351
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Characteristics and predictive value of blood transcriptome signature in males with autism spectrum disorders. PLoS One 2012; 7:e49475. [PMID: 23227143 PMCID: PMC3515554 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 10/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a spectrum of highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorders in which known mutations contribute to disease risk in 20% of cases. Here, we report the results of the largest blood transcriptome study to date that aims to identify differences in 170 ASD cases and 115 age/sex-matched controls and to evaluate the utility of gene expression profiling as a tool to aid in the diagnosis of ASD. The differentially expressed genes were enriched for the neurotrophin signaling, long-term potentiation/depression, and notch signaling pathways. We developed a 55-gene prediction model, using a cross-validation strategy, on a sample cohort of 66 male ASD cases and 33 age-matched male controls (P1). Subsequently, 104 ASD cases and 82 controls were recruited and used as a validation set (P2). This 55-gene expression signature achieved 68% classification accuracy with the validation cohort (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC): 0.70 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.62–0.77]). Not surprisingly, our prediction model that was built and trained with male samples performed well for males (AUC 0.73, 95% CI 0.65–0.82), but not for female samples (AUC 0.51, 95% CI 0.36–0.67). The 55-gene signature also performed robustly when the prediction model was trained with P2 male samples to classify P1 samples (AUC 0.69, 95% CI 0.58–0.80). Our result suggests that the use of blood expression profiling for ASD detection may be feasible. Further study is required to determine the age at which such a test should be deployed, and what genetic characteristics of ASD can be identified.
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352
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Rudie JD, Hernandez LM, Brown JA, Beck-Pancer D, Colich NL, Gorrindo P, Thompson PM, Geschwind DH, Bookheimer SY, Levitt P, Dapretto M. Autism-associated promoter variant in MET impacts functional and structural brain networks. Neuron 2012; 75:904-15. [PMID: 22958829 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
As genes that confer increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are identified, a crucial next step is to determine how these risk factors impact brain structure and function and contribute to disorder heterogeneity. With three converging lines of evidence, we show that a common, functional ASD risk variant in the Met Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (MET) gene is a potent modulator of key social brain circuitry in children and adolescents with and without ASD. MET risk genotype predicted atypical fMRI activation and deactivation patterns to social stimuli (i.e., emotional faces), as well as reduced functional and structural connectivity in temporo-parietal regions known to have high MET expression, particularly within the default mode network. Notably, these effects were more pronounced in individuals with ASD. These findings highlight how genetic stratification may reduce heterogeneity and help elucidate the biological basis of complex neuropsychiatric disorders such as ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Rudie
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7085, USA
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353
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Hadjixenofontos A, Schmidt MA, Whitehead PL, Konidari I, Hedges DJ, Wright HH, Abramson RK, Menon R, Williams SM, Cuccaro ML, Haines JL, Gilbert JR, Pericak-Vance MA, Martin ER, McCauley JL. Evaluating mitochondrial DNA variation in autism spectrum disorders. Ann Hum Genet 2012; 77:9-21. [PMID: 23130936 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-1809.2012.00736.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2012] [Accepted: 09/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Despite the increasing speculation that oxidative stress and abnormal energy metabolism may play a role in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), and the observation that patients with mitochondrial defects have symptoms consistent with ASD, there are no comprehensive published studies examining the role of mitochondrial variation in autism. Therefore, we have sought to comprehensively examine the role of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation with regard to ASD risk, employing a multi-phase approach. In phase 1 of our experiment, we examined 132 mtDNA single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped as part of our genome-wide association studies of ASD. In phase 2 we genotyped the major European mitochondrial haplogroup-defining variants within an expanded set of autism probands and controls. Finally in phase 3, we resequenced the entire mtDNA in a subset of our Caucasian samples (∼400 proband-father pairs). In each phase we tested whether mitochondrial variation showed evidence of association to ASD. Despite a thorough interrogation of mtDNA variation, we found no evidence to suggest a major role for mtDNA variation in ASD susceptibility. Accordingly, while there may be attractive biological hints suggesting the role of mitochondria in ASD our data indicate that mtDNA variation is not a major contributing factor to the development of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athena Hadjixenofontos
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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354
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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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355
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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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Wahlsten D. The hunt for gene effects pertinent to behavioral traits and psychiatric disorders: from mouse to human. Dev Psychobiol 2012; 54:475-92. [PMID: 22674524 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The field of behavioral genetics was reviewed in the classic 1960 text by Fuller and Thompson. Since then, there has been remarkable progress in the genetic analysis of animal behavior. Many molecular genetic methods in common use today were not even anticipated in 1960. Animal models for many human psychiatric disorders have been discovered or created. In human behavior genetics, however, powerful new methods have failed to reveal even one bona fide, replicable gene effect pertinent to the normal range of variation in intelligence and personality. There is no explanatory or predictive value in that genetic information. For several psychiatric disorders, including autism and schizophrenia, many large genetic effects arise from de novo mutations. Genetically, the disorders are heterogeneous; different cases with the same diagnosis have different causes. The promises of the molecular genetic revolution have not been fulfilled in behavioral domains of most interest to human psychology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Wahlsten
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA.
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357
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Developmental regulation of expression of schizophrenia susceptibility genes in the primate hippocampal formation. Transl Psychiatry 2012; 2:e173. [PMID: 23092977 PMCID: PMC3565813 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2012.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The hippocampal formation is essential for normal memory function and is implicated in many neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. In particular, abnormalities in hippocampal structure and function have been identified in schizophrenic subjects. Schizophrenia has a strong polygenic component, but the role of numerous susceptibility genes in normal brain development and function has yet to be investigated. Here we described the expression of schizophrenia susceptibility genes in distinct regions of the monkey hippocampal formation during early postnatal development. We found that, as compared with other genes, schizophrenia susceptibility genes exhibit a differential regulation of expression in the dentate gyrus, CA3 and CA1, over the course of postnatal development. A number of these genes involved in synaptic transmission and dendritic morphology exhibit a developmental decrease of expression in CA3. Abnormal CA3 synaptic organization observed in schizophrenics might be related to some specific symptoms, such as loosening of association. Interestingly, changes in gene expression in CA3 might occur at a time possibly corresponding to the late appearance of the first clinical symptoms. We also found earlier changes in expression of schizophrenia susceptibility genes in CA1, which might be linked to prodromal psychotic symptoms. A number of schizophrenia susceptibility genes including APOE, BDNF, MTHFR and SLC6A4 are involved in other disorders, and thus likely contribute to nonspecific changes in hippocampal structure and function that must be combined with the dysregulation of other genes in order to lead to schizophrenia pathogenesis.
