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Gandhi T, Canepa CR, Adeyelu TT, Adeniyi PA, Lee CC. Neuroanatomical Alterations in the CNTNAP2 Mouse Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Brain Sci 2023; 13:891. [PMID: 37371370 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13060891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with neurodevelopmental alterations, including atypical forebrain cellular organization. Mutations in several ASD-related genes often result in cerebral cortical anomalies, such as the abnormal developmental migration of excitatory pyramidal cells and the malformation of inhibitory neuronal circuitry. Notably here, mutations in the CNTNAP2 gene result in ectopic superficial cortical neurons stalled in lower cortical layers and alterations to the balance of cortical excitation and inhibition. However, the broader circuit-level implications of these findings have not been previously investigated. Therefore, we assessed whether ectopic cortical neurons in CNTNAP2 mutant mice form aberrant connections with higher-order thalamic nuclei, potentially accounting for some autistic behaviors, such as repetitive and hyperactive behaviors. Furthermore, we assessed whether the development of parvalbumin-positive (PV) cortical interneurons and their specialized matrix support structures, called perineuronal nets (PNNs), were altered in these mutant mice. We found alterations in both ectopic neuronal connectivity and in the development of PNNs, PV neurons and PNNs enwrapping PV neurons in various sensory cortical regions and at different postnatal ages in the CNTNAP2 mutant mice, which likely lead to some of the cortical excitation/inhibition (E/I) imbalance associated with ASD. These findings suggest neuroanatomical alterations in cortical regions that underlie the emergence of ASD-related behaviors in this mouse model of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Gandhi
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, USA
| | - Cade R Canepa
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, USA
| | - Tolulope T Adeyelu
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, USA
| | - Philip A Adeniyi
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, USA
| | - Charles C Lee
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, USA
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Haghighatfard A, Yaghoubi asl E, Bahadori RA, Aliabadian R, Farhadi M, Mohammadpour F, Tabrizi Z. FOXP2 down expression is associated with executive dysfunctions and electrophysiological abnormalities of brain in Autism spectrum disorder; a neuroimaging genetic study. AUTISM & DEVELOPMENTAL LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS 2022; 7:23969415221126391. [PMID: 36382065 PMCID: PMC9620679 DOI: 10.1177/23969415221126391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by language impairment, and challenges with social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Although genetics are a primary cause of ASD, the exact genes and molecular mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis are not completely clear. The FOXP2 gene encodes a transcription factor that is known for its major role in language development and severe speech problems. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of FOXP2 in ASD etiology, executive functions, and brain activities. METHODS In the present study, we recruited 450 children with ASD and 490 neurotypical control children. Three domains of executive functions (working memory, response inhibition, and vigilance) were assessed. In addition, five-minute eyes closed electroencephalography was obtained from some of the children with ASD and neurotypical children. DNA sequence and expression level of FOXP2 in blood samples of children with ASD and the control group were evaluated by using sequencing and Real-time PCR, respectively. RESULTS The results showed no mutations but a significant down expression of FOXP2 genes in children with ASD vs. neurotypical children. Several cognitive and executive function deficiencies were detected in children with ASD. Low alpha and gamma bands in the frontal lobe and high theta bands in the occipital lobe were revealed in children with ASD. We also found several correlations between FOXP2 expression levels and clinical assessments. CONCLUSIONS Our finding revealed the down expression of FOXP2, which could be considered as a biomarker for ASD as well as cognitive and executive dysfunction. Based on brain mapping data, FOXP2 may be related to the theta wave abnormality of children with ASD. FOXP2 may be considered a target of novel treatment to improve memory and executive functions. IMPLICATIONS Our findings highlight the role of FOXP2 mRNA level in ASD etiology, executive functions, and brain wave frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvin Haghighatfard
- Arvin Haghighatfard, Department of Biology,
North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Elham Yaghoubi asl
- Department of neuroscience, Iran University of medical
sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Rojina Aliabadian
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced
Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad
University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Farhadi
- Department of biology, science and research
Branch, Islamic Azad
University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Mohammadpour
- Neuroimaging genetic laboratory, Arvin Gene
Company, Tehran, Iran
- Department of biology, university of
Guilan, Rasht, Iran
| | - Zeinab Tabrizi
- Neuroimaging genetic laboratory, Arvin Gene
Company, Tehran, Iran
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Scrutinizing the molecular, biochemical, and cytogenetic attributes in subjects with Rett syndrome (RTT) and their mothers. Epilepsy Behav 2020; 111:107277. [PMID: 32653844 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Rett syndrome (RTT) is a stern dominant progressive neurological development disorder linked with X chromosome ranking second for mental slowdown, exclusively in females after few months of birth with normal development and growth period. Genetically any defects in universally expressed methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) transcription regulator gene are considered as radix for RTT in almost all the previous studies. Our study mainly focuses in unraveling the genetic alterations like identifying MeCP2 gene polymorphisms, chromosomal abnormalities, or X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) as underlying cause of RTT in prototypes sorted through Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Text Revised (DSM IV). In addition, we have examined the probable surrogates of brain function disabilities like serotonin, homocysteine (Hcy), calcium, potassium, and lead from blood in both RTT porotypes and their mothers. In our investigation, we have observed varied amino acid substitution of MeCP2 and varied frequency of skewed XCI in RTT prototype. Our study validates that the demonstration of chromosomal analysis, biochemical analysis, and genomic observations helps in concluding RTT condition and can be helpful in providing appropriate treatment and counseling as well as improve the currently available protocol of diagnosis.
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Tseng PT, Cheng YS, Chen YW, Stubbs B, Whiteley P, Carvalho AF, Li DJ, Chen TY, Yang WC, Tang CH, Chu CS, Yang WC, Liang HY, Wu CK, Yen CF, Lin PY. Peripheral iron levels in children with autism spectrum disorders vs controls: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The rising prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased the need for evidence-based treatments to lessen the impact of symptoms. Presently, no therapies are available to effectively treat individuals with all of the symptoms of this disorder. It has been suggested that hyperbaric oxygen therapy may alleviate the biochemical dysfunction and clinical symptoms of ASD. OBJECTIVES To determine whether treatment with hyperbaric oxygen:1. improves core symptoms of ASD, including social communication problems and stereotypical and repetitive behaviors;2. improves noncore symptoms of ASD, such as challenging behaviors;3. improves comorbid states, such as depression and anxiety; and4. causes adverse effects. SEARCH METHODS On 10 December 2015, we searched CENTRAL, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and 15 other databases, four of which were Chinese language databases. We also searched multiple trial and research registers. SELECTION CRITERIA We selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs of any dose, duration, and frequency for hyperbaric oxygen therapy compared with no treatment or sham treatment for children and adults with ASD. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We used standard methodological procedures expected by The Cochrane Collaboration, in that three review authors independently selected studies, assessed them for risk of bias, and extracted relevant data. We also assessed the quality of the evidence by using the GRADE approach. MAIN RESULTS We included one trial with a total of 60 children with a diagnosis of ASD who randomly received hyperbaric oxygen therapy or a sham treatment. Using GRADE criteria, we rated the quality of the evidence as low because of the small sample size and wide confidence intervals (CIs). Other problems included selection bias and short duration or follow-up.Overall, study authors reported no improvement in social interaction and communication, behavioral problems, communication and linguistic abilities, or cognitive function. With regard to the safety of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (adverse events), they reported minor-grade ear barotrauma events. Investigators found significant differences between groups in total number of side effect events (Peto odds ratio (OR) 3.87, 95% CI 1.53 to 9.82) and in the number of children who experienced side effects (Peto OR 4.40, 95% CI 1.33 to 14.48). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS To date, there is no evidence that hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves core symptoms and associated symptoms of ASD. It is important to note that adverse effects (minor-grade ear barotrauma events) can occur. Given the absence of evidence of effectiveness and the limited biological plausibility and possible adverse effects, the need for future RCTs of hyperbaric oxygen therapy must be carefully considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Xiong
- West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan UniversityDepartment of PediatricsNo. 17, Section Three, Ren Min Nan Lu AvenueChengduSichuanChina610041
- Ministry of EducationKey Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Hongju Chen
- West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan UniversityDepartment of PediatricsNo. 17, Section Three, Ren Min Nan Lu AvenueChengduSichuanChina610041
- Ministry of EducationKey Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Rong Luo
- West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan UniversityDepartment of PediatricsNo. 17, Section Three, Ren Min Nan Lu AvenueChengduSichuanChina610041
- Ministry of EducationKey Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Dezhi Mu
- West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan UniversityDepartment of PediatricsNo. 17, Section Three, Ren Min Nan Lu AvenueChengduSichuanChina610041
- Ministry of EducationKey Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
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Gallese V, Gernsbacher MA, Heyes C, Hickok G, Iacoboni M. Mirror Neuron Forum. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2015; 6:369-407. [PMID: 25520744 DOI: 10.1177/1745691611413392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vittorio Gallese
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, and Italian Institute of Technology Brain Center for Social and Motor Cognition, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Cecilia Heyes
- All Souls College and Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Gregory Hickok
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine
| | - Marco Iacoboni
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Social Behavior, Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
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Abstract
There is now substantial evidence that autistic-like traits in the general population lie on a continuum, with clinical autism spectrum disorders (ASD) representing the extreme end of this distribution. In this study, we sought to evaluate five independently identified genetic associations with ASD with autistic-like traits in the general population. In the study cohort, clinical phenotype and genomewide association genotype data were obtained from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. The outcome measure used was the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), a quantitative measure of autistic-like traits of individuals in the cohort. Total AQ scores were calculated for each individual, as well as scores for three subscales. Five candidate single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) associations with ASD, reported in previously published genomewide association studies, were selected using a nominal cutoff value of P less than 1.0×10. We tested whether these five SNPs were associated with total AQ and the subscales, after adjustment for possible confounders. SNP rs4141463 located in the macro domain containing 2 (MACROD2) gene was significantly associated with the Communication/Mindreading subscale. No other SNP was significantly associated with total AQ or the subscales. The MACROD2 gene is a strong positional candidate risk factor for autistic-like traits in the general population.
