD are also involved in intellectual disability, further underscoring their lack of specificity in phenotypic expression. We shall hereby review current knowledge on the genetic basis of ASD, spanning genetic/genomic syndromes associated with autism, monogenic forms due to copy number variants (CNVs) or rare point mutations, mitochondrial forms, and polygenic autisms. Finally, the recent contributions of genome-wide association and whole exome sequencing studies will be highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio M Persico
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy.
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223
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Shirao T, González-Billault C. Actin filaments and microtubules in dendritic spines. J Neurochem 2013; 126:155-64. [PMID: 23692384 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2013] [Revised: 05/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Dendritic spines are small protrusions emerging from their parent dendrites, and their morphological changes are involved in synaptic plasticity. These tiny structures are composed of thousands of different proteins belonging to several subfamilies such as membrane receptors, scaffold proteins, signal transduction proteins, and cytoskeletal proteins. Actin filaments in dendritic spines consist of double helix of actin protomers decorated with drebrin and ADF/cofilin, and the balance of the two is closely related to the actin dynamics, which may govern morphological and functional synaptic plasticity. During development, the accumulation of drebrin-binding type actin filaments is one of the initial events occurring at the nascent excitatory postsynaptic site, and plays a pivotal role in spine formation as well as small GTPases. It has been recently reported that microtubules transiently appear in dendritic spines in correlation with synaptic activity. Interestingly, it is suggested that microtubule dynamics might couple with actin dynamics. In this review, we will summarize the contribution of both actin filaments and microtubules to the formation and regulation of dendritic spines, and further discuss the role of cytoskeletal deregulation in neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoaki Shirao
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan.
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224
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Abstract
Shank family proteins (Shank1, Shank2, and Shank3) are synaptic scaffolding proteins that organize an extensive protein complex at the postsynaptic density (PSD) of excitatory glutamatergic synapses. Recent human genetic studies indicate that SHANK family genes (SHANK1, SHANK2, and SHANK3) are causative genes for idiopathic autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Neurobiological studies of Shank mutations in mice support a general hypothesis of synaptic dysfunction in the pathophysiology of ASD. However, the molecular diversity of SHANK family gene products, as well as the heterogeneity in human and mouse phenotypes, pose challenges to modeling human SHANK mutations. Here, we review the molecular genetics of SHANK mutations in human ASD and discuss recent findings where such mutations have been modeled in mice. Conserved features of synaptic dysfunction and corresponding behaviors in Shank mouse mutants may help dissect the pathophysiology of ASD, but also highlight divergent phenotypes that arise from different mutations in the same gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-hui Jiang
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham NC 27710, USA
| | - Michael D. Ehlers
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, Neuroscience Research Unit, Cambridge, MA 02129, USA
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225
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Pescosolido MF, Gamsiz ED, Nagpal S, Morrow EM. Distribution of disease-associated copy number variants across distinct disorders of cognitive development. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2013; 52:414-430.e14. [PMID: 23582872 PMCID: PMC3774163 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2013.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2012] [Revised: 12/09/2012] [Accepted: 01/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study was to discover the extent to which distinct DSM disorders share large, highly recurrent copy number variants (CNVs) as susceptibility factors. We also sought to identify gene mechanisms common to groups of diagnoses and/or specific to a given diagnosis based on associations with CNVs. METHOD Systematic review of 820 PubMed articles on autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), schizophrenia, and epilepsy produced 54 CNVs associated with one or several disorders. Pathway analysis on genes implicated by CNVs in different groupings was conducted. RESULTS The majority of CNVs were found in ID with the other disorders somewhat subsumed, yet certain CNVs were associated with isolated or groups of disorders. Based on genes implicated by CNVs, ID encompassed 96.8% of genes in ASD, 92.8% of genes in schizophrenia, and 100.0% of genes in epilepsy. Pathway analysis revealed that synapse processes were enriched in ASD, ID, and schizophrenia. Disease-specific processes were identified in ID (actin cytoskeleton processes), schizophrenia (ubiquitin-related processes), and ASD (synaptic vesicle transport and exocytosis). CONCLUSIONS Intellectual disability may arise from the broadest range of genetic pathways, and specific subsets of these pathways appear to be relevant to other disorders or combinations of these disorders. It is clear that statistically significant CNVs across disorders of cognitive development are highly enriched for biological processes related to the synapse. There are also disorder-specific processes that may aid in understanding the distinct presentations and pathophysiology of these disorders.
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226
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW A strong male bias in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence has been observed with striking consistency, but no mechanism has yet to definitively account for this sex difference. This review explores the current status of epidemiological, genetic, and neuroendocrinological work addressing ASD prevalence and liability in males and females, so as to frame the major issues necessary to pursue a more complete understanding of the biological basis for sex-differential risk. RECENT FINDINGS Recent studies continue to report a male bias in ASD prevalence, but also suggest that sex differences in phenotypic presentation, including fewer restricted and repetitive behaviors and externalizing behavioral problems in females, may contribute to this bias. Genetic studies demonstrate that females are protected from the effects of heritable and de-novo ASD risk variants, and compelling work suggests that sex chromosomal genes and/or sex hormones, especially testosterone, may modulate the effects of genetic variation on the presentation of an autistic phenotype. SUMMARY ASDs affect females less frequently than males, and several sex-differential genetic and hormonal factors may contribute. Future work to determine the mechanisms by which these factors confer risk and protection to males and females is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna M Werling
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, Brain Research Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA
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227
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Pal A, Das S. Chronic morphine exposure and its abstinence alters dendritic spine morphology and upregulates Shank1. Neurochem Int 2013; 62:956-64. [PMID: 23538264 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2013.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2012] [Revised: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 03/15/2013] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to chronic drugs of abuse has been reported to produce significant changes in postsynaptic protein profile, dendritic spine morphology and synaptic transmission. In the present study we demonstrate alterations in dendritic spine morphology in the frontal cortex and nucleus accumbens of mice following chronic morphine treatment as well as during abstinence for two months. Such alterations were accompanied with significant upregulation of the postsynaptic protein Shank1 in synaptosomal enriched fractions. mRNA levels of Shank1 was also markedly increased during morphine treatment and during withdrawal. Studies of the different postsynaptic proteins at the protein and mRNA levels showed significant alterations in the morphine treated groups compared to that of saline treated controls. Taken together, these observations suggest that Shank1 may have an important role in the regulation of spine morphology induced by chronic morphine leading to addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayantika Pal
- Neurobiology Department, Cell Biology & Physiology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4 Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
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228
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Using C. elegans to Decipher the Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Mol Neurobiol 2013; 48:465-89. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-013-8434-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2012] [Accepted: 02/26/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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229
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Activity-dependent neuronal signalling and autism spectrum disorder. Nature 2013; 493:327-37. [PMID: 23325215 DOI: 10.1038/nature11860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 450] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2012] [Accepted: 11/08/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal activity induces the post-translational modification of synaptic molecules, promotes localized protein synthesis within dendrites and activates gene transcription, thereby regulating synaptic function and allowing neuronal circuits to respond dynamically to experience. Evidence indicates that many of the genes that are mutated in autism spectrum disorder are crucial components of the activity-dependent signalling networks that regulate synapse development and plasticity. Dysregulation of activity-dependent signalling pathways in neurons may, therefore, have a key role in the aetiology of autism spectrum disorder.