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358
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Michel M, Schmidt MJ, Mirnics K. Immune system gene dysregulation in autism and schizophrenia. Dev Neurobiol 2012; 72:1277-87. [PMID: 22753382 PMCID: PMC3435446 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2012] [Revised: 06/14/2012] [Accepted: 06/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Gene*environment interactions play critical roles in the emergence of autism and schizophrenia pathophysiology. In both disorders, recent genetic association studies have provided evidence for disease-linked variation in immune system genes and postmortem gene expression studies have shown extensive chronic immune abnormalities in brains of diseased subjects. Furthermore, peripheral biomarker studies revealed that both innate and adaptive immune systems are dysregulated. In both disorders symptoms of the disease correlate with the immune system dysfunction; yet, in autism this process appears to be chronic and sustained, while in schizophrenia it is exacerbated during acute episodes. Furthermore, since immune abnormalities endure into adulthood and anti-inflammatory agents appear to be beneficial, it is likely that these immune changes actively contribute to disease symptoms. Modeling these changes in animals provided further evidence that prenatal maternal immune activation alters neurodevelopment and leads to behavioral changes that are relevant for autism and schizophrenia. The converging evidence strongly argues that neurodevelopmental immune insults and genetic background critically interact and result in increased risk for either autism or schizophrenia. Further research in these areas may improve prenatal health screening in genetically at-risk families and may also lead to new preventive and/or therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Michel
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Psychiatry, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Martin J Schmidt
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Psychiatry, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
- Vanderbilt University, Neuroscience Graduate Program, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Karoly Mirnics
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Psychiatry, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
- Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
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359
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Steinberg KM, Ramachandran D, Patel VC, Shetty AC, Cutler DJ, Zwick ME. Identification of rare X-linked neuroligin variants by massively parallel sequencing in males with autism spectrum disorder. Mol Autism 2012; 3:8. [PMID: 23020841 PMCID: PMC3492087 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-3-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2012] [Accepted: 09/14/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is highly heritable, but the genetic risk factors for it remain largely unknown. Although structural variants with large effect sizes may explain up to 15% ASD, genome-wide association studies have failed to uncover common single nucleotide variants with large effects on phenotype. The focus within ASD genetics is now shifting to the examination of rare sequence variants of modest effect, which is most often achieved via exome selection and sequencing. This strategy has indeed identified some rare candidate variants; however, the approach does not capture the full spectrum of genetic variation that might contribute to the phenotype. METHODS We surveyed two loci with known rare variants that contribute to ASD, the X-linked neuroligin genes by performing massively parallel Illumina sequencing of the coding and noncoding regions from these genes in males from families with multiplex autism. We annotated all variant sites and functionally tested a subset to identify other rare mutations contributing to ASD susceptibility. RESULTS We found seven rare variants at evolutionary conserved sites in our study population. Functional analyses of the three 3' UTR variants did not show statistically significant effects on the expression of NLGN3 and NLGN4X. In addition, we identified two NLGN3 intronic variants located within conserved transcription factor binding sites that could potentially affect gene regulation. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate the power of massively parallel, targeted sequencing studies of affected individuals for identifying rare, potentially disease-contributing variation. However, they also point out the challenges and limitations of current methods of direct functional testing of rare variants and the difficulties of identifying alleles with modest effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karyn Meltz Steinberg
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Whitehead Biomedical Research Building, Suite 301, Atlanta, 30322, GA, USA
- Graduate Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road, Atlanta, 30322, GA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, 3720 15th Avenue NE, Seattle, 98195, WA, USA
| | - Dhanya Ramachandran
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Whitehead Biomedical Research Building, Suite 301, Atlanta, 30322, GA, USA
| | - Viren C Patel
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Whitehead Biomedical Research Building, Suite 301, Atlanta, 30322, GA, USA
| | - Amol C Shetty
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Whitehead Biomedical Research Building, Suite 301, Atlanta, 30322, GA, USA
| | - David J Cutler
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Whitehead Biomedical Research Building, Suite 301, Atlanta, 30322, GA, USA
| | - Michael E Zwick
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Whitehead Biomedical Research Building, Suite 301, Atlanta, 30322, GA, USA
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360
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Perlis RH, Ruderfer D, Hamilton SP, Ernst C. Copy number variation in subjects with major depressive disorder who attempted suicide. PLoS One 2012; 7:e46315. [PMID: 23029476 PMCID: PMC3459919 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 08/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Suicide is one of the top ten leading causes of death in North America and represents a major public health burden, partcularly for people with Major Depressive disorder (MD). Many studies have suggested that suicidal behavior runs in families, however, identification of genomic loci that drive this efffect remain to be identified. Methodology/Principal Findings Using subjects collected as part of STAR*D, we genotyped 189 subjects with MD with history of a suicide attempt and 1073 subjects with Major Depressive disorder that had never attempted suicide. Copy Number Variants (CNVs) were called in Birdsuite and analyzed in PLINK. We found a set of CNVs present in the suicide attempter group that were not present in in the non-attempter group including in SNTG2 and MACROD2 – two brain expressed genes previously linked to psychopathology; however, these results failed to reach genome-wide signifigance. Conclusions These data suggest potential CNVs to be investigated further in relation to suicide attempts in MD using large sample sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy H. Perlis
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Douglas Ruderfer
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Steven P. Hamilton
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Carl Ernst
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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361
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Lin PI, Chien YL, Wu YY, Chen CH, Gau SSF, Huang YS, Liu SK, Tsai WC, Chiu YN. The WNT2 gene polymorphism associated with speech delay inherent to autism. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2012; 33:1533-1540. [PMID: 22522212 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2012.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2012] [Revised: 03/02/2012] [Accepted: 03/02/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Previous evidence suggests that language function is modulated by genetic variants on chromosome 7q31-36. However, it is unclear whether this region harbors loci that contribute to speech delay in autism. We previously reported that the WNT2 gene located on 7q31 was associated with the risk of autism. Additionally, two other genes on 7q31-36, FOXP2 and the EN2 genes are also found to play a role in language impairment. Therefore, we hypothesize that the WNT2 gene, FOXP2 gene, and EN2 gene, may act in concert to influence language development in the same population. A total of 373 individuals diagnosed with autistic disorder were recruited in the current study. We selected 6 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the WNT2 gene, 3 tag SNPs in the FOXP2, and 3 tag SNPs in the EN2 genes, to study the effect of these genes on language development. Age of first phrase was treated as a quantitative trait. We used general linear model to assess the association between speech delay and these variants. The results show that rs2896218 in the WNT2 gene was moderately significantly associated with age of first phrase (permutation p = 0.0045). A three-locus haplotype in the WNT2 gene was significantly associated with age of first phrase (permutation p = 2 × 10(-4)). Furthermore, we detected an interaction effect on age of first phrase between a SNP rs2228946 in the WNT2 gene and another SNP rs6460013 in the EN2 gene (p = 0.0012). Therefore, the WNT2 gene may play a suggestive role in language development in autistic disorder. Additionally, the WNT2 gene and EN2 gene may act in concert to influence the language development in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping-I Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
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362
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Kohannim O, Hibar DP, Stein JL, Jahanshad N, Hua X, Rajagopalan P, Toga AW, Jack CR, Weiner MW, de Zubicaray GI, McMahon KL, Hansell NK, Martin NG, Wright MJ, Thompson PM. Discovery and Replication of Gene Influences on Brain Structure Using LASSO Regression. Front Neurosci 2012; 6:115. [PMID: 22888310 PMCID: PMC3412288 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2012.00115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2012] [Accepted: 07/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We implemented least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression to evaluate gene effects in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of brain images, using an MRI-derived temporal lobe volume measure from 729 subjects scanned as part of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Sparse groups of SNPs in individual genes were selected by LASSO, which identifies efficient sets of variants influencing the data. These SNPs were considered jointly when assessing their association with neuroimaging measures. We discovered 22 genes that passed genome-wide significance for influencing temporal lobe volume. This was a substantially greater number of significant genes compared to those found with standard, univariate GWAS. These top genes are all expressed in the brain and include genes previously related to brain function or neuropsychiatric disorders such as MACROD2, SORCS2, GRIN2B, MAGI2, NPAS3, CLSTN2, GABRG3, NRXN3, PRKAG2, GAS7, RBFOX1, ADARB2, CHD4, and CDH13. The top genes we identified with this method also displayed significant and widespread post hoc effects on voxelwise, tensor-based morphometry (TBM) maps of the temporal lobes. The most significantly associated gene was an autism susceptibility gene known as MACROD2. We were able to successfully replicate the effect of the MACROD2 gene in an independent cohort of 564 young, Australian healthy adult twins and siblings scanned with MRI (mean age: 23.8 ± 2.2 SD years). Our approach powerfully complements univariate techniques in detecting influences of genes on the living brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omid Kohannim
- Imaging Genetics Center at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of MedicineLos Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Derrek P. Hibar
- Imaging Genetics Center at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of MedicineLos Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jason L. Stein
- Imaging Genetics Center at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of MedicineLos Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of MedicineLos Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xue Hua
- Imaging Genetics Center at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of MedicineLos Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Priya Rajagopalan
- Imaging Genetics Center at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of MedicineLos Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Arthur W. Toga
