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Lawther AJ, Zieba J, Fang Z, Furlong TM, Conn I, Govindaraju H, Choong LLY, Turner N, Siddiqui KS, Bridge W, Merlin S, Hyams TC, Killingsworth M, Eapen V, Clarke RA, Walker AK. Antioxidant Behavioural Phenotype in the Immp2l Gene Knock-Out Mouse. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1717. [PMID: 37761857 PMCID: PMC10531238 DOI: 10.3390/genes14091717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction is strongly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the Inner mitochondrial membrane protein 2-like (IMMP2L) gene is linked to autism inheritance. However, the biological basis of this linkage is unknown notwithstanding independent reports of oxidative stress in association with both IMMP2L and ASD. To better understand IMMP2L's association with behaviour, we developed the Immp2lKD knockout (KO) mouse model which is devoid of Immp2l peptidase activity. Immp2lKD -/- KO mice do not display any of the core behavioural symptoms of ASD, albeit homozygous Immp2lKD -/- KO mice do display increased auditory stimulus-driven instrumental behaviour and increased amphetamine-induced locomotion. Due to reports of increased ROS and oxidative stress phenotypes in an earlier truncated Immp2l mouse model resulting from an intragenic deletion within Immp2l, we tested whether high doses of the synthetic mitochondrial targeted antioxidant (MitoQ) could reverse or moderate the behavioural changes in Immp2lKD -/- KO mice. To our surprise, we observed that ROS levels were not increased but significantly lowered in our new Immp2lKD -/- KO mice and that these mice had no oxidative stress-associated phenotypes and were fully fertile with no age-related ataxia or neurodegeneration as ascertained using electron microscopy. Furthermore, the antioxidant MitoQ had no effect on the increased amphetamine-induced locomotion of these mice. Together, these findings indicate that the behavioural changes in Immp2lKD -/- KO mice are associated with an antioxidant-like phenotype with lowered and not increased levels of ROS and no oxidative stress-related phenotypes. This suggested that treatments with antioxidants are unlikely to be effective in treating behaviours directly resulting from the loss of Immp2l/IMMP2L activity, while any behavioural deficits that maybe associated with IMMP2L intragenic deletion-associated truncations have yet to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Lawther
- Laboratory of ImmunoPsychiatry, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Jerzy Zieba
- Laboratory of ImmunoPsychiatry, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
- Department of Psychology, University of Rzeszow, 35-310 Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Zhiming Fang
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2170, Australia; (T.C.H.)
| | - Teri M. Furlong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Illya Conn
- Laboratory of ImmunoPsychiatry, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
- Schizophrenia Research Laboratory, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Hemna Govindaraju
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Laura L. Y. Choong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Nigel Turner
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Khawar Sohail Siddiqui
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Wallace Bridge
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Sam Merlin
- Medical Science, School of Science, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, Sydney, NSW 2751, Australia
| | - Tzipi Cohen Hyams
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2170, Australia; (T.C.H.)
| | - Murray Killingsworth
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2170, Australia; (T.C.H.)
- NSW Health Pathology, Liverpool Hospital Campus, 1 Campbell Street, Liverpool, NSW 2107, Australia
| | - Valsamma Eapen
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2170, Australia; (T.C.H.)
- Academic Unit of Infant Child and Adolescent Services (AUCS), South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, NSW 2170, Australia
| | - Raymond A. Clarke
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2170, Australia; (T.C.H.)
- Academic Unit of Infant Child and Adolescent Services (AUCS), South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, NSW 2170, Australia
| | - Adam K. Walker
- Laboratory of ImmunoPsychiatry, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
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Chamarthi VR, Arangannal P. Prognostic Factors for Successful Dental Treatment in Autistic Children and Adolescents. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023; 16:S45-S50. [PMID: 37663223 PMCID: PMC10474385 DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10005-2607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim The aim of this study was to recognize and assess the prognostic factors which could predict the level of cooperation of children with autism for dental appointments. Methods A total of 395 parents of children with autism participated in this study. Prognostic factors of cooperation were evaluated using questionnaires. Data were collected using parent surveys by a dentist. Statistical analysis Statistical analyses used in the present study include the formation one way and two-way frequency tables, binomial tests, Pearson's Chi-squared tests, Fisher's exact test, and collation of multiple proportions tests. Results Autistic children meeting their own needs, cooperation for nail-clipping and haircuts, smiling frequently, using toothbrushes and toothpaste and being assisted by parents for toothbrushing, and children who brushed their teeth once a day were more cooperative with the dentist. Children who had thumb-sucking and nail-biting habits were cooperative with the dentist. Children who bit their hands appeared to be more cooperative with the dentist when compared to other self-inflicting habits. Conclusion This study identified "prognostic factors" such as their cooperative ability during nail clipping, hair cutting, and ability to read, write, and meet their own needs that are answered by a parent and that may show a child's cooperative potential. How to cite this article Chamarthi VR, Arangannal P. Prognostic Factors for Successful Dental Treatment in Autistic Children and Adolescents. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(S-1):S45-S50.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishnu R Chamarthi
- Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Sathyabama Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ponnudurai Arangannal
- Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Sree Balaji Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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Mpoulimari I, Zintzaras E. Analysis of convergence of linkage and association studies in autism spectrum disorders. Psychiatr Genet 2023; 33:113-124. [PMID: 37212558 DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0000000000000341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders with a strong hereditary component. Although genome-wide linkage studies (GWLS) and [genome-wide association studies (GWAS)] have previously identified hundreds of ASD risk gene loci, the results remain inconclusive. In this study, a genomic convergence approach of GWAS and GWLS for ASD was implemented for the first time in order to identify genomic loci supported by both methods. A database with 32 GWLS and five GWAS for ASD was created. Convergence was quantified as the proportion of significant GWAS markers located within linked regions. Convergence was not found to be significantly higher than expected by chance (z-test = 1,177, P = 0,239). Although convergence is supportive of genuine effects, the lack of agreement between GWLS and GWAS is also indicative that these studies are designed to answer different questions and are not equally well suited for deciphering the genetics of complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Mpoulimari