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230
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Liu Y, Du Y, Liu W, Yang C, Liu Y, Wang H, Gong X. Lack of association between NLGN3, NLGN4, SHANK2 and SHANK3 gene variants and autism spectrum disorder in a Chinese population. PLoS One 2013; 8:e56639. [PMID: 23468870 PMCID: PMC3582503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2012] [Accepted: 01/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication, absence or delay in language development, and stereotyped or repetitive behaviors. Genetic studies show that neurexin-neuroligin (NRXN-NLGN) pathway genes contribute susceptibility to ASD, which include cell adhesion molecules NLGN3, NLGN4 and scaffolding proteins SHANK2 and SHANK3. Neuroligin proteins play an important role in synaptic function and trans-synaptic signaling by interacting with presynaptic neurexins. Shank proteins are scaffolding molecules of excitatory synapses, which function as central organizers of the postsynaptic density. Sequence level mutations and structural variations in these genes have been identified in ASD cases, while few studies were performed in Chinese population. In this study, we examined the copy numbers of four genes NLGN4, NLGN3, SHANK2, and SHANK3 in 285 ASD cases using multiplex fluorescence competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We also screened the regulatory region including the promoter region and 5'/3' untranslated regions (UTR) and the entire coding region of NLGN4 in a cohort of 285 ASD patients and 384 controls by direct sequencing of genomic DNA using the Sanger method. DNA copy number calculation in four genes showed no deletion or duplication in our cases. No missense mutations in NLGN4 were identified in our cohort. Association analysis of 6 common SNPs in NLGN4 did not find significant difference between ASD cases and controls. These findings showed that these genes may not be major disease genes in Chinese ASD cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Liu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yasong Du
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China
- School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenwen Liu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China
- School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Caohua Yang
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China
- School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Genesky Biotechnologies Inc., Shanghai, China
| | - Hongyan Wang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaohong Gong
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology and State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail:
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231
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Carter MT, Scherer SW. Autism spectrum disorder in the genetics clinic: a review. Clin Genet 2013; 83:399-407. [PMID: 23425232 DOI: 10.1111/cge.12101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2012] [Revised: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 01/14/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders affecting social communication, language and behavior. The underlying cause(s) in a given individual is often elusive, with the exception of clinically recognizable genetic syndromes with readily available molecular diagnosis, such as fragile X syndrome. Clinical geneticists approach patients with ASDs by ruling out known genetic and genomic syndromes, leaving more than 80% of families without a definitive diagnosis and an uncertain risk of recurrence. Advances in microarray technology and next-generation sequencing are revealing rare variants in genes with important roles in synapse formation, function and maintenance. This review will focus on the clinical approach to ASDs, given the current state of knowledge about their complex genetic architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- M T Carter
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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232
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Chilian B, Abdollahpour H, Bierhals T, Haltrich I, Fekete G, Nagel I, Rosenberger G, Kutsche K. Dysfunction of SHANK2 and CHRNA7 in a patient with intellectual disability and language impairment supports genetic epistasis of the two loci. Clin Genet 2013; 84:560-5. [PMID: 23350639 DOI: 10.1111/cge.12105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2012] [Revised: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 01/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Synaptopathies constitute a group of neurological diseases including autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). They have been associated with mutations in genes encoding proteins important for the formation and stabilization of synapses, such as SHANK1-3. Loss-of-function mutations in the SHANK genes have been identified in individuals with ASD and ID suggesting that other factors modify the neurological phenotype. We report a boy with severe ID, behavioral anomalies, and language impairment who carries a balanced de novo triple translocation 46,XY,t(11;17;19)(q13.3;q25.1;q13.42). The 11q13.3 breakpoint was found to disrupt the SHANK2 gene. The patient also carries copy number variations at 15q13.3 and 10q22.11 encompassing ARHGAP11B and two synaptic genes. The CHRNA7 gene encoding α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit and the GPRIN2 gene encoding G-protein-regulated inducer of neurite growth 2 were duplicated. Co-occurrence of a de novo SHANK2 mutation and a CHRNA7 duplication in two reported patients with ASD and ID as well as in the patient with t(11;17;19), severe ID and behavior problems suggests convergence of these genes on a common synaptic pathway. Our results strengthen the oligogenic inheritance model and highlight the presence of a large effect mutation and modifier genes collectively determining phenotypic expression of the synaptopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Chilian