- Imaging Genetics Center at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of MedicineLos Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Michael W. Weiner
- Department of Radiology, UC San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, UC San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical CenterSan Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Katie L. McMahon
- Center for Advanced Imaging, University of QueenslandBrisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Paul M. Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of MedicineLos Angeles, CA, USA
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363
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Taurines R, Schwenck C, Westerwald E, Sachse M, Siniatchkin M, Freitag C. ADHD and autism: differential diagnosis or overlapping traits? A selective review. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 4:115-39. [PMID: 22851255 DOI: 10.1007/s12402-012-0086-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2012] [Accepted: 06/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
According to DSM-IV TR and ICD-10, a diagnosis of autism or Asperger Syndrome precludes a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, despite the different conceptualization, population-based twin studies reported symptom overlap, and a recent epidemiologically based study reported a high rate of ADHD in autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In the planned revision of the DSM-IV TR, dsm5 (www.dsm5.org), the diagnoses of autistic disorder and ADHD will not be mutually exclusive any longer. This provides the basis of more differentiated studies on overlap and distinction between both disorders. This review presents data on comorbidity rates and symptom overlap and discusses common and disorder-specific risk factors, including recent proteomic studies. Neuropsychological findings in the areas of attention, reward processing, and social cognition are then compared between both disorders, as these cognitive abilities show overlapping as well as specific impairment for one of both disorders. In addition, selective brain imaging findings are reported. Therapeutic options are summarized, and new approaches are discussed. The review concludes with a prospectus on open questions for research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina Taurines
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Würzburg University, Würzburg, Germany
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364
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Kerin T, Ramanathan A, Rivas K, Grepo N, Coetzee GA, Campbell DB. A noncoding RNA antisense to moesin at 5p14.1 in autism. Sci Transl Med 2012; 4:128ra40. [PMID: 22491950 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3003479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are characterized by deficits in social interaction, language, and behavioral flexibility. Rare mutations and copy number variations have been identified in individuals with ASD, but in most patients, the causal variants remain unknown. A genome-wide association study (GWAS), designed to identify genes and pathways that contribute to ASD, indicated a genome-wide significant association of ASD with the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs4307059 (P = 10⁻¹⁰), which is located in a gene-poor region of chromosome 5p14.1. We describe here a 3.9-kb noncoding RNA that is transcribed from the region of the chromosome 5p14.1 ASD GWAS association SNP. The noncoding RNA was encoded by the opposite (antisense) strand of moesin pseudogene 1 (MSNP1), and we therefore designated it as MSNP1AS (moesin pseudogene 1, antisense). Chromosome 5p14.1 MSNP1AS was 94% identical and antisense to the X chromosome transcript of MSN, which encodes a protein (moesin) that regulates neuronal architecture. Individuals who carry the ASD-associated rs4307059 T allele showed increased expression of MSNP1AS. The MSNP1AS noncoding RNA bound to MSN, was highly overexpressed (12.7-fold) in postmortem cerebral cortex of individuals with ASD, and could regulate levels of moesin protein in human cell lines. These data reveal a biologically functional element that may contribute to ASD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Kerin
- Program in Biomedical and Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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365
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The association of rs4307059 and rs35678 markers with autism spectrum disorders is replicated in Italian families. Psychiatr Genet 2012; 22:177-81. [DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0b013e32835185c9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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366
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Abstract
Advances in genetics and genomics have improved our understanding of autism spectrum disorders. As many genes have been implicated, we look to points of convergence among these genes across biological systems to better understand and treat these disorders.
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367
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Abstract
Advances in genetics and genomics have improved our understanding of autism spectrum disorders. As many genes have been implicated, we look to points of convergence among these genes across biological systems to better understand and treat these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamee M Berg
- Program in Neuroscience IDP, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment and Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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368
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Omran A, Elimam D, Shalaby S, Peng J, Yin F. MicroRNAs: A Light into the “Black Box” of Neuropediatric Diseases? Neuromolecular Med 2012; 14:244-61. [DOI: 10.1007/s12017-012-8193-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2012] [Accepted: 07/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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369
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Sullivan PF, Daly MJ, O'Donovan M. Genetic architectures of psychiatric disorders: the emerging picture and its implications. Nat Rev Genet 2012; 13:537-51. [PMID: 22777127 PMCID: PMC4110909 DOI: 10.1038/nrg3240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 824] [Impact Index Per Article: 68.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders are among the most intractable enigmas in medicine. In the past 5 years, there has been unprecedented progress on the genetics of many of these conditions. In this Review, we discuss the genetics of nine cardinal psychiatric disorders (namely, Alzheimer's disease, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, alcohol dependence, anorexia nervosa, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, nicotine dependence and schizophrenia). Empirical approaches have yielded new hypotheses about aetiology and now provide data on the often debated genetic architectures of these conditions, which have implications for future research strategies. Further study using a balanced portfolio of methods to assess multiple forms of genetic variation is likely to yield many additional new findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick F Sullivan
- Departments of Genetics and Psychiatry, CB# 7264, 5097 Genomic Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-27264, USA.
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370
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Mondal K, Ramachandran D, Patel VC, Hagen KR, Bose P, Cutler DJ, Zwick ME. Excess variants in AFF2 detected by massively parallel sequencing of males with autism spectrum disorder. Hum Mol Genet 2012; 21:4356-64. [PMID: 22773736 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/dds267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous disorder with substantial heritability, most of which is unexplained. ASD has a population prevalence of one percent and affects four times as many males as females. Patients with fragile X E (FRAXE) intellectual disability, which is caused by a silencing of the X-linked gene AFF2, display a number of ASD-like phenotypes. Duplications and deletions at the AFF2 locus have also been reported in cases with moderate intellectual disability and ASD. We hypothesized that other rare X-linked sequence variants at the AFF2 locus might contribute to ASD. We sequenced the AFF2 genomic region in 202 male ASD probands and found that 2.5% of males sequenced had missense mutations at highly conserved evolutionary sites. When compared with the frequency of missense mutations in 5545 X chromosomes from unaffected controls, we saw a statistically significant enrichment in patients with ASD (OR: 4.9; P < 0.014). In addition, we identified rare AFF2 3' UTR variants at conserved sites which alter gene expression in a luciferase assay. These data suggest that rare variation in AFF2 may be a previously unrecognized ASD susceptibility locus and may help explain some of the male excess of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kajari Mondal
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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371
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Autism spectrum disorders. Transl Neurosci 2012. [DOI: 10.1017/cbo9780511980053.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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372
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Lesca G, Rudolf G, Labalme A, Hirsch E, Arzimanoglou A, Genton P, Motte J, de Saint Martin A, Valenti MP, Boulay C, De Bellescize J, Kéo-Kosal P, Boutry-Kryza N, Edery P, Sanlaville D, Szepetowski P. Epileptic encephalopathies of the Landau-Kleffner and continuous spike and waves during slow-wave sleep types: genomic dissection makes the link with autism. Epilepsia 2012; 53:1526-38. [PMID: 22738016 DOI: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2012.03559.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The continuous spike and waves during slow-wave sleep syndrome (CSWSS) and the Landau-Kleffner (LKS) syndrome are two rare epileptic encephalopathies sharing common clinical features including seizures and regression. Both CSWSS and LKS can be associated with the electroencephalography pattern of electrical status epilepticus during slow-wave sleep and are part of a clinical continuum that at its benign end also includes rolandic epilepsy (RE) with centrotemporal spikes. The CSWSS and LKS patients can also have behavioral manifestations that overlap the spectrum of autism disorders (ASD). An impairment of brain development and/or maturation with complex interplay between genetic predisposition and nongenetic factors has been suspected. A role for autoimmunity has been proposed but the pathophysiology of CSWSS and of LKS remains uncharacterized. METHODS In recent years, the participation of rare genomic alterations in the susceptibility to epileptic and autistic disorders has been demonstrated. The involvement of copy number variations (CNVs) in 61 CSWSS and LKS patients was questioned using comparative genomic hybridization assays coupled with validation by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). KEY FINDINGS Whereas the patients showed highly heterogeneous in genomic architecture, several potentially pathogenic alterations were detected. A large number of these corresponded to genomic regions or genes (ATP13A4, CDH9, CDH13, CNTNAP2, CTNNA3, DIAPH3, GRIN2A, MDGA2, SHANK3) that have been either associated with ASD for most of them, or involved in speech or language impairment, or in RE. Particularly, CNVs encoding cell adhesion proteins (cadherins, protocadherins, contactins, catenins) were detected with high frequency (≈20% of the patients) and significant enrichment (cell adhesion: p = 0.027; cell adhesion molecule binding: p = 9.27 × 10(-7)). SIGNIFICANCE Overall our data bring the first insights into the possible molecular pathophysiology of CSWSS and LKS. The overrepresentation of cell adhesion genes and the strong overlap with the genetic, genomic and molecular ASD networks, provide an exciting and unifying view on the clinical links among CSWSS, LKS, and ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetan Lesca
- Department of Constitutional Cytogenetics, Lyon Hospices Civils, Lyon, France
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Enriquez-Barreto L, Palazzetti C, Brennaman LH, Maness PF, Fairén A. Neural cell adhesion molecule, NCAM, regulates thalamocortical axon pathfinding and the organization of the cortical somatosensory representation in mouse. Front Mol Neurosci 2012; 5:76. [PMID: 22723769 PMCID: PMC3378950 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2012.00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Accepted: 06/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
