Social skills: Tendencies to engage in groom soliciting, solitary play or sitting alone are highly heritable among macaques. Courtesy of Emory University / Marie Collantes Some aspects of rhesus macaques’ social behavior are strongly shaped by genetics, with differences tied to variants in autism-linked genes, according to a new study. The findings may shed light […]
Growth spurt: An autism-linked mutation shifts the balance of excitatory (pink) and inhibitory (green) neurons during development. Mutations in three genes strongly associated with autism shift the pace at which certain inhibitory and excitatory neurons develop, according to a study published today in Nature. The findings reveal a novel point of convergence by which the […]
Pruning: Neurons from mice lacking one copy of ASH1L (third row) do not prune away as many synapses (bottom row) as control neurons (top and second rows) after stimulation. Loss of the autism-related gene ASH1L leads to excess synapses and autism-like behaviors in mice, according to a study published today in Neuron. Increasing the activity […]
In a fix: mice lacking the autism-related gene POGZ have an altered expression of ADNP, which is also associated with autism. The POGZ gene associated with autism, according to a new mouse study, facilitates the accessibility and expression of genes involved in wiring the brain in utero. People with a mutation in POGZ are more […]
Stress test: high expression of the protein HOMER1A (1, green) exaggerated the loss of SHANK3 (2, pink) from synapses in stressed mice with a mutated copy of the SHANK3 gene. Stressful situations lead to social deficits in mice with a mutated copy of the autism-linked gene SHANK3, according to a new study. The elimination of […]
Lack of isolation: Mutations in the MYT1L gene deactivate a transcription factor that is important for myelin-forming cells that coat nerve fibers. Biophoto Associates / Science Source A variety of traits, including developmental delay and intellectual disability, characterize people with mutations in the autism-related MYT1L gene, according to a new study. The gene encodes a […]
Missing myelin: Clearing TBX1 in mice decreases the amount of myelin around axons in several areas of the white matter of the brain. Courtesy of Hiroi Nonaka Mice lacking a copy of TBX1, a gene in the autism-linked 22q11.2 chromosomal region, are producing too little myelin – the fatty insulation that surrounds neurons – and […]
Voice connection: Zebra finches and other birds that learn songs carry mutations near genes that are often mutated in autism. Courtesy Lomax Boyd Genes that appear to play a role in song learning in some birds are often mutated in autistic people, according to a new study. The results show the value of studying the […]
Increased interest: SCN2A-deficient mice are more likely to socialize like control mice after a mutation in the gene has been corrected. Georgejason / iStock Treatments that counteract the effects of a mutation in an autism-related gene in mice increase the sociability of animals in adulthood, according to a new unpublished study. The researchers presented the […]
Imbalanced Characteristics: Animals with mutated ADNP have motor difficulties that are more pronounced in female mice. Photography by Rick Dahms Mice with a mutation in an autism-related gene called ADNP show gender-specific changes in gene expression, behavior, and other traits, a new study shows. The mice can mimic some of the traits seen in humans […]
Bouton bust: SYNGAP1 helps neurons eliminate old synapses and form new ones after a new experience (left and center left) – a process that is attenuated in mice lacking a copy of the gene (center right and right). Courtesy Gavin Rumbaugh In fact, according to a new study in mice, partial loss of the autism-linked […]
Common and rare variants in or near certain autism-associated genes can have opposite effects on cognition. Likewise, some autistic people carry autism-related variants with opposing effects on levels of intelligence. Two independent teams presented the unpublished results yesterday at the American Society of Human Genetics 2021 conference, which is being held virtually for the second […]