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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233
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Lionel AC, Vaags AK, Sato D, Gazzellone MJ, Mitchell EB, Chen HY, Costain G, Walker S, Egger G, Thiruvahindrapuram B, Merico D, Prasad A, Anagnostou E, Fombonne E, Zwaigenbaum L, Roberts W, Szatmari P, Fernandez BA, Georgieva L, Brzustowicz LM, Roetzer K, Kaschnitz W, Vincent JB, Windpassinger C, Marshall CR, Trifiletti RR, Kirmani S, Kirov G, Petek E, Hodge JC, Bassett AS, Scherer SW. Rare exonic deletions implicate the synaptic organizer Gephyrin (GPHN) in risk for autism, schizophrenia and seizures. Hum Mol Genet 2013; 22:2055-66. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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234
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Kim KC, Kim P, Go HS, Choi CS, Park JH, Kim HJ, Jeon SJ, dela Pena IC, Han SH, Cheong JH, Ryu JH, Shin CY. Male-specific alteration in excitatory post-synaptic development and social interaction in pre-natal valproic acid exposure model of autism spectrum disorder. J Neurochem 2013; 124:832-43. [DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2012] [Revised: 12/17/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ki Chan Kim
- Department of Pharmacology; College of Pharmacy; Seoul National University; Seoul Korea
- Center for Neuroscience Research; SMART Institute of Advanced Biomedical Sciences; Konkuk University; Seoul Korea
| | - Pitna Kim
- Center for Neuroscience Research; SMART Institute of Advanced Biomedical Sciences; Konkuk University; Seoul Korea
- School of Medicine; Konkuk University; Seoul Korea
| | - Hyo Sang Go
- Department of Pharmacology; College of Pharmacy; Seoul National University; Seoul Korea
- Center for Neuroscience Research; SMART Institute of Advanced Biomedical Sciences; Konkuk University; Seoul Korea
| | - Chang Soon Choi
- Center for Neuroscience Research; SMART Institute of Advanced Biomedical Sciences; Konkuk University; Seoul Korea
- School of Medicine; Konkuk University; Seoul Korea
| | - Jin Hee Park
- School of Medicine; Konkuk University; Seoul Korea
| | - Hee Jin Kim
- Department of Pharmacy; Sahmyook University; Seoul Korea
| | - Se Jin Jeon
- Department of Psychiatry; School of Medicine; University of California; Los Angeles California USA
| | | | - Seol-Heui Han
- Center for Neuroscience Research; SMART Institute of Advanced Biomedical Sciences; Konkuk University; Seoul Korea
- School of Medicine; Konkuk University; Seoul Korea
| | | | - Jong Hoon Ryu
- Department of Oriental Pharmaceutical Science; College of Pharmacy; Kyung Hee University; Seoul Korea
| | - Chan Young Shin
- Center for Neuroscience Research; SMART Institute of Advanced Biomedical Sciences; Konkuk University; Seoul Korea
- School of Medicine; Konkuk University; Seoul Korea
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235
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Autism-associated mutations in ProSAP2/Shank3 impair synaptic transmission and neurexin-neuroligin-mediated transsynaptic signaling. J Neurosci 2013; 32:14966-78. [PMID: 23100419 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2215-12.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in several postsynaptic proteins have recently been implicated in the molecular pathogenesis of autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), including Neuroligins, Neurexins, and members of the ProSAP/Shank family, thereby suggesting that these genetic forms of autism may share common synaptic mechanisms. Initial studies of ASD-associated mutations in ProSAP2/Shank3 support a role for this protein in glutamate receptor function and spine morphology, but these synaptic phenotypes are not universally penetrant, indicating that other core facets of ProSAP2/Shank3 function must underlie synaptic deficits in patients with ASDs. In the present study, we have examined whether the ability of ProSAP2/Shank3 to interact with the cytoplasmic tail of Neuroligins functions to coordinate pre/postsynaptic signaling through the Neurexin-Neuroligin signaling complex in hippocampal neurons of Rattus norvegicus. Indeed, we find that synaptic levels of ProSAP2/Shank3 regulate AMPA and NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission and induce widespread changes in the levels of presynaptic and postsynaptic proteins via Neurexin-Neuroligin transsynaptic signaling. ASD-associated mutations in ProSAP2/Shank3 disrupt not only postsynaptic AMPA and NMDA receptor signaling but also interfere with the ability of ProSAP2/Shank3 to signal across the synapse to alter presynaptic structure and function. These data indicate that ASD-associated mutations in a subset of synaptic proteins may target core cellular pathways that coordinate the functional matching and maturation of excitatory synapses in the CNS.