To study the potential role of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) in the development of thalamocortical (TC) axon topography, wild type, and NCAM null mutant mice were analyzed for NCAM expression, projection, and targeting of TC afferents within the somatosensory area of the neocortex. Here we report that NCAM and its α-2,8-linked polysialic acid (PSA) are expressed in developing TC axons during projection to the neocortex. Pathfinding of TC axons in wild type and null mutant mice was mapped using anterograde DiI labeling. At embryonic day E16.5, null mutant mice displayed misguided TC axons in the dorsal telencephalon, but not in the ventral telencephalon, an intermediate target that initially sorts TC axons toward correct neocortical areas. During the early postnatal period, rostrolateral TC axons within the internal capsule along the ventral telencephalon adopted distorted trajectories in the ventral telencephalon and failed to reach the neocortex in NCAM null mutant animals. NCAM null mutants showed abnormal segregation of layer IV barrels in a restricted portion of the somatosensory cortex. As shown by Nissl and cytochrome oxidase staining, barrels of the anterolateral barrel subfield (ALBSF) and the most distal barrels of the posteromedial barrel subfield (PMBSF) did not segregate properly in null mutant mice. These results indicate a novel role for NCAM in axonal pathfinding and topographic sorting of TC axons, which may be important for the function of specific territories of sensory representation in the somatosensory cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Enriquez-Barreto
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Miguel Hernández San Juan de Alicante, Spain
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374
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Van der Aa N, Vandeweyer G, Reyniers E, Kenis S, Dom L, Mortier G, Rooms L, Kooy RF. Haploinsufficiency of CMIP in a girl with autism spectrum disorder and developmental delay due to a de novo deletion on chromosome 16q23.2. Autism Res 2012; 5:277-81. [PMID: 22689534 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2011] [Accepted: 05/15/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In a developmentally delayed girl with an autism spectrum disorder, Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array analysis showed a de novo 280 kb deletion on chromosome 16q23.2 involving two genes, GAN and CMIP. Inactivating mutations in GAN cause the autosomal recessive disorder giant axonal neuropathy, not present in our patient. CMIP was recently implicated in the etiology of specific language impairment by genome-wide association analysis. It modulates phonological short-term memory and hence plays an important role in language acquisition. Overlaps of specific language impairment and autism have been debated in the literature regarding the phenotypical language profile as well as etiology. Our patient illustrates that haploinsufficiency of CMIP may contribute to autism spectrum disorders. Our finding further supports the existence of a genetic overlap in the etiology of specific language impairment and autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Van der Aa
- Department of Medical Genetics, University and University Hospital of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
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375
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McAuley EZ, Scimone A, Tiwari Y, Agahi G, Mowry BJ, Holliday EG, Donald JA, Weickert CS, Mitchell PB, Schofield PR, Fullerton JM. Identification of sialyltransferase 8B as a generalized susceptibility gene for psychotic and mood disorders on chromosome 15q25-26. PLoS One 2012; 7:e38172. [PMID: 22693595 PMCID: PMC3364966 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0038172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2012] [Accepted: 05/01/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously identified a significant bipolar spectrum disorder linkage peak on 15q25-26 using 35 extended families with a broad clinical phenotype, including bipolar disorder (types I and II), recurrent unipolar depression and schizoaffective disorder. However, the specific gene(s) contributing to this signal had not been identified. By a fine mapping association study in an Australian case-control cohort (n = 385), we find that the sialyltransferase 8B (ST8SIA2) gene, coding for an enzyme that glycosylates proteins involved in neuronal plasticity which has previously shown association to both schizophrenia and autism, is associated with increased risk to bipolar spectrum disorder. Nominal single point association was observed with SNPs in ST8SIA2 (rs4586379, P = 0.0043; rs2168351, P = 0.0045), and a specific risk haplotype was identified (frequency: bipolar vs controls = 0.41 vs 0.31; χ(2) = 6.46, P = 0.011, OR = 1.47). Over-representation of the specific risk haplotype was also observed in an Australian schizophrenia case-control cohort (n = 256) (χ(2) = 8.41, P = 0.004, OR = 1.82). Using GWAS data from the NIMH bipolar disorder (n = 2055) and NIMH schizophrenia (n = 2550) cohorts, the equivalent haplotype was significantly over-represented in bipolar disorder (χ(2) = 5.91, P = 0.015, OR = 1.29), with the same direction of effect in schizophrenia, albeit non-significant (χ(2) = 2.3, P = 0.129, OR = 1.09). We demonstrate marked down-regulation of ST8SIA2 gene expression across human brain development and show a significant haplotype×diagnosis effect on ST8SIA2 mRNA levels in adult cortex (ANOVA: F(1,87) = 6.031, P = 0.016). These findings suggest that variation the ST8SIA2 gene is associated with increased risk to mental illness, acting to restrict neuronal plasticity and disrupt early neuronal network formation, rendering the developing and adult brain more vulnerable to secondary genetic or environmental insults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Z. McAuley
- Psychiatric Genetics, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anna Scimone
- Psychiatric Genetics, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Yash Tiwari
- Psychiatric Genetics, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Developmental Neurobiology, Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Giti Agahi
- Psychiatric Genetics, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bryan J. Mowry
- Genetics, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institue, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Elizabeth G. Holliday
- Genetics, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jennifer A. Donald
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Psychiatric Genetics, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Developmental Neurobiology, Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Phillip B. Mitchell
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Black Dog Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter R. Schofield
- Psychiatric Genetics, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Developmental Neurobiology, Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Janice M. Fullerton
- Psychiatric Genetics, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Developmental Neurobiology, Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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376
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Newbury AJ, Rosen GD. Genetic, morphometric, and behavioral factors linked to the midsagittal area of the corpus callosum. Front Genet 2012; 3:91. [PMID: 22666227 PMCID: PMC3364465 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2012.00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2012] [Accepted: 05/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The corpus callosum is the main commissure connecting left and right cerebral hemispheres, and varies widely in size. Differences in the midsagittal area of the corpus callosum (MSACC) have been associated with a number of cognitive and behavioral phenotypes, including obsessive-compulsive disorders, psychopathy, suicidal tendencies, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Although there is evidence to suggest that MSACC is heritable in normal human populations, there is surprisingly little evidence concerning the genetic modulation of this variation. Mice provide a potentially ideal tool to dissect the genetic modulation of MSACC. Here, we use a large genetic reference panel – the BXD recombinant inbred line – to dissect the natural variation of the MSACC. We estimated the MSACC in over 300 individuals from nearly 80 strains. We found a 4-fold difference in MSACC between individual mice, and a 2.5-fold difference among strains. MSACC is a highly heritable trait (h2 = 0.60), and we mapped a suggestive QTL to the distal portion of Chr 14. Using sequence data and neocortical expression databases, we were able to identify eight positional and plausible biological candidate genes within this interval. Finally, we found that MSACC correlated with behavioral traits associated with anxiety and attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J Newbury
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston, MA, USA
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377
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Davis LK, Gamazon ER, Kistner-Griffin E, Badner JA, Liu C, Cook EH, Sutcliffe JS, Cox NJ. Loci nominally associated with autism from genome-wide analysis show enrichment of brain expression quantitative trait loci but not lymphoblastoid cell line expression quantitative trait loci. Mol Autism 2012; 3:3. [PMID: 22591576 PMCID: PMC3484025 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-3-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2012] [Accepted: 03/22/2012] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder is a severe early onset neurodevelopmental disorder with high heritability but significant heterogeneity. Traditional genome-wide approaches to test for an association of common variants with autism susceptibility risk have met with limited success. However, novel methods to identify moderate risk alleles in attainable sample sizes are now gaining momentum. Methods In this study, we utilized publically available genome-wide association study data from the Autism Genome Project and annotated the results (P <0.001) for expression quantitative trait loci present in the parietal lobe (GSE35977), cerebellum (GSE35974) and lymphoblastoid cell lines (GSE7761). We then performed a test of enrichment by comparing these results to simulated data conditioned on minor allele frequency to generate an empirical P-value indicating statistically significant enrichment of expression quantitative trait loci in top results from the autism genome-wide association study. Results Our findings show a global enrichment of brain expression quantitative trait loci, but not lymphoblastoid cell line expression quantitative trait loci, among top single nucleotide polymorphisms from an autism genome-wide association study. Additionally, the data implicates individual genes SLC25A12, PANX1 and PANX2 as well as pathways previously implicated in autism. Conclusions These findings provide supportive rationale for the use of annotation-based approaches to genome-wide association studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea K Davis
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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378
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Altered balance of proteolytic isoforms of pro-brain-derived neurotrophic factor in autism. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2012; 71:289-97. [PMID: 22437340 DOI: 10.1097/nen.0b013e31824b27e4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Defects in synaptic development and plasticity may lead to autism. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a critical role in synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity. BDNF is synthesized as a precursor, pro-BDNF, which can be processed into either a truncated form or into mature BDNF. Previous studies reported increased BDNF-immunoreactive protein in autism, but the mechanism of this increase has not been investigated. We examined BDNF mRNA by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and BDNF protein by Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in postmortem fusiform gyrus tissue from 11 patients with autism and 14 controls. BDNF mRNA levels were not different in the autism versus control samples, but total BDNF-like immunoreactive protein, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, was greater in autism than in controls. Western blotting revealed greater pro-BDNF and less truncated BDNF in autism compared with controls. These data demonstrate that increased levels of BDNF-immunoreactive protein in autism are not transcriptionally driven. Increased pro-BDNF and reduced truncated BDNF are consistent with defective processing of pro-BDNF to its truncated form. Distortion of the balance among the 3 BDNF isoforms, each of which may exhibit different biological activities, could lead to changes in connectivity and synaptic plasticity and, hence, behavior. Thus, imbalance in proteolytic isoforms is a possible new mechanism for altered synaptic plasticity leading to autism.