- Department of Biomathematics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Elias Zintzaras
- Department of Biomathematics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
- The Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Mpoulimari I, Zintzaras E. Identification of Chromosomal Regions Linked to Autism-Spectrum Disorders: A Meta-Analysis of Genome-Wide Linkage Scans. Genet Test Mol Biomarkers 2022; 26:59-69. [PMID: 35225680 DOI: 10.1089/gtmb.2021.0236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders with a strong hereditary component. Although, genome-wide linkage scans (GWLS) and association studies (GWAS) have previously identified hundreds of ASD risk gene loci, the results remain inconclusive. Method: We performed a heterogeneity-based genome search meta-analysis (HEGESMA) of 15 genome scans of autism and ASD. Results: For strictly defined autism, data were analyzed across six separate genome scans. Region 7q22-q34 reached statistical significance in both weighted and unweighted analyses, with evidence of significantly low between-scan heterogeneity. For ASDs (data from 12 separate scans), chromosomal regions 5p15.33-5p15.1 and 15q22.32-15q26.1 reached significance in both weighted and unweighted analyses but did not reach significance for either low or high heterogeneity. Region 1q23.2-1q31.1 was significant in unweighted analyses with low between-scan heterogeneity. Finally, region 8p21.1-8q13.2 reached significant linkage peak in all our meta-analyses. When we combined all available genome scans (15), the same results were produced. Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that these regions should be further investigated for autism susceptibility genes, with the caveat that autism spectrum disorders have different linkage signals across genome scans, possibly because of the high genetic heterogeneity of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Mpoulimari
- Department of Biomathematics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Elias Zintzaras
- Department of Biomathematics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.,The Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Genome-wide haplotype association study in imaging genetics using whole-brain sulcal openings of 16,304 UK Biobank subjects. Eur J Hum Genet 2021; 29:1424-1437. [PMID: 33664500 PMCID: PMC8440755 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-021-00827-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging-genetics cohorts gather two types of data: brain imaging and genetic data. They allow the discovery of associations between genetic variants and brain imaging features. They are invaluable resources to study the influence of genetics and environment in the brain features variance observed in normal and pathological populations. This study presents a genome-wide haplotype analysis for 123 brain sulcus opening value (a measure of sulcal width) across the whole brain that include 16,304 subjects from UK Biobank. Using genetic maps, we defined 119,548 blocks of low recombination rate distributed along the 22 autosomal chromosomes and analyzed 1,051,316 haplotypes. To test associations between haplotypes and complex traits, we designed three statistical approaches. Two of them use a model that includes all the haplotypes for a single block, while the last approach considers each haplotype independently. All the statistics produced were assessed as rigorously as possible. Thanks to the rich imaging dataset at hand, we used resampling techniques to assess False Positive Rate for each statistical approach in a genome-wide and brain-wide context. The results on real data show that genome-wide haplotype analyses are more sensitive than single-SNP approach and account for local complex Linkage Disequilibrium (LD) structure, which makes genome-wide haplotype analysis an interesting and statistically sound alternative to the single-SNP counterpart.
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Salcedo-Arellano MJ, Cabal-Herrera AM, Punatar RH, Clark CJ, Romney CA, Hagerman RJ. Overlapping Molecular Pathways Leading to Autism Spectrum Disorders, Fragile X Syndrome, and Targeted Treatments. Neurotherapeutics 2021; 18:265-283. [PMID: 33215285 PMCID: PMC8116395 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-020-00968-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are subdivided into idiopathic (unknown) etiology and secondary, based on known etiology. There are hundreds of causes of ASD and most of them are genetic in origin or related to the interplay of genetic etiology and environmental toxicology. Approximately 30 to 50% of the etiologies can be identified when using a combination of available genetic testing. Many of these gene mutations are either core components of the Wnt signaling pathway or their modulators. The full mutation of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene leads to fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common cause of monogenic origin of ASD, accounting for ~ 2% of the cases. There is an overlap of molecular mechanisms in those with idiopathic ASD and those with FXS, an interaction between various signaling pathways is suggested during the development of the autistic brain. This review summarizes the cross talk between neurobiological pathways found in ASD and FXS. These signaling pathways are currently under evaluation to target specific treatments in search of the reversal of the molecular abnormalities found in both idiopathic ASD and FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Jimena Salcedo-Arellano
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA.
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute UCDHS, University of California Davis, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA.
| | - Ana Maria Cabal-Herrera
- Group on Congenital Malformations and Dysmorphology, Faculty of Health, Universidad del Valle, Cali, 00000, Colombia
| | - Ruchi Harendra Punatar
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute UCDHS, University of California Davis, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
| | - Courtney Jessica Clark
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute UCDHS, University of California Davis, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
| | - Christopher Allen Romney
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute UCDHS, University of California Davis, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
| | - Randi J Hagerman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA.
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute UCDHS, University of California Davis, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA.
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Yoon SH, Choi J, Lee WJ, Do JT. Genetic and Epigenetic Etiology Underlying Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E966. [PMID: 32244359 PMCID: PMC7230567 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9040966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction, language development delays, repeated body movements, and markedly deteriorated activities and interests. Environmental factors, such as viral infection, parental age, and zinc deficiency, can be plausible contributors to ASD susceptibility. As ASD is highly heritable, genetic risk factors involved in neurodevelopment, neural communication, and social interaction provide important clues in explaining the etiology of ASD. Accumulated evidence also shows an important role of epigenetic factors, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA, in ASD etiology. In this review, we compiled the research published to date and described the genetic and epigenetic epidemiology together with environmental risk factors underlying the etiology of the different phenotypes of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jeong Tae Do
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, KU Institute of Technology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea; (S.H.Y.); (J.C.); (W.J.L.)