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236
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Abstract
Recent advances in genetic testing technology have made chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) a first-tier clinical diagnostic test for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Two main types of microarrays are available, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays and array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), each with its own advantages and disadvantages in ASDs testing. Rare genetic variants, and copy number variants (CNVs) in particular, have been shown to play a major role in ASDs. More than 200 autism susceptibility genes have been identified to date, and complex patterns of inheritance, such as oligogenic heterozygosity, appear to contribute to the etiopathogenesis of ASDs. Incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity represent particular challenges in the interpretation of CMA testing of autistic individuals. This review aims to provide an overview of autism genetics for the practicing physician and gives hands-on advice on how to follow-up on abnormal CMA findings in individuals with neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karsten M Heil
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 134b, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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237
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Chung L, Bey AL, Jiang YH. Synaptic plasticity in mouse models of autism spectrum disorders. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF PHARMACOLOGY 2012; 16:369-78. [PMID: 23269898 PMCID: PMC3526740 DOI: 10.4196/kjpp.2012.16.6.369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2012] [Revised: 10/27/2012] [Accepted: 10/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Analysis of synaptic plasticity together with behavioral and molecular studies have become a popular approach to model autism spectrum disorders in order to gain insight into the pathosphysiological mechanisms and to find therapeutic targets. Abnormalities of specific types of synaptic plasticity have been revealed in numerous genetically modified mice that have molecular construct validity to human autism spectrum disorders. Constrained by the feasibility of technique, the common regions analyzed in most studies are hippocampus and visual cortex. The relevance of the synaptic defects in these regions to the behavioral abnormalities of autistic like behaviors is still a subject of debate. Because the exact regions or circuits responsible for the core features of autistic behaviors in humans are still poorly understood, investigation using region-specific conditional mutant mice may help to provide the insight into the neuroanatomical basis of autism in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leeyup Chung
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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238
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A discovery resource of rare copy number variations in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2012; 2:1665-85. [PMID: 23275889 PMCID: PMC3516488 DOI: 10.1534/g3.112.004689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2012] [Accepted: 10/24/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The identification of rare inherited and de novo copy number variations (CNVs) in human subjects has proven a productive approach to highlight risk genes for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A variety of microarrays are available to detect CNVs, including single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) arrays. Here, we examine a cohort of 696 unrelated ASD cases using a high-resolution one-million feature CGH microarray, the majority of which were previously genotyped with SNP arrays. Our objective was to discover new CNVs in ASD cases that were not detected by SNP microarray analysis and to delineate novel ASD risk loci via combined analysis of CGH and SNP array data sets on the ASD cohort and CGH data on an additional 1000 control samples. Of the 615 ASD cases analyzed on both SNP and CGH arrays, we found that 13,572 of 21,346 (64%) of the CNVs were exclusively detected by the CGH array. Several of the CGH-specific CNVs are rare in population frequency and impact previously reported ASD genes (e.g., NRXN1, GRM8, DPYD), as well as novel ASD candidate genes (e.g., CIB2, DAPP1, SAE1), and all were inherited except for a de novo CNV in the GPHN gene. A functional enrichment test of gene-sets in ASD cases over controls revealed nucleotide metabolism as a potential novel pathway involved in ASD, which includes several candidate genes for follow-up (e.g., DPYD, UPB1, UPP1, TYMP). Finally, this extensively phenotyped and genotyped ASD clinical cohort serves as an invaluable resource for the next step of genome sequencing for complete genetic variation detection.
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239
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Piers TM, Kim DH, Kim BC, Regan P, Whitcomb DJ, Cho K. Translational Concepts of mGluR5 in Synaptic Diseases of the Brain. Front Pharmacol 2012. [PMID: 23205012 PMCID: PMC3506921 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2012.00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The G-protein coupled receptor family of glutamate receptors, termed metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), are implicated in numerous cellular mechanisms ranging from neural development to the processing of cognitive, sensory, and motor information. Over the last decade, multiple mGluR-related signal cascades have been identified at excitatory synapses, indicating their potential roles in various forms of synaptic function and dysfunction. This review highlights recent studies investigating mGluR5, a subtype of group I mGluRs, and its association with a number of developmental, psychiatric, and senile synaptic disorders with respect to associated synaptic proteins, with an emphasis on translational pre-clinical studies targeting mGluR5 in a range of synaptic diseases of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Piers
- School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bristol Bristol, UK
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240
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Anney R, Klei L, Pinto D, Almeida J, Bacchelli E, Baird G, Bolshakova N, Bölte S, Bolton PF, Bourgeron T, Brennan S, Brian J, Casey J, Conroy J, Correia C, Corsello C, Crawford EL, de Jonge M, Delorme R, Duketis E, Duque F, Estes A, Farrar P, Fernandez BA, Folstein SE, Fombonne E, Gilbert J, Gillberg C, Glessner JT, Green A, Green J, Guter SJ, Heron EA, Holt R, Howe JL, Hughes G, Hus V, Igliozzi R, Jacob S, Kenny GP, Kim C, Kolevzon A, Kustanovich V, Lajonchere CM, Lamb JA, Law-Smith M, Leboyer M, Le Couteur A, Leventhal BL, Liu XQ, Lombard F, Lord C, Lotspeich L, Lund SC, Magalhaes TR, Mantoulan C, McDougle CJ, Melhem NM, Merikangas A, Minshew NJ, Mirza GK, Munson J, Noakes C, Nygren G, Papanikolaou K, Pagnamenta AT, Parrini B, Paton T, Pickles A, Posey DJ, Poustka F, Ragoussis J, Regan R, Roberts W, Roeder K, Roge B, Rutter ML, Schlitt S, Shah N, Sheffield VC, Soorya L, Sousa I, Stoppioni V, Sykes N, Tancredi R, Thompson AP, Thomson S, Tryfon A, Tsiantis J, Van Engeland H, Vincent JB, Volkmar F, Vorstman JAS, Wallace S, Wing K, Wittemeyer K, Wood S, Zurawiecki D, Zwaigenbaum L, Bailey AJ, Battaglia A, Cantor RM, Coon H, Cuccaro ML, Dawson G, Ennis S, Freitag CM, Geschwind DH, Haines JL, Klauck SM, McMahon WM, Maestrini E, Miller J, Monaco AP, Nelson SF, Nurnberger JI, Oliveira G, Parr JR, Pericak-Vance MA, Piven J, Schellenberg GD, Scherer SW, Vicente AM, Wassink TH, Wijsman EM, Betancur C, Buxbaum JD, Cook EH, Gallagher L, Gill M, Hallmayer J, Paterson AD, Sutcliffe JS, Szatmari P, Vieland VJ, Hakonarson H, Devlin B. Individual common variants exert weak effects on the risk for autism spectrum disorders. Hum Mol Genet 2012; 21:4781-92. [PMID: 22843504 PMCID: PMC3471395 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/dds301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 254] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2012] [Revised: 07/13/2012] [Accepted: 07/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While it is apparent that rare variation can play an important role in the genetic architecture of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), the contribution of common variation to the risk of developing ASD is less clear. To produce a more comprehensive picture, we report Stage 2 of the Autism Genome Project genome-wide association study, adding 1301 ASD families and bringing the total to 2705 families analysed (Stages 1 and 2). In addition to evaluating the association of individual single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we also sought evidence that common variants, en masse, might affect the risk. Despite genotyping over a million SNPs covering the genome, no single SNP shows significant association with ASD or selected phenotypes at a genome-wide level. The SNP that achieves the smallest P-value from secondary analyses is rs1718101. It falls in CNTNAP2, a gene previously implicated in susceptibility for ASD. This SNP also shows modest association with age of word/phrase acquisition in ASD subjects, of interest because features of language development are also associated with other variation in CNTNAP2. In contrast, allele scores derived from the transmission of common alleles to Stage 1 cases significantly predict case status in the independent Stage 2 sample. Despite being significant, the variance explained by these allele scores was small (Vm< 1%). Based on results from individual SNPs and their en masse effect on risk, as inferred from the allele score results, it is reasonable to conclude that common variants affect the risk for ASD but their individual effects are modest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Anney