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379
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Griswold AJ, Ma D, Cukier HN, Nations LD, Schmidt MA, Chung RH, Jaworski JM, Salyakina D, Konidari I, Whitehead PL, Wright HH, Abramson RK, Williams SM, Menon R, Martin ER, Haines JL, Gilbert JR, Cuccaro ML, Pericak-Vance MA. Evaluation of copy number variations reveals novel candidate genes in autism spectrum disorder-associated pathways. Hum Mol Genet 2012; 21:3513-23. [PMID: 22543975 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/dds164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are highly heritable, yet relatively few associated genetic loci have been replicated. Copy number variations (CNVs) have been implicated in autism; however, the majority of loci contribute to <1% of the disease population. Therefore, independent studies are important to refine associated CNV regions and discover novel susceptibility genes. In this study, a genome-wide SNP array was utilized for CNV detection by two distinct algorithms in a European ancestry case-control data set. We identify a significantly higher burden in the number and size of deletions, and disrupting more genes in ASD cases. Moreover, 18 deletions larger than 1 Mb were detected exclusively in cases, implicating novel regions at 2q22.1, 3p26.3, 4q12 and 14q23. Case-specific CNVs provided further evidence for pathways previously implicated in ASDs, revealing new candidate genes within the GABAergic signaling and neural development pathways. These include DBI, an allosteric binder of GABA receptors, GABARAPL1, the GABA receptor-associated protein, and SLC6A11, a postsynaptic GABA transporter. We also identified CNVs in COBL, deletions of which cause defects in neuronal cytoskeleton morphogenesis in model vertebrates, and DNER, a neuron-specific Notch ligand required for cerebellar development. Moreover, we found evidence of genetic overlap between ASDs and other neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric diseases. These genes include glutamate receptors (GRID1, GRIK2 and GRIK4), synaptic regulators (NRXN3, SLC6A8 and SYN3), transcription factor (ZNF804A) and RNA-binding protein FMR1. Taken together, these CNVs may be a few of the missing pieces of ASD heritability and lead to discovering novel etiological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Griswold
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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380
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Newschaffer CJ, Croen LA, Fallin MD, Hertz-Picciotto I, Nguyen DV, Lee NL, Berry CA, Farzadegan H, Hess HN, Landa RJ, Levy SE, Massolo ML, Meyerer SC, Mohammed SM, Oliver MC, Ozonoff S, Pandey J, Schroeder A, Shedd-Wise KM. Infant siblings and the investigation of autism risk factors. J Neurodev Disord 2012; 4:7. [PMID: 22958474 PMCID: PMC3436647 DOI: 10.1186/1866-1955-4-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2011] [Accepted: 04/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Infant sibling studies have been at the vanguard of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) research over the past decade, providing important new knowledge about the earliest emerging signs of ASD and expanding our understanding of the developmental course of this complex disorder. Studies focused on siblings of children with ASD also have unrealized potential for contributing to ASD etiologic research. Moving targeted time of enrollment back from infancy toward conception creates tremendous opportunities for optimally studying risk factors and risk biomarkers during the pre-, peri- and neonatal periods. By doing so, a traditional sibling study, which already incorporates close developmental follow-up of at-risk infants through the third year of life, is essentially reconfigured as an enriched-risk pregnancy cohort study. This review considers the enriched-risk pregnancy cohort approach of studying infant siblings in the context of current thinking on ASD etiologic mechanisms. It then discusses the key features of this approach and provides a description of the design and implementation strategy of one major ASD enriched-risk pregnancy cohort study: the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI).
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig J Newschaffer
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel School of Public Health, 1505 Race Street, Mail Stop 1033, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
| | - Lisa A Croen
- Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, 2000 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612, USA
| | - M Daniele Fallin
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Danh V Nguyen
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Nora L Lee
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel School of Public Health, 1505 Race Street, Mail Stop 1033, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA
| | - Carmen A Berry
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Homayoon Farzadegan
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - H Nicole Hess
- Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center, 6620 Via Del Oro, San Jose, CA 95119, USA
| | - Rebecca J Landa
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, 3901 Greenspring Avenue, 2nd Floor, Baltimore, MD 21211, USA
| | - Susan E Levy
- Center for Autism Research, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3535 Market Street, Suite 860, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Maria L Massolo
- Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, 2000 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612, USA
| | - Stacey C Meyerer
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Sandra M Mohammed
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - McKenzie C Oliver
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Sally Ozonoff
- The MIND Institute, UC Davis Medical Center, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Juhi Pandey
- Center for Autism Research, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3535 Market Street, Suite 860, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Adam Schroeder
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kristine M Shedd-Wise
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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381
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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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382
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Networks of neuronal genes affected by common and rare variants in autism spectrum disorders. PLoS Genet 2012; 8:e1002556. [PMID: 22412387 PMCID: PMC3297570 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2011] [Accepted: 01/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders with phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity. Recent studies have reported rare and de novo mutations in ASD, but the allelic architecture of ASD remains unclear. To assess the role of common and rare variations in ASD, we constructed a gene co-expression network based on a widespread survey of gene expression in the human brain. We identified modules associated with specific cell types and processes. By integrating known rare mutations and the results of an ASD genome-wide association study (GWAS), we identified two neuronal modules that are perturbed by both rare and common variations. These modules contain highly connected genes that are involved in synaptic and neuronal plasticity and that are expressed in areas associated with learning and memory and sensory perception. The enrichment of common risk variants was replicated in two additional samples which include both simplex and multiplex families. An analysis of the combined contribution of common variants in the neuronal modules revealed a polygenic component to the risk of ASD. The results of this study point toward contribution of minor and major perturbations in the two sub-networks of neuronal genes to ASD risk.