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Clarke RA, Furlong TM, Eapen V. Tourette Syndrome Risk Genes Regulate Mitochondrial Dynamics, Structure, and Function. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:556803. [PMID: 33776808 PMCID: PMC7987655 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.556803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics with an estimated prevalence of 1% in children and adolescents. GTS has high rates of inheritance with many rare mutations identified. Apart from the role of the neurexin trans-synaptic connexus (NTSC) little has been confirmed regarding the molecular basis of GTS. The NTSC pathway regulates neuronal circuitry development, synaptic connectivity and neurotransmission. In this study we integrate GTS mutations into mitochondrial pathways that also regulate neuronal circuitry development, synaptic connectivity and neurotransmission. Many deleterious mutations in GTS occur in genes with complementary and consecutive roles in mitochondrial dynamics, structure and function (MDSF) pathways. These genes include those involved in mitochondrial transport (NDE1, DISC1, OPA1), mitochondrial fusion (OPA1), fission (ADCY2, DGKB, AMPK/PKA, RCAN1, PKC), mitochondrial metabolic and bio-energetic optimization (IMMP2L, MPV17, MRPL3, MRPL44). This study is the first to develop and describe an integrated mitochondrial pathway in the pathogenesis of GTS. The evidence from this study and our earlier modeling of GTS molecular pathways provides compounding support for a GTS deficit in mitochondrial supply affecting neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond A Clarke
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Teri M Furlong
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Valsamma Eapen
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.,South West Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
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Chandrashekhar S, S Bommangoudar J. Management of Autistic Patients in Dental Office: A Clinical Update. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2018; 11:219-227. [PMID: 30131645 PMCID: PMC6102426 DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is an intellectual developmental disorder characterized by insidious disability in communication, social interaction, and using language and abstract concepts. This organic disorder is known to have deformities in brain, i.e., cerebellum and limbic system, showing wide spectrum of systemic and behavioral symptoms. The oral health care of such patients can be complicated as they cannot verbalize complaints about any dental problems they may be experiencing and can display a variety of behaviors and reactions to small changes also. This study summarizes etiology and diagnosis of this disorder with the special emphasis on the issues encountered while coping with children with autistic spectrum. How to cite this article: Chandrashekhar S, Bommangoudar JS. Management of Autistic Patients in Dental Office: A Clinical Update. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2018;11(3):219-227.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashidhar Chandrashekhar
- Professor, Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics S.M.B.T. Dental College & Hospital, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra India
| | - Jyothi S Bommangoudar
- Reader, Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, S.M.B.T Dental College & Hospital, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, India
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Stafford N, Wilson C, Oceandy D, Neyses L, Cartwright EJ. The Plasma Membrane Calcium ATPases and Their Role as Major New Players in Human Disease. Physiol Rev 2017; 97:1089-1125. [PMID: 28566538 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00028.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Ca2+ extrusion function of the four mammalian isoforms of the plasma membrane calcium ATPases (PMCAs) is well established. There is also ever-increasing detail known of their roles in global and local Ca2+ homeostasis and intracellular Ca2+ signaling in a wide variety of cell types and tissues. It is becoming clear that the spatiotemporal patterns of expression of the PMCAs and the fact that their abundances and relative expression levels vary from cell type to cell type both reflect and impact on their specific functions in these cells. Over recent years it has become increasingly apparent that these genes have potentially significant roles in human health and disease, with PMCAs1-4 being associated with cardiovascular diseases, deafness, autism, ataxia, adenoma, and malarial resistance. This review will bring together evidence of the variety of tissue-specific functions of PMCAs and will highlight the roles these genes play in regulating normal physiological functions and the considerable impact the genes have on human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Stafford
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Wilson
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Delvac Oceandy
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Ludwig Neyses
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth J Cartwright
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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GABA A receptor subunit gene polymorphisms predict symptom-based and developmental deficits in Chinese Han children and adolescents with autistic spectrum disorders. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3290. [PMID: 28607477 PMCID: PMC5468250 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03666-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
GABAA receptor subunit genes GABRB3, GABRA5, and GABRG3 located on chromosome 15q11-q13 have been implicated in the etiology of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). This study intended to investigate the possible role of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) present in GABRB3 (rs2081648 and rs1426217), GABRA5 (rs35586628), and GABRG3 (rs208129) genes in ASD susceptibility and symptom-based and developmental phenotypes of ASD in Chinese Han children and adolescents. 99 ASD patients and 231 age- and gender- frequency-matched typical developing (TD) controls were tested by TaqMan® genotyping assay. Symptom-based phenotypes were evaluated by Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), and developmental phenotypes were assessed by Early Childhood Development Questionnaire (ECDQ) in ASD patients. Three haplotypes and global χ 2 test of all SNPs demonstrated significant associations between ASD and TD groups. Besides, GABRB3 rs2081648, GABRA5 rs35586628, and GABRG3 rs208129 polymorphisms were associated with symptom-based deficits in social interaction, sensorimotor and somatosensory coordination, visual response, imitation, activity level, language expression and adaptability. Developmental abnormalities in late emergences of social interaction and fine motor were detected in GABRB3 rs2081648 polymorphism. Overall results indicated that gene synergy may participate in ASD pathogenesis, and GABAA receptor gene polymorphisms can predict symptom-based and developmental deficits in ASD individuals.
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Mahmoodian Sani MR, Hashemzadeh-Chaleshtori M, Saidijam M, Jami MS, Ghasemi-Dehkordi P. MicroRNA-183 Family in Inner Ear: Hair Cell Development and Deafness. J Audiol Otol 2016; 20:131-138. [PMID: 27942598 PMCID: PMC5144812 DOI: 10.7874/jao.2016.20.3.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Revised: 07/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
miRNAs are essential factors of an extensively conserved post-transcriptional process controlling gene expression at mRNA level. Varoius biological processes such as growth and differentiation are regulated by miRNAs. Web of Science and PubMed databases were searched using the Endnote software for the publications about the role miRNA-183 family in inner ear: hair cell development and deafness published from 2000 to 2016. A triplet of these miRNAs particularly the miR-183 family is highly expressed in vertebrate hair cells, as with some of the peripheral neurosensory cells. Point mutations in one member of this family, miR-96, underlie DFNA50 autosomal deafness in humans and lead to abnormal hair cell development and survival in mice. In zebrafish, overexpression of the miR-183 family induces extra and ectopic hair cells, while knockdown decreases the number of hair cell. The miR-183 family (miR-183, miR-96 and miR-182) is expressed abundantly in some types of sensory cell in the eye, nose and inner ear. In the inner ear, mechanosensory hair cells have a robust expression level. Despite much similarity of these miRs sequences, small differences lead to distinct targeting of messenger RNAs targets. In the near future, miRNAs are likely to be explored as potential therapeutic agents to repair or regenerate hair cells, cell reprogramming and regenerative medicine applications in animal models because they can simultaneously down-regulate dozens or even hundreds of transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Reza Mahmoodian Sani
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | | | - Massoud Saidijam
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Saeid Jami
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Sharekord, Iran
| | - Payam Ghasemi-Dehkordi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Sharekord, Iran
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Cao X, Tabuchi K. Functions of synapse adhesion molecules neurexin/neuroligins and neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurosci Res 2016; 116:3-9. [PMID: 27664583 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2016.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Revised: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Neurexins and neuroligins are two distinct families of single-pass transmembrane proteins localized at pre- and postsynapses, respectively. They trans-synaptically interact with each other and induce synapse formation and maturation. Common variants and rare mutations, including copy number variations, short deletions, and single or small nucleotide changes in neurexin and neuroligin genes have been linked to the neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). In this review, we summarize the structure and basic synaptic function of neurexins and neuroligins, followed by behaviors and synaptic phenotypes of knock-in and knock-out mouse of these family genes. From the studies of these mice, it turns out that the effects of neurexins and neuroligins are amazingly neural circuit dependent, even within the same brain region. In addition, neurexins and neuroligins are commonly involved in the endocannabinoid signaling. These finding may provide not only insight into understanding the pathophysiology, but also the concept for strategy of therapeutic intervention for ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueshan Cao