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The oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) is associated with autism spectrum disorder: a meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry 2015; 20:640-6. [PMID: 25092245 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2014.77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2013] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) has been studied as a risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) owing to converging evidence from multiple levels of analysis that oxytocin (OXT) has an important role in the regulation of affiliative behavior and social bonding in both nonhuman mammals and humans. Inconsistency in the effect sizes of the OXTR variants included in association studies render it unclear whether OXTR is truly associated with ASD, and, if so, which OXTR single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated. Thus, a meta-analytic review of extant studies is needed to determine whether OXTR shows association with ASD, and to elucidate which specific SNPs have a significant effect on ASD. The current meta-analysis of 16 OXTR SNPs included 3941 individuals with ASD from 11 independent samples, although analyses of each individual SNP included a subset of this total. We found significant associations between ASD and the SNPs rs7632287, rs237887, rs2268491 and rs2254298. OXTR was also significantly associated with ASD in a gene-based test. The current meta-analysis is the largest and most comprehensive investigation of the association of OXTR with ASD and the findings suggest directions for future studies of the etiology of ASD.
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Latkowski T, Osowski S. Computerized system for recognition of autism on the basis of gene expression microarray data. Comput Biol Med 2014; 56:82-8. [PMID: 25464350 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2014.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Revised: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 11/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to provide a means to recognize a case of autism using gene expression microarrays. The crucial task is to discover the most important genes which are strictly associated with autism. The paper presents an application of different methods of gene selection, to select the most representative input attributes for an ensemble of classifiers. The set of classifiers is responsible for distinguishing autism data from the reference class. Simultaneous application of a few gene selection methods enables analysis of the ill-conditioned gene expression matrix from different points of view. The results of selection combined with a genetic algorithm and SVM classifier have shown increased accuracy of autism recognition. Early recognition of autism is extremely important for treatment of children and increases the probability of their recovery and return to normal social communication. The results of this research can find practical application in early recognition of autism on the basis of gene expression microarray analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Latkowski
- Military University of Technology, Institute of Electronic Systems, Warsaw, Kaliskiego 2, Poland.
| | - Stanislaw Osowski
- Military University of Technology, Institute of Electronic Systems, Warsaw, Kaliskiego 2, Poland; Warsaw University of Technology, Institute of the Theory of Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Information Systems, Warsaw, Koszykowa 75, Poland.
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Nijmeijer JS, Arias-Vásquez A, Rommelse NNJ, Altink ME, Buschgens CJM, Fliers EA, Franke B, Minderaa RB, Sergeant JA, Buitelaar JK, Hoekstra PJ, Hartman CA. Quantitative Linkage for Autism Spectrum Disorders Symptoms in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Significant Locus on Chromosome 7q11. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 44:1671-80. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2039-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Starling
- 1The Walker Unit, Concord Centre for Mental Health, Concord West, Australia
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13
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Rose'meyer R. A review of the serotonin transporter and prenatal cortisol in the development of autism spectrum disorders. Mol Autism 2013; 4:37. [PMID: 24103554 PMCID: PMC3852299 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-4-37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2013] [Accepted: 09/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during early childhood has a profound effect not only on young children but on their families. Aside from the physical and behavioural issues that need to be dealt with, there are significant emotional and financial costs associated with living with someone diagnosed with ASD. Understanding how autism occurs will assist in preparing families to deal with ASD, if not preventing or lessening its occurrence. Serotonin plays a vital role in the development of the brain during the prenatal and postnatal periods, yet very little is known about the serotonergic systems that affect children with ASD. This review seeks to provide an understanding of the biochemistry and physiological actions of serotonin and its termination of action through the serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT). Epidemiological studies investigating prenatal conditions that can increase the risk of ASD describe a number of factors which elevate plasma cortisol levels causing such symptoms during pregnancy such as hypertension, gestational diabetes and depression. Because cortisol plays an important role in driving dysregulation of serotonergic signalling through elevating SERT production in the developing brain, it is also necessary to investigate the physiological functions of cortisol, its action during gestation and metabolic syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roselyn Rose'meyer
- School of Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Parklands Drive, Southport, Queensland 4222, Australia.
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Saxena V, Ramdas S, Ochoa CR, Wallace D, Bhide P, Kohane I. Structural, genetic, and functional signatures of disordered neuro-immunological development in autism spectrum disorder. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48835. [PMID: 23239965 PMCID: PMC3514226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2010] [Accepted: 10/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Numerous linkage studies have been performed in pedigrees of Autism Spectrum Disorders, and these studies point to diverse loci and etiologies of autism in different pedigrees. The underlying pattern may be identified by an integrative approach, especially since ASD is a complex disorder manifested through many loci. Method Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was studied through two different and independent genome-scale measurement modalities. We analyzed the results of copy number variation in autism and triangulated these with linkage studies. Results Consistently across both genome-scale measurements, the same two molecular themes emerged: immune/chemokine pathways and developmental pathways. Conclusion Linkage studies in aggregate do indeed share a thematic consistency, one which structural analyses recapitulate with high significance. These results also show for the first time that genomic profiling of pathways using a recombination distance metric can capture pathways that are consistent with those obtained from copy number variations (CNV).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Saxena
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States of America.
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Genetic Basis and Neural Mechanism of Autism Spectrum Disorder*. PROG BIOCHEM BIOPHYS 2012. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1206.2011.00519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Kalkman HO. A review of the evidence for the canonical Wnt pathway in autism spectrum disorders. Mol Autism 2012; 3:10. [PMID: 23083465 PMCID: PMC3492093 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-3-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2012] [Accepted: 10/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Microdeletion and microduplication copy number variations are found in patients with autism spectrum disorder and in a number of cases they include genes that are involved in the canonical Wnt signaling pathway (for example, FZD9, BCL9 or CDH8). Association studies investigating WNT2, DISC1, MET, DOCK4 or AHI1 also provide evidence that the canonical Wnt pathway might be affected in autism. Prenatal medication with sodium-valproate or antidepressant drugs increases autism risk. In animal studies, it has been found that these medications promote Wnt signaling, including among others an increase in Wnt2 gene expression. Notably, the available genetic information indicates that not only canonical Wnt pathway activation, but also inhibition seems to increase autism risk. The canonical Wnt pathway plays a role in dendrite growth and suboptimal activity negatively affects the dendritic arbor. In principle, this provides a logical explanation as to why both hypo- and hyperactivity may generate a similar set of behavioral and cognitive symptoms. However, without a validated biomarker to stratify for deviant canonical Wnt pathway activity, it is probably too dangerous to treat patients with compounds that modify pathway activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Otto Kalkman
- Neuroscience Department, Novartis Institute of Biomedical Research, Building 386-14,22,15, Basel, CH 4002, Switzerland.