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Lambertus Klei
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15232, USA
| | - Dalila Pinto
- The Centre for Applied Genomics and Program in Genetics and Genomic Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaM5G 1L7
| | - Joana Almeida
- Hospital Pediátrico de Coimbra, 3000–076 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Elena Bacchelli
- Department of Biology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Gillian Baird
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust & King's College, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Nadia Bolshakova
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Sven Bölte
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, J.W. Goethe University Frankfurt, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Bourgeron
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur and
- University Paris Diderot-Paris 7, CNRS URA 2182, Fondation FondaMental, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Sean Brennan
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Jessica Brian
- Autism Research Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children and Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaM5G 1Z8
| | - Jillian Casey
- School of Medicine, Medical Science University College, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Judith Conroy
- School of Medicine, Medical Science University College, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Catarina Correia
- Instituto Nacional de Saude Dr Ricardo Jorge and Instituto Gulbenkian de Cîencia, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
- BioFIG—Center for Biodiversity, Functional and Integrative Genomics, Campus da FCUL, C2.2.12, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Christina Corsello
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Emily L. Crawford
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, and Centers for Human Genetics Research and Molecular Neuroscience and
| | - Maretha de Jonge
- Department of Child Psychiatry, University Medical Center, Utrecht, 3508 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Richard Delorme
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, APHP, Hôpital Robert Debré, 75019 Paris, France
| | - Eftichia Duketis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, J.W. Goethe University Frankfurt, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | | | - Penny Farrar
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Bridget A. Fernandez
- Disciplines of Genetics and Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland,St John's, NL, CanadaA1B 3V6
| | - Susan E. Folstein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Eric Fombonne
- Division of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, CanadaH3A 1A1
| | - John Gilbert
- The John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33101, USA
| | - Christopher Gillberg
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Joseph T. Glessner
- The Center for Applied Genomics, Division of Human Genetics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Andrew Green
- School of Medicine, Medical Science University College, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Jonathan Green
- Academic Department of Child Psychiatry, University of Manchester, Manchester M9 7AA, UK
| | - Stephen J. Guter
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Juvenile Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60608, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Heron
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Richard Holt
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Jennifer L. Howe
- The Centre for Applied Genomics and Program in Genetics and Genomic Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaM5G 1L7
| | - Gillian Hughes
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Vanessa Hus
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Roberta Igliozzi
- BioFIG—Center for Biodiversity, Functional and Integrative Genomics, Campus da FCUL, C2.2.12, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Suma Jacob
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Juvenile Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60608, USA
| | - Graham P. Kenny
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Cecilia Kim
- The Center for Applied Genomics, Division of Human Genetics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Alexander Kolevzon
- The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York NY 10029, USA
| | - Vlad Kustanovich
- Autism Genetic Resource Exchange, Autism Speaks, Los Angeles, CA 90036-4234, USA
| | - Clara M. Lajonchere
- Autism Genetic Resource Exchange, Autism Speaks, Los Angeles, CA 90036-4234, USA
| | | | - Miriam Law-Smith
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Marion Leboyer
- Department of Psychiatry, Groupe hospitalier Henri Mondor-Albert Chenevier, INSERM U995, AP-HP; University Paris 12, Fondation FondaMental, Créteil 94000, France
| | - Ann Le Couteur
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Bennett L. Leventhal
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research (NKI), 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University, NYU Child Study Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Xiao-Qing Liu
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Frances Lombard
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Catherine Lord
- Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, Weill Cornell Medical College, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Linda Lotspeich
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Sabata C. Lund
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, and Centers for Human Genetics Research and Molecular Neuroscience and
| | - Tiago R. Magalhaes
- Instituto Nacional de Saude Dr Ricardo Jorge and Instituto Gulbenkian de Cîencia, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
- BioFIG—Center for Biodiversity, Functional and Integrative Genomics, Campus da FCUL, C2.2.12, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carine Mantoulan
- Centre d'Eudes et de Recherches en Psychopathologie, University de Toulouse Le Mirail, Toulouse 31200, France
| | - Christopher J. McDougle
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Nadine M. Melhem
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15232, USA
| | - Alison Merikangas
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Nancy J. Minshew
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15232, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Ghazala K. Mirza
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Jeff Munson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Carolyn Noakes
- Autism Research Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children and Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaM5G 1Z8
| | - Gudrun Nygren
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Katerina Papanikolaou
- University Department of Child Psychiatry, Athens University, Medical School, Agia Sophia Children's Hospital, 115 27 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Barbara Parrini
- Stella Maris Institute for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, 56128 Calambrone (Pisa), Italy
| | - Tara Paton
- The Centre for Applied Genomics and Program in Genetics and Genomic Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaM5G 1L7
| | - Andrew Pickles