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Tabuchi
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan; Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Cutting Edge Research, Shinshu University, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
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14
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Benítez-Burraco A, Murphy E. The Oscillopathic Nature of Language Deficits in Autism: From Genes to Language Evolution. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:120. [PMID: 27047363 PMCID: PMC4796018 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders involving a number of deficits to linguistic cognition. The gap between genetics and the pathophysiology of ASD remains open, in particular regarding its distinctive linguistic profile. The goal of this article is to attempt to bridge this gap, focusing on how the autistic brain processes language, particularly through the perspective of brain rhythms. Due to the phenomenon of pleiotropy, which may take some decades to overcome, we believe that studies of brain rhythms, which are not faced with problems of this scale, may constitute a more tractable route to interpreting language deficits in ASD and eventually other neurocognitive disorders. Building on recent attempts to link neural oscillations to certain computational primitives of language, we show that interpreting language deficits in ASD as oscillopathic traits is a potentially fruitful way to construct successful endophenotypes of this condition. Additionally, we will show that candidate genes for ASD are overrepresented among the genes that played a role in the evolution of language. These genes include (and are related to) genes involved in brain rhythmicity. We hope that the type of steps taken here will additionally lead to a better understanding of the comorbidity, heterogeneity, and variability of ASD, and may help achieve a better treatment of the affected populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elliot Murphy
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College LondonLondon, UK
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15
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Lee SY, Lee AR, Hwangbo R, Han J, Hong M, Bahn GH. Is Oxytocin Application for Autism Spectrum Disorder Evidence-Based? Exp Neurobiol 2015; 24:312-24. [PMID: 26713079 PMCID: PMC4688331 DOI: 10.5607/en.2015.24.4.312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits within two core symptom domains: social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors. Although numerous studies have reported psychopharmacological treatment outcomes for the core symptom domains of ASD, there are not enough studies on fundamental treatments based on the etiological pathology of ASD. Studies on candidate medications related to the pathogenesis of ASD, such as naltrexone and secretin, were conducted, but the results were inconclusive. Oxytocin has been identified as having an important role in maternal behavior and attachment, and it has been recognized as a key factor in the social developmental deficit seen in ASD. Genetic studies have also identified associations between ASD and the oxytocin pathway. As ASD has its onset in infancy, parents are willing to try even experimental or unapproved treatments in an effort to avoid missing the critical period for diagnosis and treatment, which can place their child in an irreversible state. While therapeutic application of oxytocin for ASD is in its early stages, we have concluded that oxytocin would be a promising therapeutic substance via a thorough literature review focusing on the following: the relationship between oxytocin and sociality; single nucleotide polymorphisms as a biological marker of ASD; and validity verification of oxytocin treatment in humans. We also reviewed materials related to the mechanism of oxytocin action that may support its potential application in treating ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Yup Lee
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02543, Korea
| | - Ah Rah Lee
- Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul 02543, Korea
| | - Ram Hwangbo
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul 02447, Korea
| | - Juhee Han
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul 02447, Korea
| | - Minha Hong
- Department of Psychiatry, Seonam University, College of Medicine, Myongji Hospital, Goyang 10475, Korea
| | - Geon Ho Bahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul 02447, Korea
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16
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Liu J, Yang A, Zhang Q, Yang G, Yang W, Lei H, Quan J, Qu F, Wang M, Zhang Z, Yu K. Association between genetic variants in SLC25A12 and risk of autism spectrum disorders: An integrated meta-analysis. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2015; 168B:236-46. [PMID: 25921325 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The solute carrier family 25 (aspartate/glutamate carrier), member 12 gene (SLC25A12) has been strongly posed as a candidate gene for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) given its important role in mitochondrial function and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. Evidence is mounting for the association between SLC25A12 variants (rs2056202 and rs2292813) and ASD risk, but the results are inconsistent. To clarify the effect of these two variants on ASD, a meta-analysis integrating case-control and transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) studies was performed. The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese BioMedical Literature (CBM), Wanfang, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases were systematically searched to identify relevant studies published up to May 2014. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated to assess the strength of association. A total of 775 cases, 922 controls, and 1289 families available from 8 studies concerning rs2056202, and 465 cases, 450 controls, and 1516 families available from 7 studies concerning rs2292813 were finally included. In the overall meta-analysis, the rs2056202 T allele and rs2292813 T allele were both significantly associated with a decreased risk of ASD (rs2056202: OR = 0.809, P = 0.001, 95%CI: 0.713-0.917, I(2) = 0.0%, and P(heterogeneity) = 0.526; rs2292813: OR = 0.752, P < 0.001, 95%CI: 0.649-0.871, I(2) = 0.0%, P(heterogeneity) = 0.486). Besides, subjects with T-T haplotype of rs2056202-rs2292813 had a significantly reduced risk of ASD (OR = 0.672, P < 0.001, 95%CI: 0.564-0.801, I(2) = 0.0%, P(heterogeneity) = 0.631). Sensitivity analysis, cumulative meta-analysis, and publication bias diagnostics confirmed the reliability and stability of our results. Our meta-analysis suggests that rs2056202 and rs2292813 in SLC25A12 may contribute significantly to ASD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Xiaoshan Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Aiping Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Xiaoshan Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qunwei Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Xiaoshan Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guohui Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Xiaoshan Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenjun Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Xiaoshan Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Heyue Lei
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Xiaoshan Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianjun Quan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Xiaoshan Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fei Qu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Xiaoshan Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Xiaoshan Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zengyu Zhang
- Department of Paediatrics, Xiaoshan No.1 Hospital Affiliated to Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ke Yu
- Zhejiang-California International Nanosystems Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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17
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Chaste P, Klei L, Sanders SJ, Hus V, Murtha MT, Lowe JK, Willsey AJ, Moreno-De-Luca D, Yu TW, Fombonne E, Geschwind D, Grice DE, Ledbetter DH, Mane SM, Martin DM, Morrow EM, Walsh CA, Sutcliffe JS, Martin CL, Beaudet AL, Lord C, State MW, Cook EH, Devlin B. A genome-wide association study of autism using the Simons Simplex Collection: Does reducing phenotypic heterogeneity in autism increase genetic homogeneity? Biol Psychiatry 2015; 77:775-84. [PMID: 25534755 PMCID: PMC4379124 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2014] [Revised: 09/02/2014] [Accepted: 09/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phenotypic heterogeneity in autism has long been conjectured to be a major hindrance to the discovery of genetic risk factors, leading to numerous attempts to stratify children based on phenotype to increase power of discovery studies. This approach, however, is based on the hypothesis that phenotypic heterogeneity closely maps to genetic variation, which has not been tested. Our study examines the impact of subphenotyping of a well-characterized autism spectrum disorder (ASD) sample on genetic homogeneity and the ability to discover common genetic variants conferring liability to ASD. METHODS Genome-wide genotypic data of 2576 families from the Simons Simplex Collection were analyzed in the overall sample and phenotypic subgroups defined on the basis of diagnosis, IQ, and symptom profiles. We conducted a family-based association study, as well as estimating heritability and evaluating allele scores for each phenotypic subgroup. RESULTS Association analyses revealed no genome-wide significant association signal. Subphenotyping did not increase power substantially. Moreover, allele scores built from the most associated single nucleotide polymorphisms, based on the odds ratio in the full sample, predicted case status in subsets of the sample equally well and heritability estimates were very similar for all subgroups. CONCLUSIONS In genome-wide association analysis of the Simons Simplex Collection sample, reducing phenotypic heterogeneity had at most a modest impact on genetic homogeneity. Our results are based on a relatively small sample, one with greater homogeneity than the entire population; if they apply more broadly, they imply that analysis of subphenotypes is not a productive path forward for discovering genetic risk variants in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Chaste
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; FondaMental Foundation, Créteil; Centre Hospitalier Sainte Anne, Paris, France.