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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: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [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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Vulto-van Silfhout A, de Brouwer A, de Leeuw N, Obihara C, Brunner H, de Vries B. A 380-kb Duplication in 7p22.3 Encompassing the LFNG Gene in a Boy with Asperger Syndrome. Mol Syndromol 2012; 2:245-250. [PMID: 22822384 PMCID: PMC3362183 DOI: 10.1159/000336191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/08/2011] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
De novo genomic aberrations are considered an important cause of autism spectrum disorders. We describe a de novo 380-kb gain in band p22.3 of chromosome 7 in a patient with Asperger syndrome. This duplicated region contains 9 genes including the LNFG gene that is an important regulator of NOTCH signaling. We suggest that this copy number variation has been a contributive factor to the occurrence of Asperger syndrome in this patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- A.T. Vulto-van Silfhout
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - A.F.M. de Brouwer
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - N. de Leeuw
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - C.C. Obihara
- Department of Paediatrics, St. Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - H.G. Brunner
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - B.B.A. de Vries
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Casey JP, Magalhaes T, Conroy JM, Regan R, Shah N, Anney R, Shields DC, Abrahams BS, Almeida J, Bacchelli E, Bailey AJ, Baird G, Battaglia A, Berney T, Bolshakova N, Bolton PF, Bourgeron T, Brennan S, Cali P, Correia C, Corsello C, Coutanche M, Dawson G, de Jonge M, Delorme R, Duketis E, Duque F, Estes A, Farrar P, Fernandez BA, Folstein SE, Foley S, Fombonne E, Freitag CM, Gilbert J, Gillberg C, Glessner JT, Green J, Guter SJ, Hakonarson H, Holt R, Hughes G, Hus V, Igliozzi R, Kim C, Klauck SM, Kolevzon A, Lamb JA, Leboyer M, Le Couteur A, Leventhal BL, Lord C, Lund SC, Maestrini E, Mantoulan C, Marshall CR, McConachie H, McDougle CJ, McGrath J, McMahon WM, Merikangas A, Miller J, Minopoli F, Mirza GK, Munson J, Nelson SF, Nygren G, Oliveira G, Pagnamenta AT, Papanikolaou K, Parr JR, Parrini B, Pickles A, Pinto D, Piven J, Posey DJ, Poustka A, Poustka F, Ragoussis J, Roge B, Rutter ML, Sequeira AF, Soorya L, Sousa I, Sykes N, Stoppioni V, Tancredi R, Tauber M, Thompson AP, Thomson S, Tsiantis J, Van Engeland H, Vincent JB, Volkmar F, Vorstman JAS, Wallace S, Wang K, Wassink TH, White K, Wing K, Wittemeyer K, Yaspan BL, Zwaigenbaum L, Betancur C, Buxbaum JD, Cantor RM, Cook EH, Coon H, Cuccaro ML, Geschwind DH, Haines JL, Hallmayer J, Monaco AP, Nurnberger JI, Pericak-Vance MA, Schellenberg GD, Scherer SW, Sutcliffe JS, Szatmari P, Vieland VJ, Wijsman EM, Green A, Gill M, Gallagher L, Vicente A, Ennis S. A novel approach of homozygous haplotype sharing identifies candidate genes in autism spectrum disorder. Hum Genet 2012; 131:565-79. [PMID: 21996756 PMCID: PMC3303079 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-011-1094-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2011] [Accepted: 09/15/2011] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable disorder of complex and heterogeneous aetiology. It is primarily characterized by altered cognitive ability including impaired language and communication skills and fundamental deficits in social reciprocity. Despite some notable successes in neuropsychiatric genetics, overall, the high heritability of ASD (~90%) remains poorly explained by common genetic risk variants. However, recent studies suggest that rare genomic variation, in particular copy number variation, may account for a significant proportion of the genetic basis of ASD. We present a large scale analysis to identify candidate genes which may contain low-frequency recessive variation contributing to ASD while taking into account the potential contribution of population differences to the genetic heterogeneity of ASD. Our strategy, homozygous haplotype (HH) mapping, aims to detect homozygous segments of identical haplotype structure that are shared at a higher frequency amongst ASD patients compared to parental controls. The analysis was performed on 1,402 Autism Genome Project trios genotyped for 1 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We identified 25 known and 1,218 novel ASD candidate genes in the discovery analysis including CADM2, ABHD14A, CHRFAM7A, GRIK2, GRM3, EPHA3, FGF10, KCND2, PDZK1, IMMP2L and FOXP2. Furthermore, 10 of the previously reported ASD genes and 300 of the novel candidates identified in the discovery analysis were replicated in an independent sample of 1,182 trios. Our results demonstrate that regions of HH are significantly enriched for previously reported ASD candidate genes and the observed association is independent of gene size (odds ratio 2.10). Our findings highlight the applicability of HH mapping in complex disorders such as ASD and offer an alternative approach to the analysis of genome-wide association data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian P. Casey
- School of Medicine and Medical Science University College, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Tiago Magalhaes
- Instituto Nacional de Saude Dr Ricardo Jorge, Av Padre Cruz 1649-016, Lisbon, Portugal
- BioFIG, Center for Biodiversity, Functional and Integrative Genomics, Campus da FCUL, C2.2.12, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Cîencia, Rua Quinta Grande, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Judith M. Conroy
- School of Medicine and Medical Science University College, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Regina Regan
- School of Medicine and Medical Science University College, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Naisha Shah
- School of Medicine and Medical Science University College, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Richard Anney
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Denis C. Shields
- School of Medicine and Medical Science University College, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Brett S. Abrahams
- Department of Neurology, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Program in Neurogenetics, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Joana Almeida
- Hospital Pediátrico de Coimbra, 3000–076 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Elena Bacchelli
- Department of Biology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Anthony J. Bailey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 2A1 Canada
| | | | - Agatino Battaglia
- Stella Maris Institute for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, 56128 Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Tom Berney
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
| | - Nadia Bolshakova
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Patrick F. Bolton
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Thomas Bourgeron
- Department of Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, 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
| | - Phil Cali
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Juvenile Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - Catarina Correia
- Instituto Nacional de Saude Dr Ricardo Jorge, Av Padre Cruz 1649-016, Lisbon, Portugal
- BioFIG, Center for Biodiversity, Functional and Integrative Genomics, Campus da FCUL, C2.2.12, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Cîencia, Rua Quinta Grande, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Christina Corsello
- Autism and Communicative Disorders Centre, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2054 USA
| | - Marc Coutanche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7JX UK
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Autism Speaks, New York, 10016 USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3366 USA
| | - Maretha de Jonge
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center, 3508 Utrecht, GA The Netherlands
| | - Richard Delorme
- INSERM U 955, Fondation FondaMental, APHP, Hôpital Robert Debré, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 75019 Paris, France
| | - Eftichia Duketis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, J.W. Goethe University Frankfurt, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Annette Estes
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - 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 Newfoundland, A1B 3V6 Canada
| | - Susan E. Folstein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Suzanne Foley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7JX UK
| | - Eric Fombonne
- Division of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1 Canada
| | - Christine M. Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, J.W. Goethe University Frankfurt, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - John Gilbert
- The John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Christopher Gillberg
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, S41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Joseph T. Glessner
- The Center for Applied Genomics, Division of Human Genetics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Jonathan Green
- Academic Department of Child Psychiatry, Booth Hall of Children’s Hospital, Blackley, Manchester, M9 7AA UK
| | - Stephen J. Guter
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Juvenile Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 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
| | - Richard Holt
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN UK
| | - Gillian Hughes
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Vanessa Hus
- Autism and Communicative Disorders Centre, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2054 USA
| | - Roberta Igliozzi
- Stella Maris Institute for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, 56128 Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Cecilia Kim
- The Center for Applied Genomics, Division of Human Genetics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Sabine M. Klauck
- Division of Molecular Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexander Kolevzon
- Department of Psychiatry, The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, 10029 USA
| | - Janine A. Lamb
- Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT UK
| | - Marion Leboyer
- INSERM U995, Department of Psychiatry, Groupe Hospitalier Henri Mondor-Albert Chenevier, AP-HP, University Paris 12, Fondation FondaMental, 94000 Créteil, France
| | - Ann Le Couteur
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
- Institute of 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, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016 USA
| | - Catherine Lord
- Autism and Communicative Disorders Centre, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2054 USA
| | - Sabata C. Lund
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Centers for Human Genetics Research and Molecular Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Elena Maestrini
- Department of Biology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Carine Mantoulan
- Octogone/CERPP (Centre d’Eudes et de Recherches en Psychopathologie), University de Toulouse Le Mirail, 31058 Toulouse Cedex, France
| | - Christian R. Marshall
- The Centre for Applied Genomics and Program in Genetics and Genomic Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7 Canada
| | - Helen McConachie
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
| | | | - Jane McGrath
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - William M. McMahon
- Psychiatry Department, University of Utah Medical School, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 USA
| | - Alison Merikangas
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Judith Miller
- Psychiatry Department, University of Utah Medical School, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 USA
| | | | - Ghazala K. Mirza
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN UK
| | - Jeff Munson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Stanley F. Nelson
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Gudrun Nygren
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, S41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | | | - Katerina Papanikolaou
- University Department of Child Psychiatry, Athens University, Medical School, Agia Sophia Children’s Hospital, 115 27 Athens, Greece
| | - Jeremy R. Parr
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
| | - Barbara Parrini
- Stella Maris Institute for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, 56128 Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrew Pickles
- Department of Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Health Science, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT UK
| | - Dalila Pinto
- The Centre for Applied Genomics and Program in Genetics and Genomic Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7 Canada
| | - Joseph Piven
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, CB3366, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3366 USA
| | - David J. Posey
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | - Annemarie Poustka
- Division of Molecular Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - 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
| | - Bernadette Roge
- Octogone/CERPP (Centre d’Eudes et de Recherches en Psychopathologie), University de Toulouse Le Mirail, 31058 Toulouse Cedex, France
| | - Michael L. Rutter
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, SE5 8AF UK
| | - Ana F. Sequeira
- Instituto Nacional de Saude Dr Ricardo Jorge, Av Padre Cruz 1649-016, Lisbon, Portugal
- BioFIG, Center for Biodiversity, Functional and Integrative Genomics, Campus da FCUL, C2.2.12, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Cîencia, Rua Quinta Grande, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Latha Soorya