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383
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Edwards AC, Aliev F, Bierut LJ, Bucholz KK, Edenberg H, Hesselbrock V, Kramer J, Kuperman S, Nurnberger JI, Schuckit MA, Porjesz B, Dick DM. Genome-wide association study of comorbid depressive syndrome and alcohol dependence. Psychiatr Genet 2012; 22:31-41. [PMID: 22064162 PMCID: PMC3241912 DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0b013e32834acd07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Depression and alcohol dependence (AD) are common psychiatric disorders that often co-occur. Both disorders are genetically influenced, with heritability estimates in the range of 35-60%. In addition, evidence from twin studies suggests that AD and depression are genetically correlated. Herein, we report results from a genome-wide association study of a comorbid phenotype, in which cases meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV symptom threshold for major depressive symptomatology and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria for AD. METHODS Samples (N=467 cases and N=407 controls) were of European-American descent and were genotyped using the Illumina Human 1M BeadChip array. RESULTS Although no single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) meets genome-wide significance criteria, we identified 10 markers with P values less than 1 × 10(-5), seven of which are located in known genes, which have not been previously implicated in either disorder. Genes harboring SNPs yielding P values less than 1 × 10(-5) are functionally enriched for a number of gene ontology categories, notably several related to glutamatergic function. Investigation of expression localization using online resources suggests that these genes are expressed across a variety of tissues, including behaviorally relevant brain regions. Genes that have been previously associated with depression, AD, or other addiction-related phenotypes - such as CDH13, CSMD2, GRID1, and HTR1B - were implicated by nominally significant SNPs. Finally, the degree of overlap of significant SNPs between a comorbid phenotype and an AD-only phenotype is modest. CONCLUSION These results underscore the complex genomic influences on psychiatric phenotypes and suggest that a comorbid phenotype is partially influenced by genetic variants that do not affect AD alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis C Edwards
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0126, USA.
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384
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Brennaman LH, Zhang X, Guan H, Triplett JW, Brown A, Demyanenko GP, Manis PB, Landmesser L, Maness PF. Polysialylated NCAM and ephrinA/EphA regulate synaptic development of GABAergic interneurons in prefrontal cortex. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 23:162-77. [PMID: 22275477 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhr392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A novel function for the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) was identified in ephrinA/EphA-mediated repulsion as an important regulatory mechanism for development of GABAergic inhibitory synaptic connections in mouse prefrontal cortex. Deletion of NCAM, EphA3, or ephrinA2/3/5 in null mutant mice increased the numbers and size of perisomatic synapses between GABAergic basket interneurons and pyramidal cells in the developing cingulate cortex (layers II/III). A functional consequence of NCAM loss was increased amplitudes and faster kinetics of miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents in NCAM null cingulate cortex. NCAM and EphA3 formed a molecular complex and colocalized with the inhibitory presynaptic marker vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) in perisomatic puncta and neuropil in the cingulate cortex. EphrinA5 treatment promoted axon remodeling of enhanced green fluorescent protein-labeled basket interneurons in cortical slice cultures and induced growth cone collapse in wild-type but not NCAM null mutant neurons. NCAM modified with polysialic acid (PSA) was required to promote ephrinA5-induced axon remodeling of basket interneurons in cortical slices, likely by providing a permissive environment for ephrinA5/EphA3 signaling. These results reveal a new mechanism in which NCAM and ephrinAs/EphA3 coordinate to constrain GABAergic interneuronal arborization and perisomatic innervation, potentially contributing to excitatory/inhibitory balance in prefrontal cortical circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leann H Brennaman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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385
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Delahaye A, Bitoun P, Drunat S, Gérard-Blanluet M, Chassaing N, Toutain A, Verloes A, Gatelais F, Legendre M, Faivre L, Passemard S, Aboura A, Kaltenbach S, Quentin S, Dupont C, Tabet AC, Amselem S, Elion J, Gressens P, Pipiras E, Benzacken B. Genomic imbalances detected by array-CGH in patients with syndromal ocular developmental anomalies. Eur J Hum Genet 2012; 20:527-33. [PMID: 22234157 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2011.233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In 65 patients, who had unexplained ocular developmental anomalies (ODAs) with at least one other birth defect and/or intellectual disability, we performed oligonucleotide comparative genome hybridisation-based microarray analysis (array-CGH; 105A or 180K, Agilent Technologies). In four patients, array-CGH identified clinically relevant deletions encompassing a gene known to be involved in ocular development (FOXC1 or OTX2). In four other patients, we found three pathogenic deletions not classically associated with abnormal ocular morphogenesis, namely, del(17)(p13.3p13.3), del(10)(p14p15.3), and del(16)(p11.2p11.2). We also detected copy number variations of uncertain pathogenicity in two other patients. Rearranged segments ranged in size from 0.04 to 5.68 Mb. These results show that array-CGH provides a high diagnostic yield (15%) in patients with syndromal ODAs and can identify previously unknown chromosomal regions associated with these conditions. In addition to their importance for diagnosis and genetic counselling, these data may help identify genes involved in ocular development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrée Delahaye
- AP-HP, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Service d'Histologie, Embryologie, et Cytogénétique, Bondy, France.
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386
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Genetics and Epigenetics of Autism Spectrum Disorders. RESEARCH AND PERSPECTIVES IN NEUROSCIENCES 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-27913-3_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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387
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Abstract
Genomic and personalized medicine have become buzz phrases that pervade all fields of medicine. Rapid advances in "-omics" fields of research (chief of which are genomics, proteinomics, and epigenomics) over the last few years have allowed us to dissect the molecular signatures and functional pathways that underlie disease initiation and progression and to identify molecular profiles that help the classification of tumor subtypes and determine their natural course, prognosis, and responsiveness to therapies. Genomic medicine implements the use of traditional genetic information, as well as modern pangenomic information, with the aim of individualizing risk assessment, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancers and other diseases. It is of note that personalizing medical treatment based on genetic information is not the revolution of the 21st century. Indeed, the use of genetic information, such as human leukocyte antigen-matching for solid organ transplantation or blood transfusion based on ABO blood group antigens, has been standard of care for several decades. However, in recent years rapid technical advances have allowed us to perform high-throughput, high-density molecular analyses to depict the genomic, proteinomic, and epigenomic make-up of an individual at a reasonable cost. Hence, the so-called genomic revolution is more or less the logical evolution from years of bench-based research and bench-to-bedside translational medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Dammann
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
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388
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Abuhatzira L, Shamir A, Schones DE, Schäffer AA, Bustin M. The chromatin-binding protein HMGN1 regulates the expression of methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) and affects the behavior of mice. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:42051-42062. [PMID: 22009741 PMCID: PMC3234940 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.300541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2011] [Revised: 10/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
High mobility group N1 protein (HMGN1), a nucleosomal-binding protein that affects the structure and function of chromatin, is encoded by a gene located on chromosome 21 and is overexpressed in Down syndrome, one of the most prevalent genomic disorders. Misexpression of HMGN1 affects the cellular transcription profile; however, the biological function of this protein is still not fully understood. We report that HMGN1 modulates the expression of methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2), a DNA-binding protein known to affect neurological functions including autism spectrum disorders, and whose alterations in HMGN1 levels affect the behavior of mice. Quantitative PCR and Western analyses of cell lines and brain tissues from mice that either overexpress or lack HMGN1 indicate that HMGN1 is a negative regulator of MeCP2 expression. Alterations in HMGN1 levels lead to changes in chromatin structure and histone modifications in the MeCP2 promoter. Behavior analyses by open field test, elevated plus maze, Reciprocal Social Interaction, and automated sociability test link changes in HMGN1 levels to abnormalities in activity and anxiety and to social deficits in mice. Targeted analysis of the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange genotype collection reveals a non-random distribution of genotypes within 500 kbp of HMGN1 in a region affecting its expression in families predisposed to autism spectrum disorders. Our results reveal that HMGN1 affects the behavior of mice and suggest that epigenetic changes resulting from altered HMGN1 levels could play a role in the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liron Abuhatzira
- Protein Section, Laboratory of Metabolism, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | | | | | - Alejandro A Schäffer
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Michael Bustin
- Protein Section, Laboratory of Metabolism, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
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389
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Abstract
The role of the immune system in neuropsychiatric diseases, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has long been hypothesized. This hypothesis has mainly been supported by family cohort studies and the immunological abnormalities found in ASD patients, but had limited findings in genetic association testing. Two cross-disorder genetic association tests were performed on the genome-wide data sets of ASD and six autoimmune disorders. In the polygenic score test, we examined whether ASD risk alleles with low effect sizes work collectively in specific autoimmune disorders and show significant association statistics. In the genetic variation score test, we tested whether allele-specific associations between ASD and autoimmune disorders can be found using nominally significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms. In both tests, we found that ASD is probabilistically linked to ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Association coefficients showed that ASD and AS were positively associated, meaning that autism susceptibility alleles may have a similar collective effect in AS. The association coefficients were negative between ASD and MS. Significant associations between ASD and two autoimmune disorders were identified. This genetic association supports the idea that specific immunological abnormalities may underlie the etiology of autism, at least in a number of cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- J-Y Jung