| | - Lambertus Klei
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of
Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Stephan J. Sanders
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Francisco,
California, USA
| | - Vanessa Hus
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI,
USA
| | - Michael T. Murtha
- Program on Neurogenetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jennifer K. Lowe
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology and Center for Autism
Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University
of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - A. Jeremy Willsey
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Francisco,
California, USA
| | - Daniel Moreno-De-Luca
- Program on Neurogenetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Timothy W. Yu
- Division of Genetics, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard
Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eric Fombonne
- Department of Psychiatry and Institute for Development and
disability, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Daniel Geschwind
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology and Center for
Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine,
University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dorothy E. Grice
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York,
New York, USA
| | - David H. Ledbetter
- Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger Health
System, Danville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Donna M. Martin
- Departments of Pediatrics and Human Genetics, University of
Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Eric M. Morrow
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry,
Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Christopher A. Walsh
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Division of Genetics,
Children's Hospital Boston, and Neurology and Pediatrics, Harvard Medical
School Center for Life Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - James S. Sutcliffe
- Departments of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics and
Psychiatry, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN,
USA
| | - Christa Lese Martin
- Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger Health
System, Danville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Arthur L. Beaudet
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of
Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Catherine Lord
- Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, Weill Cornell Medical
College, White Plains, New York, USA
| | - Matthew W. State
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New
Haven, Connecticut, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Francisco,
California, USA
| | - Edwin H. Cook
- Institute for Juvenile Research, Department of Psychiatry,
University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Bernie Devlin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of
Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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18
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Wise AS, Shi M, Weinberg CR. Learning about the X from our parents. Front Genet 2015; 6:15. [PMID: 25713581 PMCID: PMC4322752 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The X chromosome is generally understudied in association studies, in part because the analyst has had limited methodological options. For nuclear-family-based association studies, most current methods extend the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) to the X chromosome. We present a new method to study association in case-parent triads: the parent-informed likelihood ratio test for the X chromosome (PIX-LRT). Our method enables estimation of relative risks and takes advantage of parental genotype information and the sex of the affected offspring to increase statistical power to detect an effect. Under a parental exchangeability assumption for the X, if case-parent triads are complete, the parents of affected offspring provide an independent replication sample for estimates based on transmission distortion to their affected offspring. For each offspring sex we combine the parent-level and the offspring-level information to form a likelihood ratio test statistic; we then combine the two to form a combined test statistic. Our method can estimate relative risks under different modes of inheritance or a more general co-dominant model. In triads with missing parental genotypes, the method accounts for missingness with the Expectation-Maximization algorithm. We calculate non-centrality parameters to assess the power gain and robustness of our method compared to alternative methods. We apply PIX-LRT to publically available data from an international consortium of genotyped families affected by the birth defect oral cleft and find a strong, internally-replicated signal for a SNP marker related to cleft lip with or without cleft palate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison S Wise
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park Durham, NC, USA ; Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Min Shi
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park Durham, NC, USA
| | - Clarice R Weinberg
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park Durham, NC, USA
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19
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Abstract
Social cognition is a major problem underlying deficiencies in interpersonal relationships in several psychiatric populations. And yet there is currently no gold standard for pharmacological treatment of psychiatric illness that directly targets these social cognitive areas. This chapter serves to illustrate some of the most innovative attempts at pharmacological modulation of social cognition in psychiatric illnesses including schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, autism spectrum disorders, antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy, social anxiety disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Pharmacological modulation includes studies administering oxytocin, ecstasy (MDMA), modafinil, methylphenidate, and D-cycloserine. Furthermore, some background on social cognition research in healthy individuals, which could be helpful in developing future treatments, is provided as well as the potential for each drug as a long-term treatment option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Patin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, 53105, Bonn, Germany
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20
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Liang S, Wang XL, Zou MY, Wang H, Zhou X, Sun CH, Xia W, Wu LJ, Fujisawa TX, Tomoda A. Family-based association study of ZNF533, DOCK4 and IMMP2L gene polymorphisms linked to autism in a northeastern Chinese Han population. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2014; 15:264-71. [PMID: 24599690 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b1300133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A study in a Caucasian population has identified two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ZNF533, one in DOCK4, and two in IMMP2L, which were all significantly associated with autism. They are located in AUTS1 and AUTS5, which have been identified as autism susceptibility loci in several genome-wide screens. The present study aimed to investigate whether ZNF533, DOCK4, and IMMP2L genes are also associated with autism in a northeastern Chinese Han population. METHODS We performed a similar association study using families with three individuals (one autistic child and two unaffected parents). A family-based transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) was used to analyze the results. RESULTS There were significant associations between autism and the two SNPs of ZNF533 gene (rs11885327: χ(2)=4.5200, P=0.0335; rs1964081: χ(2)=4.2610, P=0.0390) and the SNP of DOCK4 gene (rs2217262: χ(2)=5.3430, P=0.0208). CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that ZNF533 and DOCK4 genes are linked to a predisposition to autism in the northeastern Chinese Han population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Liang
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China; Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, 23-3 Matsuoka-Shimoaizuki, Eiheiji-cho, Fukui 910-1193, Japan
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21