- Department of Psychiatry, The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, 10029 USA
| | - Inês Sousa
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN UK
| | - Nuala Sykes
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN UK
| | - Vera Stoppioni
- Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Ospedale Santa Croce, 61032 Fano, Italy
| | - Raffaella Tancredi
- Stella Maris Institute for Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, 56128 Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Maïté Tauber
- Octogone/CERPP (Centre d’Eudes et de Recherches en Psychopathologie), University de Toulouse Le Mirail, 31058 Toulouse Cedex, France
| | - Ann P. Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5 Canada
| | - Susanne Thomson
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Centers for Human Genetics Research and Molecular Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232 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 and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center, 3508 Utrecht, GA The Netherlands
| | - John B. Vincent
- Department of Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Clarke Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8 Canada
| | - Fred Volkmar
- Child Study Centre, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Jacob A. S. Vorstman
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center, 3508 Utrecht, GA The Netherlands
| | - Simon Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7JX UK
| | - Kai Wang
- The Center for Applied Genomics, Division of Human Genetics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Thomas H. Wassink
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242 USA
| | - Kathy White
- 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
- Autism Centre for Education and Research, School of Education, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK
| | - Brian L. Yaspan
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Centers for Human Genetics Research and Molecular Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2J3 Canada
| | - Catalina Betancur
- INSERM U952 and CNRS UMR 7224, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Paris, 75005 France
| | - Joseph D. Buxbaum
- Department of Psychiatry, The Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, 10029 USA
- Departments of Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, 10029 USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, 10029 USA
| | - Rita M. Cantor
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
| | - Edwin H. Cook
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Juvenile Research, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612 USA
| | - 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 School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Daniel H. Geschwind
- Department of Neurology, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Program in Neurogenetics, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Jonathan L. Haines
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Centers for Human Genetics Research and Molecular Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Joachim Hallmayer
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304 USA
| | - Anthony P. Monaco
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN UK
| | - John I. Nurnberger
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA
| | - Margaret A. Pericak-Vance
- The John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136 USA
| | - Gerard D. Schellenberg
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, 19104 USA
| | - Stephen W. Scherer
- The Centre for Applied Genomics and Program in Genetics and Genomic Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7 Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1 Canada
| | - James S. Sutcliffe
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Centers for Human Genetics Research and Molecular Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Peter Szatmari
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5 Canada
| | - 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
| | - Ellen M. Wijsman
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Andrew Green
- School of Medicine and Medical Science University College, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Michael Gill
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Louise Gallagher
- Autism Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland
| | - Astrid Vicente
- Instituto Nacional de Saude Dr Ricardo Jorge, Av Padre Cruz 1649-016, Lisbon, Portugal
- BioFIG, Center for Biodiversity, Functional and Integrative Genomics, Campus da FCUL, C2.2.12, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Cîencia, Rua Quinta Grande, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Sean Ennis
- School of Medicine and Medical Science University College, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Health Sciences Centre, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Frazier-Wood AC, Bralten J, Arias-Vasquez A, Luman M, Ooterlaan J, Sergeant J, Faraone SV, Buitelaar J, Franke B, Kuntsi J, Rommelse NNJ. Neuropsychological intra-individual variability explains unique genetic variance of ADHD and shows suggestive linkage to chromosomes 12, 13, and 17. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2012; 159B:131-40. [PMID: 22223442 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2011] [Accepted: 12/08/2011] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly heritable neuropsychiatric disorder that is usually accompanied by neuropsychological impairments. The use of heritable, psychometrically robust traits that show association with the disorder of interest can increase the power of gene-finding studies. Due to the robust association of intra-individual variability with ADHD on a phenotypic and genetic level, intra-individual variability is a prime candidate for such an attempt. We aimed to combine intra-individual variability measures across tasks into one more heritable measure, to examine the relatedness to other cognitive factors, and to explore the genetic underpinnings through quantitative trait linkage analysis. Intra-individual variability measures from seven tasks were available for 238 ADHD families (350 ADHD-affected and 195 non-affected children) and 147 control families (271 children). Intra-individual variability measures from seven different tasks shared common variance and could be used to construct an aggregated measure. This aggregated measure was largely independent from other cognitive factors related to ADHD and showed suggestive linkage to chromosomes 12q24.3 (LOD = 2.93), 13q22.2 (LOD = 2.36), and 17p13.3 (LOD = 2.00). A common intra-individual variability construct can be extracted from very diverse neuropsychological tasks; this construct taps into unique genetic aspects of ADHD and may relate to loci conferring risk for ADHD (12q24.3 and 17p13.3) and possibly autism (12q24.3). Given that joining of data across sites boosts the power for genetic analyses, our findings are promising in showing that intra-individual variability measures are viable candidates for across site analyses where different tasks have been used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis C Frazier-Wood
- Department of Epidemiology and Section on Statistical Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health, USA
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Kumar A, Swanwick CC, Johnson N, Menashe I, Basu SN, Bales ME, Banerjee-Basu S. A brain region-specific predictive gene map for autism derived by profiling a reference gene set. PLoS One 2011; 6:e28431. [PMID: 22174805 PMCID: PMC3235126 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular underpinnings of complex psychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) remain largely unresolved. Increasingly, structural variations in discrete chromosomal loci are implicated in ASD, expanding the search space for its disease etiology. We exploited the high genetic heterogeneity of ASD to derive a predictive map of candidate genes by an integrated bioinformatics approach. Using a reference set of 84 Rare and Syndromic candidate ASD genes (AutRef84), we built a composite reference profile based on both functional and expression analyses. First, we created a functional profile of AutRef84 by performing Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis which encompassed three main areas: 1) neurogenesis/projection, 2) cell adhesion, and 3) ion channel activity. Second, we constructed an expression profile of AutRef84 by conducting DAVID analysis which found enrichment in brain regions critical for sensory information processing (olfactory bulb, occipital lobe), executive function (prefrontal cortex), and hormone secretion (pituitary). Disease specificity of this dual AutRef84 profile was demonstrated by comparative analysis with control, diabetes, and non-specific gene sets. We then screened the human genome with the dual AutRef84 profile to derive a set of 460 potential ASD candidate genes. Importantly, the power of our predictive gene map was demonstrated by capturing 18 existing ASD-associated genes which were not part of the AutRef84 input dataset. The remaining 442 genes are entirely novel putative ASD risk genes. Together, we used a composite ASD reference profile to generate a predictive map of novel ASD candidate genes which should be prioritized for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Kumar
- MindSpec, McLean, Virginia, United States of America
| | | | | | - Idan Menashe
- MindSpec, McLean, Virginia, United States of America
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GONG LEJUN, SUN XIAO, JIANG DONGKE, GONG SHENGTAO. AUTMINER: A SYSTEM FOR EXTRACTING ASD-RELATED GENES USING TEXT MINING. J BIOL SYST 2011. [DOI: 10.1142/s0218339011003828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) represent a group of developmental disorders with strong genetic underpinnings. To explore the genetic complexity of ASD, we developed AutMiner (), a public web-portal for the collection of genes linked to ASD, and the implementation of an autism-centre network. AutMiner extracts candidate genes associated with ASD using text mining from 9276 abstracts. Compared to other recent systems, gene entries are richer to provide a reference for clinical geneticists. AutMiner also constructs ASD-related network consisting of autism-gene network and gene-gene network. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first web example of ASD-related network. The major focus of AutMiner is to offer a valuable reference tool for clinical geneticists in establishing and implementing effective genetic screening programmes for those patients with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- LEJUN GONG
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Department of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, P. R. China
- Faculty of Computer Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian 223003, P. R. China
| | - XIAO SUN
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Department of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, P. R. China
| | - DONGKE JIANG
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Department of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, P. R. China
| | - SHENGTAO GONG
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Department of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, P. R. China
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McGrew SG, Peters BR, Crittendon JA, Veenstra-VanderWeele J. Diagnostic Yield of Chromosomal Microarray Analysis in an Autism Primary Care Practice: Which Guidelines to Implement? J Autism Dev Disord 2011; 42:1582-91. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-011-1398-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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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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Piton A, Gauthier J, Hamdan FF, Lafrenière RG, Yang Y, Henrion E, Laurent S, Noreau A, Thibodeau P, Karemera L, Spiegelman D, Kuku F, Duguay J, Destroismaisons L, Jolivet P, Côté M, Lachapelle K, Diallo O, Raymond A, Marineau C, Champagne N, Xiong L, Gaspar C, Rivière JB, Tarabeux J, Cossette P, Krebs MO, Rapoport JL, Addington A, DeLisi LE, Mottron L, Joober R, Fombonne E, Drapeau P, Rouleau GA. Systematic resequencing of X-chromosome synaptic genes in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry 2011; 16:867-80. [PMID: 20479760 PMCID: PMC3289139 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2010.54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 221] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2009] [Revised: 04/10/2010] [Accepted: 04/12/2010] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCZ) are two common neurodevelopmental syndromes that result from the combined effects of environmental and genetic factors. We set out to test the hypothesis that rare variants in many different genes, including de novo variants, could predispose to these conditions in a fraction of cases. In addition, for both disorders, males are either more significantly or more severely affected than females, which may be explained in part by X-linked genetic factors. Therefore, we directly sequenced 111 X-linked synaptic genes in individuals with ASD (n = 142; 122 males and 20 females) or SCZ (n = 143; 95 males and 48 females). We identified >200 non-synonymous variants, with an excess of rare damaging variants, which suggest the presence of disease-causing mutations. Truncating mutations in genes encoding the calcium-related protein IL1RAPL1 (already described in Piton et al. Hum Mol Genet 2008) and the monoamine degradation enzyme monoamine oxidase B were found in ASD and SCZ, respectively. Moreover, several promising non-synonymous rare variants were identified in genes encoding proteins involved in regulation of neurite outgrowth and other various synaptic functions (MECP2, TM4SF2/TSPAN7, PPP1R3F, PSMD10, MCF2, SLITRK2, GPRASP2, and OPHN1).