- Department of Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Health Science, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - David J. Posey
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Fritz Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, J.W. Goethe University Frankfurt, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jiannis Ragoussis
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Regina Regan
- School of Medicine, Medical Science University College, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Wendy Roberts
- Autism Research Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children and Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaM5G 1Z8
| | - Kathryn Roeder
- Department of Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bernadette Roge
- Centre d'Eudes et de Recherches en Psychopathologie, University de Toulouse Le Mirail, Toulouse 31200, France
| | - Michael L. Rutter
- MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Sabine Schlitt
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, J.W. Goethe University Frankfurt, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Naisha Shah
- School of Medicine, Medical Science University College, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Val C. Sheffield
- Department of Pediatrics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Latha Soorya
- The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York NY 10029, USA
| | - Inês Sousa
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Vera Stoppioni
- Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Ospedale Santa Croce, 61032 Fano, Italy
| | - Nuala Sykes
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Raffaella Tancredi
- Stella Maris Institute for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, 56128 Calambrone (Pisa), Italy
| | - Ann P. Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, CanadaL8N 3Z5
| | - Susanne Thomson
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, and Centers for Human Genetics Research and Molecular Neuroscience and
| | - Ana Tryfon
- The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York NY 10029, USA
| | - John Tsiantis
- University Department of Child Psychiatry, Athens University, Medical School, Agia Sophia Children's Hospital, 115 27 Athens, Greece
| | - Herman Van Engeland
- Department of Child Psychiatry, University Medical Center, Utrecht, 3508 GA, The Netherlands
| | - John B. Vincent
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Clarke Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaM5G 1X8
| | - Fred Volkmar
- Child Study Centre, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - JAS Vorstman
- Department of Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht 3584 CX, The Netherlands
| | - Simon Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Kirsty Wing
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Kerstin Wittemeyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Shawn Wood
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15232, USA
| | - Danielle Zurawiecki
- The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York NY 10029, USA
| | - Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, CanadaT6G 2J3
| | - Anthony J. Bailey
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Research Unit, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaV5Z4H4
| | - Agatino Battaglia
- Stella Maris Institute for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, 56128 Calambrone (Pisa), Italy
| | | | - Hilary Coon
- Psychiatry Department, University of Utah Medical School, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
| | - Michael L. Cuccaro
- The John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33101, USA
| | | | - Sean Ennis
- School of Medicine, Medical Science University College, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Christine M. Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, J.W. Goethe University Frankfurt, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel H. Geschwind
- Department of Neurology, Los Angeles School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jonathan L. Haines
- Center for Human Genetics Research, Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Sabine M. Klauck
- Division of Molecular Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - William M. McMahon
- Psychiatry Department, University of Utah Medical School, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
| | - Elena Maestrini
- Department of Biology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Judith Miller
- Psychiatry Department, University of Utah Medical School, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
| | - Anthony P. Monaco
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
- Office of the President, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - John I. Nurnberger
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | | | - Jeremy R. Parr
- Institutes of Neuroscience and Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | | | - Joseph Piven
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3366, USA
| | - Gerard D. Schellenberg
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Stephen W. Scherer
- The Centre for Applied Genomics and Program in Genetics and Genomic Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaM5G 1L7
| | - Astrid M. Vicente
- Instituto Nacional de Saude Dr Ricardo Jorge and Instituto Gulbenkian de Cîencia, 1649-016 Lisbon, Portugal
- BioFIG—Center for Biodiversity, Functional and Integrative Genomics, Campus da FCUL, C2.2.12, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Thomas H. Wassink
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Ellen M. Wijsman
- Department of Biostatistics and
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Catalina Betancur
- INSERM U952
- CNRS UMR 7224 and
- UPMC Univ Paris 06, Paris 75005, France and
| | - Joseph D. Buxbaum
- The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York NY 10029, USA
| | - Edwin H. Cook
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Juvenile Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60608, USA
| | - Louise Gallagher
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Michael Gill
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Joachim Hallmayer
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Andrew D. Paterson
- The Centre for Applied Genomics and Program in Genetics and Genomic Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaM5G 1L7
| | - James S. Sutcliffe
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, and Centers for Human Genetics Research and Molecular Neuroscience and
| | - Peter Szatmari
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, CanadaL8N 3Z5
| | - Veronica J. Vieland
- Battelle Center for Mathematical Medicine, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Hakon Hakonarson
- The Center for Applied Genomics, Division of Human Genetics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Bernie Devlin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15232, USA
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241
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Klei L, Sanders SJ, Murtha MT, Hus V, Lowe JK, Willsey AJ, Moreno-De-Luca D, Yu TW, Fombonne E, Geschwind D, Grice DE, Ledbetter DH, Lord C, Mane SM, Martin CL, Martin DM, Morrow EM, Walsh CA, Melhem NM, Chaste P, Sutcliffe JS, State MW, Cook EH, Roeder K, Devlin B. Common genetic variants, acting additively, are a major source of risk for autism. Mol Autism 2012; 3:9. [PMID: 23067556 PMCID: PMC3579743 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-3-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 279] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2012] [Accepted: 10/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are early onset neurodevelopmental syndromes typified by impairments in reciprocal social interaction and communication, accompanied by restricted and repetitive behaviors. While rare and especially de novo genetic variation are known to affect liability, whether common genetic polymorphism plays a substantial role is an open question and the relative contribution of genes and environment is contentious. It is probable that the relative contributions of rare and common variation, as well as environment, differs between ASD families having only a single affected individual (simplex) versus multiplex families who have two or more affected individuals. Methods By using quantitative genetics techniques and the contrast of ASD subjects to controls, we estimate what portion of liability can be explained by additive genetic effects, known as narrow-sense heritability. We evaluate relatives of ASD subjects using the same methods to evaluate the assumptions of the additive model and partition families by simplex/multiplex status to determine how heritability changes with status. Results By analyzing common variation throughout the genome, we show that common genetic polymorphism exerts substantial additive genetic effects on ASD liability and that simplex/multiplex family status has an impact on the identified composition of that risk. As a fraction of the total variation in liability, the estimated narrow-sense heritability exceeds 60% for ASD individuals from multiplex families and is approximately 40% for simplex families. By analyzing parents, unaffected siblings and alleles not transmitted from parents to their affected children, we conclude that the data for simplex ASD families follow the expectation for additive models closely. The data from multiplex families deviate somewhat from an additive model, possibly due to parental assortative mating. Conclusions Our results, when viewed in the context of results from genome-wide association studies, demonstrate that a myriad of common variants of very small effect impacts ASD liability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lambertus Klei