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Lagunju IA, Bella-Awusah TT, Omigbodun OO. Autistic disorder in Nigeria: profile and challenges to management. Epilepsy Behav 2014; 39:126-9. [PMID: 25240124 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2014.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2014] [Revised: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 08/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Autism represents one of the most common developmental disorders affecting children, but there are few reports on autism in African children. Our study describes the profile of autistic disorder in a cohort of Nigerian children and appraises short-term outcomes. Children seen at the pediatric neurology and the child psychiatry clinic of the University College Hospital, Nigeria were screened for autistic disorder using the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV. Forty-five males and 9 females were identified with autism, and the disease accounted for 2.3% of 2320 new cases seen during the period. The mean age at which parents observed deviations in behavior was 22.5 (SD=6.6) months, while the mean age at diagnosis was 44.7 (SD=21.2) months. Twelve (22.6%) children had a positive family history of autism, and forty (75.5%) had associated neurological comorbidities. Diagnosis of autism is often delayed in Nigeria, and affected children have a high frequency of neurological comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- I A Lagunju
- Department of Paediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; Department of Paediatrics, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
| | - T T Bella-Awusah
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - O O Omigbodun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
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22
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Limeres-Posse J, Castaño-Novoa P, Abeleira-Pazos M, Ramos-Barbosa I. Behavioural aspects of patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) that affect their dental management. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal 2014; 19:e467-72. [PMID: 24608219 PMCID: PMC4192569 DOI: 10.4317/medoral.19566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Dental treatment in patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) can be complicated due to the presence of behavioral alterations. In this group, there are no specific behavioral profiles that allow dentist to anticipate the attitude that a patient will show during a visit. Thus, behavioral attitudes have been described that vary from total permissiveness and collaboration during even bloody procedures, to the absolute impossibility in conducting a simple oral examination.
There is no effective behavioral management technique for all ASD patients. Prior information, such as the type of ASD or the presence of certain concurrent pathologies can help predict the patient’s likely behavior. Therefore, gathering all the information in a preliminary interview with the parents/guardians of the patient is recommended. Knowing these factors will allow individualized behavioral management strategies to be designed and facilitates the planning of dental treatment.
Key words:Dentistry, autism, ASD, behavior management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacobo Limeres-Posse
- Unidad de Pacientes Especiales, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología (USC), c/ Entrerríos sn, 15782 Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña), Spain,
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23
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Plasma oxytocin concentrations and OXTR polymorphisms predict social impairments in children with and without autism spectrum disorder. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:12258-63. [PMID: 25092315 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1402236111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) and its receptor (OXTR) regulate social functioning in animals and humans. Initial clinical research suggests that dysregulated plasma OXT concentrations and/or OXTR SNPs may be biomarkers of social impairments in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We do not know, however, whether OXT dysregulation is unique to ASD or whether OXT biology influences social functioning more generally, thus contributing to, but not causing, ASD phenotypes. To distinguish between these possibilities, we tested in a child ASD cohort, which included unaffected siblings and unrelated neurotypical controls (ages 3-12 y; n = 193), whether plasma OXT concentrations and OXTR SNPs (i) interact to produce ASD phenotypes, (ii) exert differential phenotypic effects in ASD vs. non-ASD children, or (iii) have similar phenotypic effects independent of disease status. In the largest cohort tested to date, we found no evidence to support the OXT deficit hypothesis of ASD. Rather, OXT concentrations strongly and positively predicted theory of mind and social communication performance in all groups. Furthermore, OXT concentrations showed significant heritability between ASD-discordant siblings (h(2) = 85.5%); a heritability estimate on par with that of height in humans. Finally, carriers of the "G" allele of rs53576 showed impaired affect recognition performance and carriers of the "A" allele of rs2254298 exhibited greater global social impairments in all groups. These findings indicate that OXT biology is not uniquely associated with ASD, but instead exerts independent, additive, and highly heritable influences on individual differences in human social functioning, including the severe social impairments which characterize ASD.
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24
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Ceroni F, Simpson NH, Francks C, Baird G, Conti-Ramsden G, Clark A, Bolton PF, Hennessy ER, Donnelly P, Bentley DR, Martin H, Parr J, Pagnamenta AT, Maestrini E, Bacchelli E, Fisher SE, Newbury DF. Homozygous microdeletion of exon 5 in ZNF277 in a girl with specific language impairment. Eur J Hum Genet 2014; 22:1165-71. [PMID: 24518835 PMCID: PMC4169542 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2014.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Revised: 10/28/2013] [Accepted: 12/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Specific language impairment (SLI), an unexpected failure to develop appropriate language skills despite adequate non-verbal intelligence, is a heterogeneous multifactorial disorder with a complex genetic basis. We identified a homozygous microdeletion of 21,379 bp in the ZNF277 gene (NM_021994.2), encompassing exon 5, in an individual with severe receptive and expressive language impairment. The microdeletion was not found in the proband's affected sister or her brother who had mild language impairment. However, it was inherited from both parents, each of whom carries a heterozygous microdeletion and has a history of language problems. The microdeletion falls within the AUTS1 locus, a region linked to autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). Moreover, ZNF277 is adjacent to the DOCK4 and IMMP2L genes, which have been implicated in ASD. We screened for the presence of ZNF277 microdeletions in cohorts of children with SLI or ASD and panels of control subjects. ZNF277 microdeletions were at an increased allelic frequency in SLI probands (1.1%) compared with both ASD family members (0.3%) and independent controls (0.4%). We performed quantitative RT-PCR analyses of the expression of IMMP2L, DOCK4 and ZNF277 in individuals carrying either an IMMP2L_DOCK4 microdeletion or a ZNF277 microdeletion. Although ZNF277 microdeletions reduce the expression of ZNF277, they do not alter the levels of DOCK4 or IMMP2L transcripts. Conversely, IMMP2L_DOCK4 microdeletions do not affect the expression levels of ZNF277. We postulate that ZNF277 microdeletions may contribute to the risk of language impairments in a manner that is independent of the autism risk loci previously described in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola Ceroni
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Nuala H Simpson
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Clyde Francks
- 1] Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands [2] Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Gillian Baird
- Guy's & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, Newcomen Children's Neurosciences Centre, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Gina Conti-Ramsden
- School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Ann Clark
- Speech and Hearing Sciences, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Patrick F Bolton
- Departments of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry & Social Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, London, UK