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Affiliation(s)
- A Piton
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - J Gauthier
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - FF Hamdan
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - RG Lafrenière
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Y Yang
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - E Henrion
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - S Laurent
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - A Noreau
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - P Thibodeau
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - L Karemera
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - D Spiegelman
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - F Kuku
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - J Duguay
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - L Destroismaisons
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - P Jolivet
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - M Côté
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - K Lachapelle
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - O Diallo
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - A Raymond
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - C Marineau
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - N Champagne
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology and Groupe de recherche sur le systeme nerveux central, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - L Xiong
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - C Gaspar
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - J-B Rivière
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - J Tarabeux
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - P Cossette
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - M-O Krebs
- INSERM U796, Physiopathologie des maladies psychiatriques, Université Paris Descartes and Centre hospitalier Sainte Anne, Paris, France
| | - JL Rapoport
- Child Psychiatry Branch, NIMH/NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - A Addington
- Child Psychiatry Branch, NIMH/NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - LE DeLisi
- VA Boston Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School, Brockton, MA, USA
- The Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - L Mottron
- Centre d’excellence en Troubles envahissants du développement de l’Université de Montré al (CETEDUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - R Joober
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - E Fombonne
- Department of Psychiatry, Montreal Children’s Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - P Drapeau
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology and Groupe de recherche sur le systeme nerveux central, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - GA Rouleau
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence in Neuromics, CHUM Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Smith CL, Bolton A, Nguyen G. Genomic and epigenomic instability, fragile sites, schizophrenia and autism. Curr Genomics 2011; 11:447-69. [PMID: 21358990 PMCID: PMC3018726 DOI: 10.2174/138920210793176001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2010] [Revised: 05/26/2010] [Accepted: 06/01/2010] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence links genomic and epigenomic instability, including multiple fragile sites regions to neuropsychiatric diseases including schizophrenia and autism. Cancer is the only other disease associated with multiple fragile site regions, and genome and epigenomic instability is a characteristic of cancer. Research on cancer is far more advanced than research on neuropsychiatric disease; hence, insight into neuropsychiatric disease may be derived from cancer research results. Towards this end, this article will review the evidence linking schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric diseases (especially autism) to genomic and epigenomic instability, and fragile sites. The results of studies on genetic, epigenetic and environmental components of schizophrenia and autism point to the importance of the folate-methionine-transulfuration metabolic hub that is diseases also perturbed in cancer. The idea that the folate-methionine-transulfuration hub is important in neuropsychiatric is exciting because this hub present novel targets for drug development, suggests some drugs used in cancer may be useful in neuropsychiatric disease, and raises the possibility that nutrition interventions may influence the severity, presentation, or dynamics of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L Smith
- Molecular Biotechnology Research Laboratory, Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Biology and Pharmacology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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27
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van Loo KMJ, Martens GJM. Genetic and environmental factors in complex neurodevelopmental disorders. Curr Genomics 2011; 8:429-44. [PMID: 19412416 PMCID: PMC2647153 DOI: 10.2174/138920207783591717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2007] [Revised: 11/07/2007] [Accepted: 11/09/2007] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia, autism, attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder, (manic) depressive illness and addiction, are thought to result from an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Association studies on candidate genes and genome-wide linkage analyses have identified many susceptibility chromosomal regions and genes, but considerable efforts to replicate association have been surprisingly often disappointing. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of the genetic contribution to complex neurodevelopmental disorders, focusing on the findings from association and linkage studies. Furthermore, the contribution of the interaction of the genetic with environmental and epigenetic factors to the aetiology of complex neurodevelopmental disorders as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M J van Loo
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Neuroscience, Nijmegen Center for Molecular Life Sciences (NCMLS), Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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28
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Gillis RF, Rouleau GA. The ongoing dissection of the genetic architecture of autistic spectrum disorder. Mol Autism 2011; 2:12. [PMID: 21740537 PMCID: PMC3156724 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-2-12] [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: 02/03/2011] [Accepted: 07/08/2011] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of robust, non-hypothesis based case/control studies has led to a large push forward towards identifying common genetic variants that contribute to complex traits. However, despite many attempts, the search for common disease-predisposing variants in childhood developmental disorders has largely failed. Recently, a role for rare causal variants and de novo mutations is emerging in the genetic architecture of some of these disorders, particularly those that incur a large degree of selection against the phenotype. In this paper, we examine these data and use classic genetic epidemiological approaches to gain insights into the genetic architecture of ASD. Future studies using next generation sequencing should elucidate the precise role de novo mutations play in disorders traditionally thought to have resulted from polygenic or common disease, common variants inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob F Gillis
- Centre of Excellence in Neuromics of Université de Montréal, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Research Center and Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2L 2W5, Canada.
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A novel NMDA receptor glycine-site partial agonist, GLYX-13, has therapeutic potential for the treatment of autism. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2011; 35:1982-8. [PMID: 21718719 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2010] [Revised: 06/08/2011] [Accepted: 06/10/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in social approach behavior, rough-and-tumble play, and speech abnormalities are core features of autism that can be modeled in laboratory rats. Human twin studies show that autism has a strong genetic component, and a recent review has identified 99 genes that are dysregulated in human autism. Bioinformatic analysis of these 99 genes identified the NMDA receptor complex as a significant interaction hub based on protein-protein interactions. The NMDA receptor glycine site partial agonist d-cycloserine has been shown to treat the core symptom of social withdrawal in autistic children. Here, we show that rats selectively bred for low rates of play-induced pro-social ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) can be used to model certain core symptoms of autism. Low-line animals engage in less social contact time with conspecifics, show lower rates of play induced pro-social USVs, and show an increased proportion of non-frequency modulated (i.e. monotonous) ultrasonic vocalizations, compared to non-selectively bred random-line animals. Gene expression patterns in the low-line animals show significant enrichment in autism-associated genes and the NMDA receptor family was identified as a significant hub. Treatment of low-line animals with the NMDAR glycine site partial agonist GLYX-13 rescued the deficits in play-induced pro-social 50-kHz and reduced monotonous USVs. Thus, the NMDA receptor has been shown to play a functional role in autism, and GLYX-13 shows promise for the treatment of autism. We dedicate this paper to Ole Ivar Lovaas (May 8, 1927-August 2, 2010), a pioneer in the field of autism.
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30
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Myers RA, Casals F, Gauthier J, Hamdan FF, Keebler J, Boyko AR, Bustamante CD, Piton AM, Spiegelman D, Henrion E, Zilversmit M, Hussin J, Quinlan J, Yang Y, Lafrenière RG, Griffing AR, Stone EA, Rouleau GA, Awadalla P. A population genetic approach to mapping neurological disorder genes using deep resequencing. PLoS Genet 2011; 7:e1001318. [PMID: 21383861 PMCID: PMC3044677 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1001318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2010] [Accepted: 01/24/2011] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Deep resequencing of functional regions in human genomes is key to identifying potentially causal rare variants for complex disorders. Here, we present the results from a large-sample resequencing (n = 285 patients) study of candidate genes coupled with population genetics and statistical methods to identify rare variants associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia. Three genes, MAP1A, GRIN2B, and CACNA1F, were consistently identified by different methods as having significant excess of rare missense mutations in either one or both disease cohorts. In a broader context, we also found that the overall site frequency spectrum of variation in these cases is best explained by population models of both selection and complex demography rather than neutral models or models accounting for complex demography alone. Mutations in the three disease-associated genes explained much of the difference in the overall site frequency spectrum among the cases versus controls. This study demonstrates that genes associated with complex disorders can be mapped using resequencing and analytical methods with sample sizes far smaller than those required by genome-wide association studies. Additionally, our findings support the hypothesis that rare mutations account for a proportion of the phenotypic variance of these complex disorders. It is widely accepted that genetic factors play important roles in the etiology of neurological diseases. However, the nature of the underlying genetic variation remains unclear. Critical questions in the field of human genetics relate to the frequency and size effects of genetic variants associated with disease. For instance, the common disease–common variant model is based on the idea that sets of common variants explain a significant fraction of the variance found in common disease phenotypes. On the other hand, rare variants may have strong effects and therefore largely contribute to disease phenotypes. Due to their high penetrance and reduced fitness, such variants are maintained in the population at low frequencies, thus limiting their detection in genome-wide association studies. Here, we use a resequencing approach on a cohort of 285 Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia patients and preformed several analyses, enhanced with population genetic approaches, to identify variants associated with both diseases. Our results demonstrate an excess of rare variants in these disease cohorts and identify genes with negative (deleterious) selection coefficients, suggesting an accumulation of variants of detrimental effects. Our results present further evidence for rare variants explaining a component of the genetic etiology of autism and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A. Myers
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
- Bioinformatics Research Centre, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Ferran Casals
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Julie Gauthier
- Centre of Excellence in Neuromics of Université de Montréal, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université of Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Fadi F. Hamdan
- Centre of Excellence in Neuromics of Université de Montréal, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université of Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jon Keebler
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
- Bioinformatics Research Centre, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Adam R. Boyko
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Carlos D. Bustamante
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Amelie M. Piton
- Centre of Excellence in Neuromics of Université de Montréal, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université of Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Dan Spiegelman
- Centre of Excellence in Neuromics of Université de Montréal, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université of Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Edouard Henrion
- Centre of Excellence in Neuromics of Université de Montréal, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université of Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Julie Hussin
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jacklyn Quinlan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Yan Yang
- Centre of Excellence in Neuromics of Université de Montréal, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université of Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ronald G. Lafrenière
- Centre of Excellence in Neuromics of Université de Montréal, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université of Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Alexander R. Griffing
- Bioinformatics Research Centre, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Eric A. Stone
- Bioinformatics Research Centre, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Guy A. Rouleau
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
- Centre of Excellence in Neuromics of Université de Montréal, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université of Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- * E-mail: (PA); (GAR)
| | - Philip Awadalla
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
- Bioinformatics Research Centre, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- Centre of Excellence in Neuromics of Université de Montréal, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université of Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- * E-mail: (PA); (GAR)
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Kumar A, Wadhawan R, Swanwick CC, Kollu R, Basu SN, Banerjee-Basu S. Animal model integration to AutDB, a genetic database for autism. BMC Med Genomics 2011; 4:15. [PMID: 21272355 PMCID: PMC3042898 DOI: 10.1186/1755-8794-4-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2010] [Accepted: 01/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the post-genomic era, multi-faceted research on complex disorders such as autism has generated diverse types of molecular information related to its pathogenesis. The rapid accumulation of putative candidate genes/loci for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and ASD-related animal models poses a major challenge for systematic analysis of their content. We previously created the Autism Database (AutDB) to provide a publicly available web portal for ongoing collection, manual annotation, and visualization of genes linked to ASD. Here, we describe the design, development, and integration of a new module within AutDB for ongoing collection and comprehensive cataloguing of ASD-related animal models. DESCRIPTION As with the original AutDB, all data is extracted from published, peer-reviewed scientific literature. Animal models are annotated with a new standardized vocabulary of phenotypic terms developed by our researchers which is designed to reflect the diverse clinical manifestations of ASD. The new Animal Model module is seamlessly integrated to AutDB for dissemination of diverse information related to ASD. Animal model entries within the new module are linked to corresponding candidate genes in the original "Human Gene" module of the resource, thereby allowing for cross-modal navigation between gene models and human gene studies. Although the current release of the Animal Model module is restricted to mouse models, it was designed with an expandable framework which can easily incorporate additional species and non-genetic etiological models of autism in the future. CONCLUSIONS Importantly, this modular ASD database provides a platform from which data mining, bioinformatics, and/or computational biology strategies may be adopted to develop predictive disease models that may offer further insights into the molecular underpinnings of this disorder. It also serves as a general model for disease-driven databases curating phenotypic characteristics of corresponding animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Kumar