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - I S Kohane
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Informatics Program, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,i2b2 National Center for Biomedical Computing, Boston, MA, USA
| | - D P Wall
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA,Division of Genomic Medicine, Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA,Center for Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, 10 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA. E-mail:
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390
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Liu X, Malenfant P, Reesor C, Lee A, Hudson ML, Harvard C, Qiao Y, Persico AM, Cohen IL, Chudley AE, Forster-Gibson C, Rajcan-Separovic E, Lewis MES, Holden JJA. 2p15-p16.1 microdeletion syndrome: molecular characterization and association of the OTX1 and XPO1 genes with autism spectrum disorders. Eur J Hum Genet 2011; 19:1264-70. [PMID: 21750575 PMCID: PMC3230356 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2011.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2010] [Revised: 04/27/2011] [Accepted: 04/29/2011] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Reports of unrelated individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and similar clinical features having overlapping de novo interstitial deletions at 2p15-p16.1 suggest that this region harbors a gene(s) important to the development of autism. We molecularly characterized two such deletions, selecting two genes in this region, exportin 1 (XPO1) and orthodenticle homolog 1 (OTX1) for association studies in three North American cohorts (Autism Spectrum Disorder - Canadian American Research Consortium (ASD-CARC), New York, and Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE)) and one Italian cohort (Società Italiana per la Ricerca e la Formazione sull'Autismo (SIRFA)) of families with ASD. In XPO1, rs6735330 was associated with autism in all four cohorts (P<0.05), being significant in ASD-CARC cohorts (P-value following false discovery rate correction for multiple testing (P(FDR))=1.29 × 10(-5)), the AGRE cohort (P(FDR)=0.0011) and the combined families (P(FDR)=2.34 × 10(-9)). Similarly, in OTX1, rs2018650 and rs13000344 were associated with autism in ASD-CARC cohorts (P(FDR)=8.65 × 10(-7) and 6.07 × 10(5), respectively), AGRE cohort (P(FDR)=0.0034 and 0.015, respectively) and the combined families (P(FDR)=2.34 × 10(-9) and 0.00017, respectively); associations were marginal or insignificant in the New York and SIRFA cohorts. A significant association (P(FDR)=2.63 × 10(-11)) was found for the rs2018650G-rs13000344C haplotype. The above three SNPs were associated with severity of social interaction and verbal communication deficits and repetitive behaviors (P-values <0.01). No additional deletions were identified following screening of 798 ASD individuals. Our results indicate that deletion 2p15-p16.1 is not commonly associated with idiopathic ASD, but represents a novel contiguous gene syndrome associated with a constellation of phenotypic features (autism, intellectual disability, craniofacial/CNS dysmorphology), and that XPO1 and OXT1 may contribute to ASD in 2p15-p16.1 deletion cases and non-deletion cases of ASD mapping to this chromosome region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xudong Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Autism Research Program and Genetics and Genomics Research Laboratory, Ongwanada Resource Centre, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Autism Spectrum Disorders – Canadian-American Research Consortium
| | - Patrick Malenfant
- Autism Research Program and Genetics and Genomics Research Laboratory, Ongwanada Resource Centre, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Autism Spectrum Disorders – Canadian-American Research Consortium
- Department of Physiology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chelsea Reesor
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Autism Research Program and Genetics and Genomics Research Laboratory, Ongwanada Resource Centre, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Autism Spectrum Disorders – Canadian-American Research Consortium
| | - Alana Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Autism Research Program and Genetics and Genomics Research Laboratory, Ongwanada Resource Centre, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Autism Spectrum Disorders – Canadian-American Research Consortium
| | - Melissa L Hudson
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Autism Research Program and Genetics and Genomics Research Laboratory, Ongwanada Resource Centre, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Autism Spectrum Disorders – Canadian-American Research Consortium
| | - Chansonette Harvard
- Department of Pathology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ying Qiao
- Autism Spectrum Disorders – Canadian-American Research Consortium
- Department of Pathology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia and BC Child and Family Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Antonio M Persico
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS ‘Fondazione Santa Lucia', Rome, Italy
| | - Ira L Cohen
- Autism Spectrum Disorders – Canadian-American Research Consortium
- Department of Psychology and George A. Jervis Clinic, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Albert E Chudley
- Autism Spectrum Disorders – Canadian-American Research Consortium
- WRHA Program in Genetics & Metabolism, Departments of Pediatrics and Child Health, Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Cynthia Forster-Gibson
- Autism Spectrum Disorders – Canadian-American Research Consortium
- Department of Family Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Evica Rajcan-Separovic
- Autism Spectrum Disorders – Canadian-American Research Consortium
- Department of Pathology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - ME Suzanne Lewis
- Autism Spectrum Disorders – Canadian-American Research Consortium
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia and BC Child and Family Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jeanette JA Holden
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Autism Research Program and Genetics and Genomics Research Laboratory, Ongwanada Resource Centre, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Autism Spectrum Disorders – Canadian-American Research Consortium
- Department of Physiology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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391
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Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are important neuropsychiatric disorders, currently estimated to affect approximately 1% of children, with considerable emotional and financial costs. Significant collaborative effort has been made over the last 15 years in an attempt to unravel the genetic mechanisms underlying these conditions. This has led to important discoveries, both of the roles of specific genes, as well as larger scale chromosomal copy number changes. Here, we summarize some of the latest genetic findings in the field of ASD and attempt to link them with the results of pathophysiological studies to provide an overall picture of at least one of the mechanisms by which ASD may develop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Holt
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, UK
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392
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Mitchell KJ, Huang ZJ, Moghaddam B, Sawa A. Following the genes: a framework for animal modeling of psychiatric disorders. BMC Biol 2011; 9:76. [PMID: 22078115 PMCID: PMC3214139 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-9-76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2011] [Accepted: 11/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of individual cases of psychiatric disorders that can be ascribed to identified, rare, single mutations is increasing with great rapidity. Such mutations can be recapitulated in mice to generate animal models with direct etiological validity. Defining the underlying pathogenic mechanisms will require an experimental and theoretical framework to make the links from mutation to altered behavior in an animal or psychopathology in a human. Here, we discuss key elements of such a framework, including cell type-based phenotyping, developmental trajectories, linking circuit properties at micro and macro scales and definition of neurobiological phenotypes that are directly translatable to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J Mitchell
- Smurfit Institute of Genetics and Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Z Josh Huang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Bita Moghaddam
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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393
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Chung RH, Ma D, Wang K, Hedges DJ, Jaworski JM, Gilbert JR, Cuccaro ML, Wright HH, Abramson RK, Konidari I, Whitehead PL, Schellenberg GD, Hakonarson H, Haines JL, Pericak-Vance MA, Martin ER. An X chromosome-wide association study in autism families identifies TBL1X as a novel autism spectrum disorder candidate gene in males. Mol Autism 2011; 2:18. [PMID: 22050706 PMCID: PMC3305893 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-2-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2011] [Accepted: 11/04/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with a strong genetic component. The skewed prevalence toward males and evidence suggestive of linkage to the X chromosome in some studies suggest the presence of X-linked susceptibility genes in people with ASD. METHODS We analyzed genome-wide association study (GWAS) data on the X chromosome in three independent autism GWAS data sets: two family data sets and one case-control data set. We performed meta- and joint analyses on the combined family and case-control data sets. In addition to the meta- and joint analyses, we performed replication analysis by using the two family data sets as a discovery data set and the case-control data set as a validation data set. RESULTS One SNP, rs17321050, in the transducin β-like 1X-linked (TBL1X) gene [OMIM:300196] showed chromosome-wide significance in the meta-analysis (P value = 4.86 × 10-6) and joint analysis (P value = 4.53 × 10-6) in males. The SNP was also close to the replication threshold of 0.0025 in the discovery data set (P = 5.89 × 10-3) and passed the replication threshold in the validation data set (P = 2.56 × 10-4). Two other SNPs in the same gene in linkage disequilibrium with rs17321050 also showed significance close to the chromosome-wide threshold in the meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS TBL1X is in the Wnt signaling pathway, which has previously been implicated as having a role in autism. Deletions in the Xp22.2 to Xp22.3 region containing TBL1X and surrounding genes are associated with several genetic syndromes that include intellectual disability and autistic features. Our results, based on meta-analysis, joint analysis and replication analysis, suggest that TBL1X may play a role in ASD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Hua Chung
- Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, PO Box 019132 (M-860), Miami, FL 33101, USA.