| | | | - Peter Donnelly
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David R Bentley
- Illumina Cambridge Ltd., Chesterford Research Park, Little Chesterford, Essex, UK
| | - Hilary Martin
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | | | - Jeremy Parr
- Institute of Neuroscience and Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
| | - Alistair T Pagnamenta
- 1] Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK [2] NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford and Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Elena Maestrini
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elena Bacchelli
- Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Simon E Fisher
- 1] Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, Netherlands [2] Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition & Behaviour, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Dianne F Newbury
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Genetic predisposition of behavioral response. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:1672-3. [DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1323421111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Noriega DB, Savelkoul HFJ. Immune dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder. Eur J Pediatr 2014; 173:33-43. [PMID: 24297668 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-013-2183-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common and severe neuro-developmental disorder in early childhood which is defined by social and communication deficits and repetitive and stereotypic behaviours. The aetiology of ASD remains poorly understood. Susceptibility to development of ASD has significant environmental components, in addition to the profound genetic heritability. Few genes have been associated to the risk for ASD development. There is substantial evidence implicating chronic neurological inflammation and immune dysregulation leading to upregulation of inflammatory cytokines in the ASD brain, probably due to altered blood-brain barrier function. The immune system is characterized by excessive and skewed cytokine responses, modulated T cell reactivity, decreased regulation and production of immunosuppressive cytokines, modified NK function and increased autoantibody production. CONCLUSION The perinatal environment generates vulnerability to chronic neuro-inflammation in the brain associated with profound modulation and dysregulation in the immune system leading to the rapid development of ASD in genetically susceptible children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Briceno Noriega
- Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Sampath S, Bhat S, Gupta S, O’Connor A, West AB, Arking DE, Chakravarti A. Defining the contribution of CNTNAP2 to autism susceptibility. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77906. [PMID: 24147096 PMCID: PMC3798378 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple lines of genetic evidence suggest a role for CNTNAP2 in autism. To assess its population impact we studied 2148 common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) across the entire ~3.3 Mb CNTNAP2 locus in 186 (408 trios) multiplex and 323 simplex families with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). This analysis yielded two SNPs with nominal statistical significance (rs17170073, p = 2.0 x 10-4; rs2215798, p = 1.6 x 10-4) that did not survive multiple testing. In a combined analysis of all families, two highly correlated (r2 = 0.99) SNPs in intron 14 showed significant association with autism (rs2710093, p = 9.0 x 10-6; rs2253031, p = 2.5 x 10-5). To validate these findings and associations at SNPs from previous autism studies (rs7794745, rs2710102 and rs17236239) we genotyped 2051 additional families (572 multiplex and 1479 simplex). None of these variants were significantly associated with ASD after corrections for multiple testing. The analysis of Mendelian errors within each family did not indicate any segregating deletions. Nevertheless, a study of CNTNAP2 gene expression in brains of autistic patients and of normal controls, demonstrated altered expression in a subset of patients (p = 1.9 x10-5). Consequently, this study suggests that although CNTNAP2 dysregulation plays a role in some cases, its population contribution to autism susceptibility is limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srirangan Sampath
- Center for Complex Disease Genomics, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetics Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Shambu Bhat
- Center for Complex Disease Genomics, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetics Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Simone Gupta
- Center for Complex Disease Genomics, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetics Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ashley O’Connor
- Center for Complex Disease Genomics, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetics Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Andrew B. West
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Dan E. Arking
- Center for Complex Disease Genomics, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetics Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Aravinda Chakravarti
- Center for Complex Disease Genomics, McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetics Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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Neuroligin1 drives synaptic and behavioral maturation through intracellular interactions. J Neurosci 2013; 33:9364-84. [PMID: 23719805 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4660-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro studies suggest that the intracellular C terminus of Neuroligin1 (NL1) could play a central role in the maturation of excitatory synapses. However, it is unknown how this activity affects synapses in vivo, and whether it may impact the development of complex behaviors. To determine how NL1 influences the state of glutamatergic synapses in vivo, we compared the synaptic and behavioral phenotypes of mice overexpressing a full-length version of NL1 (NL1FL) with mice overexpressing a version missing part of the intracellular domain (NL1ΔC). We show that overexpression of full-length NL1 yielded an increase in the proportion of synapses with mature characteristics and impaired learning and flexibility. In contrast, the overexpression of NL1ΔC increased the number of excitatory postsynaptic structures and led to enhanced flexibility in mnemonic and social behaviors. Transient overexpression of NL1FL revealed that elevated levels are not necessary to maintain synaptic and behavioral states altered earlier in development. In contrast, overexpression of NL1FL in the fully mature adult was able to impair normal learning behavior after 1 month of expression. These results provide the first evidence that NL1 significantly impacts key developmental processes that permanently shape circuit function and behavior, as well as the function of fully developed neural circuits. Overall, these manipulations of NL1 function illuminate the significance of NL1 intracellular signaling in vivo, and enhance our understanding of the factors that gate the maturation of glutamatergic synapses and complex behavior. This has significant implications for our ability to address disorders such as autism spectrum disorders.
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Abstract
AIM To assess the oral health status of autistic children in Chennai. DESIGN AND METHODS Oral health status was assessed for 483 children with autism, solicited from special education schools, autistic child centres and therapy centres. Conditions assessed were plaque accumulation, gingival health, dental caries, malocclusion, developmental anomalies, oral injuries and restorations. STATISTICS Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests of significance were used to compare groups. Proportions test was used to compare the significance of the parameters between boys and girls. RESULTS Autistic children with primary dentition showed significantly higher incidence of dental caries (24%), when compared to other oral conditions. Children with mixed dentition had more gingivitis (50%) and children with permanent dentition had more gingivitis (48.96%) and malocclusion (71.15%). All the oral conditions were seen more in boys than girls. CONCLUSION Autistic children have significantly poor oral hygiene and higher incidence of malocclusion and dental caries when compared to other oral conditions.