- MindSpec, 8280 Greensboro Dr, Suite 150, McLean, VA 22102, USA
| | - Rachna Wadhawan
- MindSpec, 8280 Greensboro Dr, Suite 150, McLean, VA 22102, USA
| | | | - Ravi Kollu
- MindSpec, 8280 Greensboro Dr, Suite 150, McLean, VA 22102, USA
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Gaita L, Manzi B, Sacco R, Lintas C, Altieri L, Lombardi F, Pawlowski TL, Redman M, Craig DW, Huentelman MJ, Ober-Reynolds S, Brautigam S, Melmed R, Smith CJ, Marsillach J, Camps J, Curatolo P, Persico AM. Decreased serum arylesterase activity in autism spectrum disorders. Psychiatry Res 2010; 180:105-13. [PMID: 20488557 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2010.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2009] [Revised: 02/16/2010] [Accepted: 04/08/2010] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The PON1 gene, previously found associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), encodes a serum protein responsible for the detoxification of organophosphates (OPs) and able to exert several enzymatic activities. PON1 arylesterase, but not diazoxonase activity, was significantly decreased in 174 ASD patients compared to 175 first-degree relatives and 144 controls (P=2.65×10⁻¹⁶). First degree relatives displayed intermediate activities, closer to patient than to control levels. Differences between patients, first-degree relatives and controls were especially evident among 164 Italians compared to 329 Caucasian-Americans, because arylesterase activity was significantly higher in Italian controls, compared to Caucasian-American controls (P=2.84×10⁻¹⁶). Arylesterase activity and PON protein concentrations were not significantly correlated, supporting a functional inhibition of arylesterase activity in ASD patients over quantitative changes in protein amounts. Serum arylesterase activity, in combination with PON1 genotypes at two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) known to influence protein amounts (rs705379: C-108T) and substrate specificity (rs662: Q192R), was able to discriminate ASD patients from controls with elevated sensitivity and specificity, depending on genotype and ethnic group. Serum arylesterase activity and genotyping at these two SNPs could thus represent an informative biochemical/genetic test, able to aid clinicians in estimating autism risk in ethnic groups with higher baseline arylesterase activity levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gaita
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy
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Spengler S, Bird G, Brass M. Hyperimitation of actions is related to reduced understanding of others' minds in autism spectrum conditions. Biol Psychiatry 2010; 68:1148-55. [PMID: 21130224 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2010] [Revised: 08/27/2010] [Accepted: 09/03/2010] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anecdotal evidence has noted that individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) frequently exhibit heightened spontaneous imitative behavior, with symptoms of echolalia and echopraxia. This is contrasted by empiric reports that ASC results in decreased imitation and an underlying deficit in the mirror system, leading to impaired social understanding. Thus, it remains unclear whether automatic imitation is enhanced in ASC and how this is related to poorer social abilities. METHODS This study investigated spontaneous imitation in 18 high-functioning adults with ASC and 18 age- and IQ-matched control participants during a simple imitation inhibition task. Mentalizing was experimentally assessed in the same participants using both behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging measures, as was social interaction using an observational measure. RESULTS Individuals with ASC showed increased imitation of hand actions compared with control participants and this was associated with reduced mentalizing and poorer reciprocal social interaction abilities. In the functional magnetic resonance imaging mentalizing paradigm, ASC participants with increased imitation scores showed less brain activation in areas often found to be active in mental state attribution, namely the medial prefrontal cortex and temporoparietal junction. CONCLUSIONS The results confirm the presence of hyperimitation in ASC, which is accompanied by reduced social cognition, suggesting that a general imitation impairment and a global mirror system deficit are absent. These findings offer an explanation for echopractic features based on theories of atypical functioning of top-down modulation processes in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Spengler
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
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34
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Nijmeijer JS, Hartman CA, Rommelse NN, Altink ME, Buschgens CJ, Fliers EA, Franke B, Minderaa RB, Ormel J, Sergeant JA, Verhulst FC, Buitelaar JK, Hoekstra PJ. Perinatal risk factors interacting with catechol O-methyltransferase and the serotonin transporter gene predict ASD symptoms in children with ADHD. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2010; 51:1242-50. [PMID: 20868372 PMCID: PMC2970704 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02277.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often co-occur. Given the previously found familiality of ASD symptoms in children with ADHD, addressing these symptoms may be useful for genetic association studies, especially for candidate gene findings that have not been consistently replicated for ADHD. METHODS We studied the association of the catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism and the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4/SERT/5-HTT) 5-HTTLPR insertion/deletion polymorphism with ASD symptoms in children with ADHD, and whether these polymorphisms would interact with pre- and perinatal risk factors, i.e., maternal smoking during pregnancy and low birth weight. Analyses were performed using linear regression in 207 Dutch participants with combined type ADHD of the International Multicenter ADHD Genetics (IMAGE) study, and repeated in an independent ADHD sample (n =439) selected from the TRracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). Dependent variables were the total and subscale scores of the Children's Social Behavior Questionnaire (CSBQ). RESULTS No significant main effects of COMT Val158Met, 5-HTTLPR, maternal smoking during pregnancy and low birth weight on ASD symptoms were found. However, the COMT Val/Val genotype interacted with maternal smoking during pregnancy in increasing stereotyped behavior in the IMAGE sample (p =.008); this interaction reached significance in the TRAILS sample after correction for confounders (p =.02). In the IMAGE sample, the 5-HTTLPR S/S genotype interacted with maternal smoking during pregnancy, increasing problems in social interaction (p =.02), and also interacted with low birth weight, increasing rigid behavior (p =.03). Findings for 5-HTTLPR in the TRAILS sample were similar, albeit for related CSBQ subscales. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest gene-environment interaction effects on ASD symptoms in children with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith S. Nijmeijer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Catharina A. Hartman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nanda N.J. Rommelse
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands,Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke E. Altink
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands,Karakter, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Cathelijne J.M. Buschgens
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ellen A. Fliers
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands,Youth Department, Lucertis, Parnassia-Bavo-Group, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands,Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud B. Minderaa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Johan Ormel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Joseph A. Sergeant
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frank C. Verhulst
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus-MC Sophia, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan K. Buitelaar
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands,Karakter, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Pieter J. Hoekstra
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Nijmeijer JS, Arias-Vásquez A, Rommelse NN, Altink ME, Anney RJ, Asherson P, Banaschewski T, Buschgens CJ, Fliers EA, Gill M, Minderaa RB, Poustka L, Sergeant JA, Buitelaar JK, Franke B, Ebstein RP, Miranda A, Mulas F, Oades RD, Roeyers H, Rothenberger A, Sonuga-Barke EJ, Steinhausen HC, Faraone SV, Hartman CA, Hoekstra PJ. Identifying loci for the overlap between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder using a genome-wide QTL linkage approach. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2010; 49:675-85. [PMID: 20610137 PMCID: PMC2929476 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2010.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2009] [Revised: 03/05/2010] [Accepted: 03/25/2010] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The genetic basis for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was addressed using a genome-wide linkage approach. METHOD Participants of the International Multi-Center ADHD Genetics study comprising 1,143 probands with ADHD and 1,453 siblings were analyzed. The total and subscale scores of the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) were used as quantitative traits for multipoint regression-based linkage analyses on 5,407 autosomal single-nucleotide polymorphisms applying MERLIN-regress software, both without and with inclusion of ADHD symptom scores as covariates. RESULTS The analyses without ADHD symptom scores as covariates resulted in three suggestive linkage signals, i.e., on chromosomes 15q24, 16p13, and 18p11. Inclusion of ADHD symptom scores as covariates resulted in additional suggestive loci on chromosomes 7q36 and 12q24, whereas the LOD score of the locus on chromosome 15q decreased below the threshold for suggestive linkage. The loci on 7q, 16p, and 18p were found for the SCQ restricted and repetitive subscale, that on 15q was found for the SCQ communication subscale, and that on 12q for the SCQ total score. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that QTLs identified in this study are ASD specific, although the 15q QTL potentially has pleiotropic effects for ADHD and ASD. This study confirms that genetic factors influence ASD traits along a continuum of severity, as loci potentially underlying ASD symptoms in children with ADHD were identified even though subjects with autism had been excluded from the IMAGE sample, and supports the hypothesis that differential genetic factors underlie the three ASD dimensions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nanda N.J. Rommelse
- Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke E. Altink
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Richard J.L. Anney
- Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Philip Asherson
- Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Ellen A. Fliers
- Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, Parnassia-Bavo-Group, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Gill
- Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Luise Poustka
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Jan K. Buitelaar
- Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Franke
- Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Llaneza DC, DeLuke SV, Batista M, Crawley JN, Christodulu KV, Frye CA. Communication, interventions, and scientific advances in autism: a commentary. Physiol Behav 2010; 100:268-76. [PMID: 20093134 PMCID: PMC2860058 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2009] [Revised: 01/11/2010] [Accepted: 01/12/2010] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect approximately 1 in 150 children across the U.S., and are characterized by abnormal social actions, language difficulties, repetitive or restrictive behaviors, and special interests. ASD include autism (autistic disorder), Asperger Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS or atypical autism). High-functioning individuals may communicate with moderate-to-high language skills, although difficulties in social skills may result in communication deficits. Low-functioning individuals may have severe deficiencies in language, resulting in poor communication between the individual and others. Behavioral intervention programs have been developed for ASD, and are frequently adjusted to accommodate specific individual needs. Many of these programs are school-based and aim to support the child in the development of their skills, for use outside the classroom with family and friends. Strides are being made in understanding the factors contributing to the development of ASD, particularly the genetic contributions that may underlie these disorders. Mutant mouse models provide powerful research tools to investigate the genetic factors associated with ASD and its co-morbid disorders. In support, the BTBR T+tf/J mouse strain incorporates ASD-like social and communication deficits and high levels of repetitive behaviors. This commentary briefly reviews the reciprocal relationship between observations made during evidence-based behavioral interventions of high- versus low-functioning children with ASD and the accumulating body of research in autism, including animal studies and basic research models. This reciprocity is one of the hallmarks of the scientific method, such that research may inform behavioral treatments, and observations made during treatment may inform subsequent research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle C. Llaneza
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY
| | - Susan V. DeLuke
- Department of Literacy and Special Education, College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY
| | - Myra Batista
- Kevin G. Langan School, Center for Disability Services, Albany, NY
| | - Jacqueline N. Crawley
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Kristin V. Christodulu
- Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY
| | - Cheryl A. Frye
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY
- Department of Biology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY
- Centers for Life Science, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY
- Neuroscience Research, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY
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Sugie Y, Sugie H, Fukuda T, Osawa J. Study of HOXD genes in autism particularly regarding the ratio of second to fourth digit length. Brain Dev 2010; 32:356-61. [PMID: 19540081 DOI: 10.1016/j.braindev.2009.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2008] [Revised: 05/14/2009] [Accepted: 05/16/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Multiple genes are involved in the pathogenesis of autism. To study the causative gene, the relationship between autism endophenotypes and their closely related genes has been analyzed. There is a subgroup of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in which the ratio of second digit length to fourth digit length (2D/4D) is low (short digit group, SDG). We studied the relationship between ASD and HOXD genes, which are located in the candidate locus for ASD and are associated with digit morphogenesis, with a particular focus on SDG. We analyzed 25 SNPs of HOXD11, HOXD12, and HOXD13 in the subject of 98 ASD, 89 healthy controls, and 16 non-autistic patients (non-ASD). There was no significant difference in the genotype frequencies between the ASD and the healthy controls. However, the G-112T heterozygote in the promoter region of HOXD11 was observed in only four patients with ASD and in none of the healthy controls or non-ASD subjects. Moreover, this HOXD11 G-112T was observed in three of 11 SDG with ASD but in none of the 15 non-SDG patients with ASD. There were eight SDG patients among the non-ASD ones, but this polymorphism was observed in none of them. Considering the above results, it is expected that candidate genes will be further identified, using HOXD11 G-112T polymorphism as a marker, by analyzing genes located near 2q in a larger number of ASD subjects with clinical signs of SDG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoko Sugie
- Department of Pediatrics, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan.