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394
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Carayol J, Sacco R, Tores F, Rousseau F, Lewin P, Hager J, Persico AM. Converging evidence for an association of ATP2B2 allelic variants with autism in male subjects. Biol Psychiatry 2011; 70:880-7. [PMID: 21757185 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2010] [Revised: 03/16/2011] [Accepted: 05/08/2011] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism is a severe developmental disorder, with strong genetic underpinnings. Previous genome-wide scans unveiled a linkage region spanning 3.5 Mb, located on human chromosome 3p25. This region encompasses the ATP2B2 gene, encoding the plasma membrane calcium-transporting ATPase 2 (PMCA2), which extrudes calcium (Ca2+) from the cytosol into the extracellular space. Multiple lines of evidence support excessive intracellular Ca2+ signaling in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), making ATP2B2 an attractive candidate gene. METHODS We performed a family-based association study in an exploratory sample of 277 autism genetic resource exchange families and in a replication sample including 406 families primarily recruited in Italy. RESULTS Several markers were significantly associated with ASD in the exploratory sample, and the same risk alleles at single nucleotide polymorphisms rs3774180, rs2278556, and rs241509 were found associated with ASD in the replication sample after correction for multiple testing. In both samples, the association was present in male subjects only. Markers associated with autism are all comprised within a single block of strong linkage disequilibrium spanning several exons, and the "risk" allele seems to follow a recessive mode of transmission. CONCLUSIONS These results provide converging evidence for an association between ATP2B2 gene variants and autism in male subjects, spurring interest into the identification of functional variants, most likely involved in the homeostasis of Ca2+ signaling. Additional support comes from a recent genome-wide association study by the Autism Genome Project, which highlights the same linkage disequilibrium region of the gene.
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395
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Abstract
Recent advances in the genetics of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are offering new valuable insights into molecular and cellular mechanisms of pathology. At the same time, the emerging data challenge long-standing diagnostic conventions and the notion of phenotypic specificity. This review addresses the particular issues that attend gene discovery in neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders and ASDs in particular, summarizes recent findings in human genetics broadly that are driving the reevaluation of the conventional wisdom regarding the allelic architecture of common psychiatric conditions, reviews selected discoveries in ASDs and their relevance to models of pathology, highlights the conceptual and practical issues raised by the observation of a convergence of ASD genetic risks with distinct psychiatric disorders, and considers the important interplay of studies of neurobiology and genetics in clarifying and extending our understanding of social disability syndromes.
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396
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Carayol J, Schellenberg GD, Dombroski B, Genin E, Rousseau F, Dawson G. Autism risk assessment in siblings of affected children using sex-specific genetic scores. Mol Autism 2011; 2:17. [PMID: 22017886 PMCID: PMC3214848 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-2-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2011] [Accepted: 10/21/2011] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The inheritance pattern in most cases of autism is complex. The risk of autism is increased in siblings of children with autism and previous studies have indicated that the level of risk can be further identified by the accumulation of multiple susceptibility single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) allowing for the identification of a higher-risk subgroup among siblings. As a result of the sex difference in the prevalence of autism, we explored the potential for identifying sex-specific autism susceptibility SNPs in siblings of children with autism and the ability to develop a sex-specific risk assessment genetic scoring system. Methods SNPs were chosen from genes known to be associated with autism. These markers were evaluated using an exploratory sample of 480 families from the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) repository. A reproducibility index (RI) was proposed and calculated in all children with autism and in males and females separately. Differing genetic scoring models were then constructed to develop a sex-specific genetic score model designed to identify individuals with a higher risk of autism. The ability of the genetic scores to identify high-risk children was then evaluated and replicated in an independent sample of 351 affected and 90 unaffected siblings from families with at least 1 child with autism. Results We identified three risk SNPs that had a high RI in males, two SNPs with a high RI in females, and three SNPs with a high RI in both sexes. Using these results, genetic scoring models for males and females were developed which demonstrated a significant association with autism (P = 2.2 × 10-6 and 1.9 × 10-5, respectively). Conclusions Our results demonstrate that individual susceptibility associated SNPs for autism may have important differential sex effects. We also show that a sex-specific risk score based on the presence of multiple susceptibility associated SNPs allow for the identification of subgroups of siblings of children with autism who have a significantly higher risk of autism.
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397
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Autistic traits below the clinical threshold: re-examining the broader autism phenotype in the 21st century. Neuropsychol Rev 2011; 21:360-89. [PMID: 21989834 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-011-9183-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2011] [Accepted: 09/26/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Diagnosis, intervention and support for people with autism can be assisted by research into the aetiology of the condition. Twin and family studies indicate that autism spectrum conditions are highly heritable; genetic relatives of people with autism often show milder expression of traits characteristic for autism, referred to as the Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP). In the past decade, advances in the biological and behavioural sciences have facilitated a more thorough examination of the BAP from multiple levels of analysis. Here, the candidate phenotypic traits delineating the BAP are summarised, including key findings from neuroimaging studies examining the neural substrates of the BAP. We conclude by reviewing the value of further research into the BAP, with an emphasis on deriving heritable endophenotypes which will reliably index autism susceptibility and offer neurodevelopmental mechanisms that bridge the gap between genes and a clinical autism diagnosis.
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398
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Dosage-dependent phenotypes in models of 16p11.2 lesions found in autism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:17076-81. [PMID: 21969575 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1114042108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recurrent copy number variations (CNVs) of human 16p11.2 have been associated with a variety of developmental/neurocognitive syndromes. In particular, deletion of 16p11.2 is found in patients with autism, developmental delay, and obesity. Patients with deletions or duplications have a wide range of clinical features, and siblings carrying the same deletion often have diverse symptoms. To study the consequence of 16p11.2 CNVs in a systematic manner, we used chromosome engineering to generate mice harboring deletion of the chromosomal region corresponding to 16p11.2, as well as mice harboring the reciprocal duplication. These 16p11.2 CNV models have dosage-dependent changes in gene expression, viability, brain architecture, and behavior. For each phenotype, the consequence of the deletion is more severe than that of the duplication. Of particular note is that half of the 16p11.2 deletion mice die postnatally; those that survive to adulthood are healthy and fertile, but have alterations in the hypothalamus and exhibit a "behavior trap" phenotype-a specific behavior characteristic of rodents with lateral hypothalamic and nigrostriatal lesions. These findings indicate that 16p11.2 CNVs cause brain and behavioral anomalies, providing insight into human neurodevelopmental disorders.
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399
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Sgadò P, Dunleavy M, Genovesi S, Provenzano G, Bozzi Y. The role of GABAergic system in neurodevelopmental disorders: a focus on autism and epilepsy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2011; 3:223-235. [PMID: 21941613 PMCID: PMC3175748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2011] [Accepted: 09/05/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and epilepsy are very common neurological disorders of childhood, with an estimated incidence of about 0.5 - 1 % in worldwide population. ASD and epilepsy are often associated, suggesting that common neurodevelopmental bases may exist for these two disorders. The neurodevelopmental bases of both ASD and epilepsy have been clearly showed by a number of genetic, neuroimaging and neuropathological studies. In recent years, dysfunction of inhibitory GABAergic circuits has been proposed as a cause for both disorders. Several studies performed on both animal models and postmortem human samples indicate that GABAergic neurons and circuits are altered in both ASD and epilepsy, suggesting that the excitation/inhibition imbalance resulting from neurodevelopmental defects in GABAergic circuitry might represent a common pathogenetic mechanism for these disorders. Here, we will review the most significant studies supporting this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Sgadò
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of TrentoItaly
| | - Mark Dunleavy
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of TrentoItaly
- Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Royal College of Surgeons in IrelandDublin, Ireland
| | - Sacha Genovesi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of TrentoItaly
| | - Giovanni Provenzano
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of TrentoItaly
| | - Yuri Bozzi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Centre for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of TrentoItaly
- CNR Neuroscience InstitutePisa, Italy
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In search of biomarkers for autism: scientific, social and ethical challenges. Nat Rev Neurosci 2011; 12:603-12. [DOI: 10.1038/nrn3113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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