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
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242
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Nava C, Lamari F, Héron D, Mignot C, Rastetter A, Keren B, Cohen D, Faudet A, Bouteiller D, Gilleron M, Jacquette A, Whalen S, Afenjar A, Périsse D, Laurent C, Dupuits C, Gautier C, Gérard M, Huguet G, Caillet S, Leheup B, Leboyer M, Gillberg C, Delorme R, Bourgeron T, Brice A, Depienne C. Analysis of the chromosome X exome in patients with autism spectrum disorders identified novel candidate genes, including TMLHE. Transl Psychiatry 2012; 2:e179. [PMID: 23092983 PMCID: PMC3565810 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2012.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The striking excess of affected males in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) suggests that genes located on chromosome X contribute to the etiology of these disorders. To identify new X-linked genes associated with ASD, we analyzed the entire chromosome X exome by next-generation sequencing in 12 unrelated families with two affected males. Thirty-six possibly deleterious variants in 33 candidate genes were found, including PHF8 and HUWE1, previously implicated in intellectual disability (ID). A nonsense mutation in TMLHE, which encodes the ɛ-N-trimethyllysine hydroxylase catalyzing the first step of carnitine biosynthesis, was identified in two brothers with autism and ID. By screening the TMLHE coding sequence in 501 male patients with ASD, we identified two additional missense substitutions not found in controls and not reported in databases. Functional analyses confirmed that the mutations were associated with a loss-of-function and led to an increase in trimethyllysine, the precursor of carnitine biosynthesis, in the plasma of patients. This study supports the hypothesis that rare variants on the X chromosome are involved in the etiology of ASD and contribute to the sex-ratio disequilibrium.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Nava
- INSERM, U975—CRICM, Institut du cerveau
et de la moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,CNRS 7225—CRICM, Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,Université Pierre et Marie
Curie-Paris-6 (UPMC), UMR_S 975, Paris, France,Département de Génétique
et de Cytogénétique, Unité fonctionnelle de génétique
clinique, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière,
Paris, France
| | - F Lamari
- Département de Biochimie, AP-HP,
Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris,
France
| | - D Héron
- Département de Génétique
et de Cytogénétique, Unité fonctionnelle de génétique
clinique, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière,
Paris, France,AP-HP, Hôpital Trousseau, service de
neuropédiatrie, Paris, France,Centre de Référence
‘déficiences intellectuelles de causes rares',
Paris, France,Groupe de Recherche Clinique (GRC)
‘déficience intellectuelle et autisme' UPMC,
Paris, France
| | - C Mignot
- Département de Génétique
et de Cytogénétique, Unité fonctionnelle de génétique
clinique, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière,
Paris, France,AP-HP, Hôpital Trousseau, service de
neuropédiatrie, Paris, France,Centre de Référence
‘déficiences intellectuelles de causes rares',
Paris, France,Groupe de Recherche Clinique (GRC)
‘déficience intellectuelle et autisme' UPMC,
Paris, France
| | - A Rastetter
- INSERM, U975—CRICM, Institut du cerveau
et de la moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,CNRS 7225—CRICM, Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,Université Pierre et Marie
Curie-Paris-6 (UPMC), UMR_S 975, Paris, France
| | - B Keren
- Département de Génétique
et de Cytogénétique, Unité fonctionnelle de
cytogénétique, AP-HP, Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - D Cohen
- Service de psychiatrie de l'enfant et
de l'adolescent, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière,
Paris, France,Institut des Systèmes Intelligents
et Robotiques, CNRS UMR 7222, UPMC-Paris-6, Paris,
France
| | - A Faudet
- Département de Génétique
et de Cytogénétique, Unité fonctionnelle de génétique
clinique, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière,
Paris, France
| | - D Bouteiller
- INSERM, U975—CRICM, Institut du cerveau
et de la moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,CNRS 7225—CRICM, Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,Université Pierre et Marie
Curie-Paris-6 (UPMC), UMR_S 975, Paris, France,ICM, PFGS Platform, Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - M Gilleron
- Département de Biochimie, AP-HP,
Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris,
France
| | - A Jacquette
- Département de Génétique
et de Cytogénétique, Unité fonctionnelle de génétique
clinique, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière,
Paris, France,Centre de Référence
‘déficiences intellectuelles de causes rares',
Paris, France,Groupe de Recherche Clinique (GRC)
‘déficience intellectuelle et autisme' UPMC,
Paris, France
| | - S Whalen
- Département de Génétique
et de Cytogénétique, Unité fonctionnelle de génétique
clinique, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière,
Paris, France
| | - A Afenjar
- Département de Génétique
et de Cytogénétique, Unité fonctionnelle de génétique
clinique, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière,
Paris, France,AP-HP, Hôpital Trousseau, service de
neuropédiatrie, Paris, France,Centre de Référence
‘déficiences intellectuelles de causes rares',
Paris, France,Groupe de Recherche Clinique (GRC)
‘déficience intellectuelle et autisme' UPMC,
Paris, France,Centre de référence des
anomalies du développement et syndromes malformatifs, Hôpital
Trousseau, Paris, France
| | - D Périsse
- Service de psychiatrie de l'enfant et
de l'adolescent, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière,
Paris, France,Centre référent
autisme, Paris, France
| | - C Laurent
- INSERM, U975—CRICM, Institut du cerveau
et de la moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,CNRS 7225—CRICM, Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,Service de psychiatrie de l'enfant et
de l'adolescent, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière,
Paris, France
| | - C Dupuits
- INSERM, U975—CRICM, Institut du cerveau
et de la moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,Service de diététique et
unité fonctionnelle de neurormétabolisme, AP-HP, Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - C Gautier
- INSERM, U975—CRICM, Institut du cerveau
et de la moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,CNRS 7225—CRICM, Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - M Gérard
- CHU Côte de Nacre,
Paris, France
| | - G Huguet
- Institut Pasteur, Human Genetics and
Cognitive Functions Unit, Paris, France,CNRS URA 2182 ‘Genes, synapses and
cognition', Institut Pasteur, Paris, France,University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris
Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris,
France
| | - S Caillet
- Département de Génétique
et de Cytogénétique, Unité fonctionnelle de génétique
clinique, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière,
Paris, France,Service de diététique et
unité fonctionnelle de neurormétabolisme, AP-HP, Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - B Leheup
- CHU de Nancy Pôle Enfants, Service de
Médecine Infantile III et Génétique Clinique, Centre de
référence Anomalies du développement et Syndromes malformatifs et
Université de Lorraine EA 4368, Vandoeuvre les Nancy,
France
| | - M Leboyer
- Inserm, U955,
Créteil, France,Université Paris Est, Faculté
de médecine, Créteil, France,AP-HP, Hôpital H. Mondor—A.