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Combi R, Redaelli S, Beghi M, Clerici M, Cornaggia C, Dalprà L. Clinical and genetic evaluation of a family showing both autism and epilepsy. Brain Res Bull 2010; 82:25-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2010.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2009] [Revised: 02/01/2010] [Accepted: 02/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Ronald A, Butcher LM, Docherty S, Davis OSP, Schalkwyk LC, Craig IW, Plomin R. A genome-wide association study of social and non-social autistic-like traits in the general population using pooled DNA, 500 K SNP microarrays and both community and diagnosed autism replication samples. Behav Genet 2009; 40:31-45. [PMID: 20012890 PMCID: PMC2797846 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-009-9308-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2009] [Accepted: 10/14/2009] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Two separate genome-wide association studies were conducted to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with social and nonsocial autistic-like traits. We predicted that we would find SNPs associated with social and non-social autistic-like traits and that different SNPs would be associated with social and nonsocial. In Stage 1, each study screened for allele frequency differences in approximately 430,000 autosomal SNPs using pooled DNA on microarrays in high-scoring versus low-scoring boys from a general population sample (N = approximately 400/group). In Stage 2, 22 and 20 SNPs in the social and non-social studies, respectively, were tested for QTL association by individually genotyping an independent community sample of 1,400 boys. One SNP (rs11894053) was nominally associated (P < .05, uncorrected for multiple testing) with social autistic-like traits. When the sample was increased by adding females, 2 additional SNPs were nominally significant (P < .05). These 3 SNPs, however, showed no significant association in transmission disequilibrium analyses of diagnosed ASD families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Ronald
- Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.
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A voxel-based morphometry comparison of regional gray matter between fragile X syndrome and autism. Psychiatry Res 2009; 174:138-45. [PMID: 19853418 PMCID: PMC2783567 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2009.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2008] [Revised: 03/02/2009] [Accepted: 04/27/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The phenotypic association between fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism is well established, but no studies have directly compared whole-brain anatomy between the two disorders. We performed voxel-based morphometry analyses of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans on 10 individuals with FXS, 10 individuals with autism, and 10 healthy comparison subjects to identify volumetric changes in each disorder. Regional gray matter volumes within frontal, parietal, temporal, and cingulate gyri, as well as in the caudate nuclei and cerebellum, were larger in the FXS group relative to the autism group. In addition, volume increases in FXS were observed in frontal gyri and caudate nuclei compared to controls. The autism group exhibited volume increases in frontal and temporal gyri relative to the FXS group, and no volume increases relative to controls. Volumetric deficits relative to controls were observed in regions of the cerebellum for both groups, with additional deficits in parietal and temporal gyri for the FXS group. Our caudate nuclei and frontal gyri results may implicate dysfunction of frontostriatal circuitry in FXS. Cerebellar deficits suggest atypical development of the cerebellum contributing to the phenotype of both disorders, but further imply that unique cerebellar regions contribute to the phenotype of each disorder.
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Gadow KD, Roohi J, DeVincent CJ, Kirsch S, Hatchwell E. Association of COMT (Val158Met) and BDNF (Val66Met) gene polymorphisms with anxiety, ADHD and tics in children with autism spectrum disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2009; 39:1542-51. [PMID: 19582565 PMCID: PMC4348067 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-009-0794-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2009] [Accepted: 06/15/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the study is to examine rs4680 (COMT) and rs6265 (BDNF) as genetic markers of anxiety, ADHD, and tics. Parents and teachers completed a DSM-IV-referenced rating scale for a total sample of 67 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both COMT (p = 0.06) and BDNF (p = 0.07) genotypes were marginally significant for teacher ratings of social phobia (etap (2) = 0.06). Analyses also indicated associations of BDNF genotype with parent-rated ADHD (p = 0.01, etap (2) = 0.10) and teacher-rated tics (p = 0.04; etap (2) = 0.07). There was also evidence of a possible interaction (p = 0.02, etap (2) = 0.09) of BDNF genotype with DAT1 3' VNTR with tic severity. BDNF and COMT may be biomarkers for phenotypic variation in ASD, but these preliminary findings remain tentative pending replication with larger, independent samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth D. Gadow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, State University of New York, Putnam Hall, South Campus, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8790, USA
| | - Jasmin Roohi
- Department of Genetics, Stony Brook University, Health Sciences Tower T8-053, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8088, USA,
| | - Carla J. DeVincent
- Department of Pediatrics, Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, State University of New York, Putnam Hall, South Campus, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8788, USA,
| | - Sarah Kirsch
- Department of Pathology, State University of New York, HSC-T8, Room 053, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8088, USA,
| | - Eli Hatchwell
- Department of Pathology, State University of New York, HSC-T8, Room 053, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8088, USA,
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Ozgen HM, van Daalen E, Bolton PF, Maloney VK, Huang S, Cresswell L, van den Boogaard MJ, Eleveld MJ, van ‘t Slot R, Hochstenbach R, Beemer FA, Barrow M, Barber JCK, Poot M. Copy number changes of the microcephalin 1 gene (MCPH1) in patients with autism spectrum disorders. Clin Genet 2009; 76:348-56. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-0004.2009.01254.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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The autism susceptibility gene met regulates zebrafish cerebellar development and facial motor neuron migration. Dev Biol 2009; 335:78-92. [PMID: 19732764 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2009] [Revised: 07/31/2009] [Accepted: 08/17/2009] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
During development, Met signaling regulates a range of cellular processes including growth, differentiation, survival and migration. The Met gene encodes a tyrosine kinase receptor, which is activated by Hgf (hepatocyte growth factor) ligand. Altered regulation of human MET expression has been implicated in autism. In mouse, Met signaling has been shown to regulate cerebellum development. Since abnormalities in cerebellar structure have been reported in some autistic patients, we have used the zebrafish to address the role of Met signaling during cerebellar development and thus further our understanding of the molecular basis of autism. We find that zebrafish met is expressed in the cerebellar primordium, later localizing to the ventricular zone (VZ), with the hgf1 and hgf2 ligand genes expressed in surrounding tissues. Morpholino knockdown of either Met or its Hgf ligands leads to a significant reduction in the size of the cerebellum, primarily as a consequence of reduced proliferation. Met signaling knockdown disrupts specification of VZ-derived cell types, and also reduces granule cell numbers, due to an early effect on cerebellar proliferation and/or as an indirect consequence of loss of signals from VZ-derived cells later in development. These patterning defects preclude analysis of cerebellar neuronal migration, but we have found that Met signaling is necessary for migration of hindbrain facial motor neurons. In summary, we have described roles for Met signaling in coordinating growth and cell type specification within the developing cerebellum, and in migration of hindbrain neurons. These functions may underlie the correlation between altered MET regulation and autism spectrum disorders.
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Benvenuto A, Moavero R, Alessandrelli R, Manzi B, Curatolo P. Syndromic autism: causes and pathogenetic pathways. World J Pediatr 2009; 5:169-76. [PMID: 19693459 DOI: 10.1007/s12519-009-0033-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2009] [Accepted: 03/18/2009] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder known to have many different etiologies. In the last few years, significant progresses have been made in comprehending the causes of autism and their multiple impacts on the developing brain. This article aims to review the current understanding of the etiologies and the multiple pathogenetic pathways that are likely to lead to the autistic phenotype. DATA SOURCES The PubMed database was searched with the keywords "autism" and "chromosomal abnormalities", "metabolic diseases", "susceptibility loci". RESULTS Genetic syndromes, defined mutations, and metabolic diseases account for less than 20% of autistic patients. Alterations of the neocortical excitatory/inhibitory balance and perturbations of interneurons' development represent the most probable pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the autistic phenotype in fragile X syndrome and tuberous sclerosis complex. Chromosomal abnormalities and potential candidate genes are strongly implicated in the disruption of neural connections, brain growth and synaptic/dendritic morphology. Metabolic and mitochondrial defects may have toxic effects on the brain cells, causing neuronal loss and altered modulation of neurotransmission systems. CONCLUSIONS A wide variety of cytogenetic abnormalities have been recently described, particularly in the low functioning individuals with dysmorphic features. Routine metabolic screening studies should be performed in the presence of autistic regression or suggestive clinical findings. As etiologies of autism are progressively discovered, the number of individuals with idiopathic autism will progressively shrink. Studies of genetic and environmentally modulated epigenetic factors are beginning to provide some clues to clarify the complexities of autism pathogenesis. The role of the neuropediatrician will be to understand the neurological basis of autism, and to identify more homogenous subgroups with specific biologic markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Benvenuto
- Department of Neuroscience, Pediatric Neurology Unit, Tor Vergata University, via Montpellier 1, 00133, Rome, RM, Italy
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Rehnström K, Ylisaukko-oja T, Nummela I, Ellonen P, Kempas E, Vanhala R, von Wendt L, Järvelä I, Peltonen L. Allelic variants in HTR3C show association with autism. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2009; 150B:741-6. [PMID: 19035560 PMCID: PMC2703778 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.30882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are severe neurodevelopmental disorders with a strong genetic component. Only a few predisposing genes have been identified so far. We have previously performed a genome-wide linkage screen for ASDs in Finnish families where the most significant linkage peak was identified at 3q25-27. Here, 11 positional and functionally relevant candidate genes at 3q25-27 were tested for association with autistic disorder. Genotypes of 125 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were determined in 97 families with at least one individual affected with autistic disorder. The most significant association was observed using two non-synonymous SNPs in HTR3C, rs6766410 and rs6807362, both resulting in P = 0.0012 in family-based association analysis. In addition, the haplotype C-C corresponding to amino acids N163-A405 was overtransmitted to affected individuals (P = 0.006). Sequencing revealed no other variants in the coding region or splice sites of HTR3C. Based on the association analysis results in a previously identified linkage region, we propose that HTR3C represents a novel candidate locus for ASDs and should be tested in other populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karola Rehnström
- Department of Molecular Medicine, National Public Health Institute and Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki, Finland.
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Abstract
Background. Current advances in genetic technology continue to expand the list of medical conditions associated with autism. Clinicians have to identify specific autistic-related syndromes, and to provide tailored counseling. The aim of this study is to elucidate recent advances in autism research that offer important clues into pathogenetic mechanisms of syndromic autism and relevant implications for clinical practice. Data Sources. The PubMed database was searched with the keywords “autism” and “chromosomal abnormalities,” “metabolic diseases,” “susceptibility loci.” Results. Defined mutations, genetic syndromes, and metabolic diseases account for up to 20% of autistic patients. Metabolic and mitochondrial defects may have toxic effects on the brain cells, causing neuronal loss and altered modulation of neurotransmission systems. Alterations of the neocortical excitatory/inhibitory balance and perturbations of interneurons' development represent the most probable pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the autistic phenotype in Fragile X-Syndrome and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. Chromosomal abnormalities and potential candidate genes are strongly implicated in the disruption of neural connections, brain growth, and synaptic/dendritic morphology. Conclusion. Metabolic testing may be appropriate if specific symptoms are present. High-resolution chromosome analysis may be recommended if a specific diagnosis is suspected because of obvious dysmorphisms. Identifying cryptic chromosomal abnormalities by whole genome microarray analysis can increase the understanding of the neurobiological pathways to autism.
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Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a clinically complex group of childhood disorders that have firm evidence of an underlying genetic etiology. Many techniques have been used to characterize the genetic bases of ASDs. Linkage studies have identified several replicated susceptibility loci, including 2q24-2q31, 7q, and 17q11-17q21. Association studies and mutation analysis of candidate genes have implicated the synaptic genes NRXN1, NLGN3, NLGN4, SHANK3, and CNTNAP2 in ASDs. Traditional cytogenetic approaches highlight the high frequency of large chromosomal abnormalities (3%-7% of patients), including the most frequently observed maternal 15q11-13 duplications (1%-3% of patients). Newly developed techniques include high-resolution DNA microarray technologies, which have discovered formerly undetectable submicroscopic copy number variants, and genomewide association studies, which allow simultaneous detection of multiple genes associated with ASDs. Although great progress has been made in autism genetics, the molecular bases of most ASDs remains enigmatic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravinesh A Kumar
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, 920 East 58th Street, MC0077, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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Piggot J, Shirinyan D, Shemmassian S, Vazirian S, Alarcón M. Neural systems approaches to the neurogenetics of autism spectrum disorders. Neuroscience 2009; 164:247-56. [PMID: 19482063 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.05.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2008] [Revised: 05/08/2009] [Accepted: 05/22/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Autism is generally accepted as the most genetic of all the developmental neuropsychiatric syndromes. However, despite more than several decades of genetic study, the etiology of autism remains unknown, largely due to the genetic and phenotypic diversity, or heterogeneity, of this disorder, and the lack of biologically based classification systems. At the same time, in the neuroimaging literature, the body of research identifying candidate neural systems underlying aspects of autistic impairment has grown considerably, fueled by the advent of technologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Yet the findings from these neuroimaging studies have not been incorporated to inform the collection of samples for genetic studies of autism, which are predominantly based on a diagnosis of the disorder. This article presents a review of the genetics of autism and describes the genetic approaches that have been applied, including the phenotypic strategies that have been used to address heterogeneity and optimize the power of these genetic studies. With the increasing recognition that there may be different "autisms" (Geschwind and Levitt, 2007) with unique neural mechanisms, it is argued that neural systems research, using technologies such as fMRI, currently allows for the identification of more biologically informative phenotypes for genetic studies of autism and is positioned to identify informative neuroimaging markers for "neurogenetic" studies of the disorder. To illustrate this, we describe several candidate neural systems for the social communication impairment seen in autism, and the characteristic behavioral and physiological manifestations associated with these that could be incorporated into phenotypic assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Piggot
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1769, USA.
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Split hand/foot malformation due to chromosome 7q aberrations(SHFM1): additional support for functional haploinsufficiency as the causative mechanism. Eur J Hum Genet 2009; 17:1432-8. [PMID: 19401716 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2009.72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
We report on three patients with split hand/foot malformation type 1 (SHFM1). We detected a deletion in two patients and an inversion in the third, all involving chromosome 7q21q22. We performed conventional chromosomal analysis, array comparative genomic hybridization and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Both deletions included the known genes associated with SHFM1 (DLX5, DLX6 and DSS1), whereas in the third patient one of the inversion break points was located just centromeric to these genes. These observations confirm that haploinsufficiency due to either a simultaneous deletion of these genes or combined downregulation of gene expression due to a disruption in the region between these genes and a control element could be the cause of the syndrome. We review previously reported studies that support this hypothetical mechanism.
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Campbell DB, Buie TM, Winter H, Bauman M, Sutcliffe JS, Perrin JM, Levitt P. Distinct genetic risk based on association of MET in families with co-occurring autism and gastrointestinal conditions. Pediatrics 2009; 123:1018-24. [PMID: 19255034 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2008-0819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In addition to the core behavioral symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, many patients present with complex medical conditions including gastrointestinal dysfunction. A functional variant in the promoter of the gene encoding the MET receptor tyrosine kinase is associated with autism spectrum disorder, and MET protein expression is decreased in the temporal cortex of subjects with autism spectrum disorder. MET is a pleiotropic receptor that functions in both brain development and gastrointestinal repair. On the basis of these functions, we hypothesized that association of the autism spectrum disorder-associated MET promoter variant may be enriched in a subset of individuals with co-occurring autism spectrum disorder and gastrointestinal conditions. PATIENTS AND METHODS Subjects were 918 individuals from 214 Autism Genetics Resource Exchange families with a complete medical history including gastrointestinal condition report. Genotypes at the autism spectrum disorder-associated MET promoter variant rs1858830 were determined. Family-based association test and chi(2) analyses were used to determine the association of MET rs1858830 alleles with autism spectrum disorder and the presence of gastrointestinal conditions. RESULTS In the entire 214-family sample, the MET rs1858830 C allele was associated with both autism spectrum disorder and gastrointestinal conditions. Stratification by the presence of gastrointestinal conditions revealed that the MET C allele was associated with both autism spectrum disorder and gastrointestinal conditions in 118 families containing at least 1 child with co-occurring autism spectrum disorder and gastrointestinal conditions. In contrast, there was no association of the MET polymorphism with autism spectrum disorder in the 96 families lacking a child with co-occurring autism spectrum disorder and gastrointestinal conditions. chi(2) analyses of MET rs1858830 genotypes indicated over-representation of the C allele in individuals with co-occurring autism spectrum disorder and gastrointestinal conditions compared with non-autism spectrum disorder siblings, parents, and unrelated controls. CONCLUSION These results suggest that disrupted MET signaling may contribute to increased risk for autism spectrum disorder that includes familial gastrointestinal dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Campbell
- Vanderbilt University, 8114 MRB3, 465 21st Ave South, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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