Chenevier, Pole de Psychiatrie, Créteil, France,Fondation FondaMental,
Créteil, France
| | - C Gillberg
- Department of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry, Goteborg University, Goteborg, Sweden
| | - R Delorme
- AP-HP, Hôpital Robert Debré,
Service de pédopsychiatrie, Paris, France
| | - T Bourgeron
- Institut Pasteur, Human Genetics and
Cognitive Functions Unit, Paris, France,CNRS URA 2182 ‘Genes, synapses and
cognition', Institut Pasteur, Paris, France,University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris
Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris,
France
| | - A Brice
- INSERM, U975—CRICM, Institut du cerveau
et de la moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,CNRS 7225—CRICM, Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,Université Pierre et Marie
Curie-Paris-6 (UPMC), UMR_S 975, Paris, France,Département de Génétique
et de Cytogénétique, Unité fonctionnelle de génétique
clinique, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière,
Paris, France,INSERM U975 (Cricm), Institut du cerveau et de la moelle
épinière, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière,
Paris
75 013, France. E-mail: or
| | - C Depienne
- INSERM, U975—CRICM, Institut du cerveau
et de la moelle épinière (ICM), Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,CNRS 7225—CRICM, Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,Université Pierre et Marie
Curie-Paris-6 (UPMC), UMR_S 975, Paris, France,Département de
Génétique et de Cytogénétique, Unité fonctionnelle de
neurogénétique moléculaire et cellulaire, AP-HP, Hôpital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France,INSERM U975 (Cricm), Institut du cerveau et de la moelle
épinière, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière,
Paris
75 013, France. E-mail: or
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243
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Gauthier J, Rouleau GA. De novo mutations in neurological and psychiatric disorders: effects, diagnosis and prevention. Genome Med 2012; 4:71. [PMID: 23009675 PMCID: PMC3580441 DOI: 10.1186/gm372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurological and psychiatric disorders account for a considerable proportion of the global disease burden. Although there is a high heritability and a significant genetic component in these disorders, the genetic cause of most cases has yet to be identified. Advances in DNA sequencing allowing the analysis of the whole human genome in a single experiment have led to an acceleration of the discovery of the genetic factors associated with human disease. Recent studies using these platforms have highlighted the important role of de novo mutations in neurological and psychiatric disorders. These findings have opened new avenues into the understanding of genetic disease mechanisms. These discoveries, combined with the increasing ease with which we can sequence the human genome, have important implications for diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Here, we present an overview of the recent discovery of de novo mutations using key examples of neurological and psychiatric disorders. We also discuss the impact of technological developments on diagnosis and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Gauthier
- Center of Excellence in Neuroscience of the Université de Montréal , Quebec, Canada H2L 4MI ; Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada H2L 4MI
| | - Guy A Rouleau
- Center of Excellence in Neuroscience of the Université de Montréal , Quebec, Canada H2L 4MI ; Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada H2L 4MI ; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada H2L 4MI
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244
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Pescosolido MF. Lighting a path: genetic studies pinpoint neurodevelopmental mechanisms in autism and related disorders. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2012; 14:239-52. [PMID: 23226950 PMCID: PMC3513679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we outline critical molecular processes that have been implicated by discovery of genetic mutations in autism. These mechanisms need to be mapped onto the neurodevelopment step(s) gone awry that may be associated with cause in autism. Molecular mechanisms include: (i) regulation of gene expression; (ii) pre-mRNA splicing; (iii) protein localization, translation, and turnover; (iv) synaptic transmission; (v) cell signaling; (vi) the functions of cytoskeletal and scaffolding proteins; and (vii) the function of neuronal cell adhesion molecules. While the molecular mechanisms appear broad, they may converge on only one of a few steps during neurodevelopment that perturbs the structure, function, and/or plasticity of neuronal circuitry. While there are many genetic mutations involved, novel treatments may need to target only one of few developmental mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew F. Pescosolido
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry; and Institute for Brain Science; Developmental Disorders Genetics Research Program, Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital and Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
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245
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Gender bias, female resilience, and the sex ratio in autism. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2012; 51:756-8. [PMID: 22840545 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2012.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2012] [Accepted: 05/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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246
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Devlin B, Scherer SW. Genetic architecture in autism spectrum disorder. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2012; 22:229-37. [PMID: 22463983 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2012.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 332] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2012] [Revised: 03/02/2012] [Accepted: 03/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in reciprocal social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behaviors. Family studies indicate a significant genetic basis for ASD susceptibility, and genomic scanning is beginning to elucidate the underlying genetic architecture. Some 5-15% of individuals with ASD have an identifiable genetic etiology corresponding to known chromosomal rearrangements or single gene disorders. Rare (<1% frequency) de novo or inherited copy number variations (CNVs) (especially those that affect genes with synaptic function) are observed in 5-10% of idiopathic ASD cases. These findings, coupled with genome sequencing data suggest the existence of hundreds of ASD risk genes. Common variants, yet unidentified, exert only small effects on risk. Identification of ASD risk genes with high penetrance will broaden the targets amenable to genetic testing; while the biological pathways revealed by the deeper list of ASD genes should narrow the targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernie Devlin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3811 O'Hara St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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