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Ebstein RP, Knafo A, Mankuta D, Chew SH, Lai PS. The contributions of oxytocin and vasopressin pathway genes to human behavior. Horm Behav 2012; 61:359-79. [PMID: 22245314 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2011] [Revised: 12/20/2011] [Accepted: 12/21/2011] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) are social hormones and mediate affiliative behaviors in mammals and as recently demonstrated, also in humans. There is intense interest in how these simple nonapeptides mediate normal and abnormal behavior, especially regarding disorders of the social brain such as autism that are characterized by deficits in social communication and social skills. The current review examines in detail the behavioral genetics of the first level of human AVP-OXT pathway genes including arginine vasopressin 1a receptor (AVPR1a), oxytocin receptor (OXTR), AVP (AVP-neurophysin II [NPII]) and OXT (OXT neurophysin I [NPI]), oxytocinase/vasopressinase (LNPEP), ADP-ribosyl cyclase (CD38) and arginine vasopressin 1b receptor (AVPR1b). Wherever possible we discuss evidence from a variety of research tracks including molecular genetics, imaging genomics, pharmacology and endocrinology that support the conclusions drawn from association studies of social phenotypes and detail how common polymorphisms in AVP-OXT pathway genes contribute to the behavioral hard wiring that enables individual Homo sapiens to interact successfully with conspecifics. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Social Behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard P Ebstein
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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Choudhury PR, Lahiri S, Rajamma U. Glutamate mediated signaling in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2012; 100:841-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2011.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2011] [Revised: 05/29/2011] [Accepted: 06/19/2011] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are important neuropsychiatric disorders, currently estimated to affect approximately 1% of children, with considerable emotional and financial costs. Significant collaborative effort has been made over the last 15 years in an attempt to unravel the genetic mechanisms underlying these conditions. This has led to important discoveries, both of the roles of specific genes, as well as larger scale chromosomal copy number changes. Here, we summarize some of the latest genetic findings in the field of ASD and attempt to link them with the results of pathophysiological studies to provide an overall picture of at least one of the mechanisms by which ASD may develop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Holt
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, UK
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Chung RH, Ma D, Wang K, Hedges DJ, Jaworski JM, Gilbert JR, Cuccaro ML, Wright HH, Abramson RK, Konidari I, Whitehead PL, Schellenberg GD, Hakonarson H, Haines JL, Pericak-Vance MA, Martin ER. An X chromosome-wide association study in autism families identifies TBL1X as a novel autism spectrum disorder candidate gene in males. Mol Autism 2011; 2:18. [PMID: 22050706 PMCID: PMC3305893 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-2-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2011] [Accepted: 11/04/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with a strong genetic component. The skewed prevalence toward males and evidence suggestive of linkage to the X chromosome in some studies suggest the presence of X-linked susceptibility genes in people with ASD. METHODS We analyzed genome-wide association study (GWAS) data on the X chromosome in three independent autism GWAS data sets: two family data sets and one case-control data set. We performed meta- and joint analyses on the combined family and case-control data sets. In addition to the meta- and joint analyses, we performed replication analysis by using the two family data sets as a discovery data set and the case-control data set as a validation data set. RESULTS One SNP, rs17321050, in the transducin β-like 1X-linked (TBL1X) gene [OMIM:300196] showed chromosome-wide significance in the meta-analysis (P value = 4.86 × 10-6) and joint analysis (P value = 4.53 × 10-6) in males. The SNP was also close to the replication threshold of 0.0025 in the discovery data set (P = 5.89 × 10-3) and passed the replication threshold in the validation data set (P = 2.56 × 10-4). Two other SNPs in the same gene in linkage disequilibrium with rs17321050 also showed significance close to the chromosome-wide threshold in the meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS TBL1X is in the Wnt signaling pathway, which has previously been implicated as having a role in autism. Deletions in the Xp22.2 to Xp22.3 region containing TBL1X and surrounding genes are associated with several genetic syndromes that include intellectual disability and autistic features. Our results, based on meta-analysis, joint analysis and replication analysis, suggest that TBL1X may play a role in ASD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Hua Chung
- Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, PO Box 019132 (M-860), Miami, FL 33101, USA.
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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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Carayol J, Schellenberg GD, Dombroski B, Genin E, Rousseau F, Dawson G. Autism risk assessment in siblings of affected children using sex-specific genetic scores. Mol Autism 2011; 2:17. [PMID: 22017886 PMCID: PMC3214848 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-2-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2011] [Accepted: 10/21/2011] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The inheritance pattern in most cases of autism is complex. The risk of autism is increased in siblings of children with autism and previous studies have indicated that the level of risk can be further identified by the accumulation of multiple susceptibility single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) allowing for the identification of a higher-risk subgroup among siblings. As a result of the sex difference in the prevalence of autism, we explored the potential for identifying sex-specific autism susceptibility SNPs in siblings of children with autism and the ability to develop a sex-specific risk assessment genetic scoring system. Methods SNPs were chosen from genes known to be associated with autism. These markers were evaluated using an exploratory sample of 480 families from the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE) repository. A reproducibility index (RI) was proposed and calculated in all children with autism and in males and females separately. Differing genetic scoring models were then constructed to develop a sex-specific genetic score model designed to identify individuals with a higher risk of autism. The ability of the genetic scores to identify high-risk children was then evaluated and replicated in an independent sample of 351 affected and 90 unaffected siblings from families with at least 1 child with autism. Results We identified three risk SNPs that had a high RI in males, two SNPs with a high RI in females, and three SNPs with a high RI in both sexes. Using these results, genetic scoring models for males and females were developed which demonstrated a significant association with autism (P = 2.2 × 10-6 and 1.9 × 10-5, respectively). Conclusions Our results demonstrate that individual susceptibility associated SNPs for autism may have important differential sex effects. We also show that a sex-specific risk score based on the presence of multiple susceptibility associated SNPs allow for the identification of subgroups of siblings of children with autism who have a significantly higher risk of autism.
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Repetitive behavior profiles: Consistency across autism spectrum disorder cohorts and divergence from Prader-Willi syndrome. J Neurodev Disord 2011; 3:316-24. [PMID: 21881965 PMCID: PMC3261264 DOI: 10.1007/s11689-011-9094-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2011] [Accepted: 08/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB) is a group of heterogeneous maladaptive behaviors. RRB is one of the key diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and also commonly observed in Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS). In this study, we assessed RRB using the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) in two ASD samples (University of Illinois at Chicago [UIC] and University of Florida [UF]) and one PWS sample. We compared the RBS-R item endorsements across three ASD cohorts (UIC, UF and an ASD sample from Lam, The Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised: independent validation and the effect of subject variables, PhD thesis, 2004), and a PWS sample. We also compared the mean RBS-R subscale/sum scores across the UIC, UF and PWS samples; across the combined ASD (UIC + UF), PWS-deletion and PWS-disomy groups; and across the combined ASD sample, PWS subgroup with a Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) score ≥15, and PWS subgroup with a SCQ score <15. Despite the highly heterogeneous nature, the three ASD samples (UIC, UF and Lam’s) showed a similar pattern of the RBS-R endorsements, and the mean RBS-R scores were not different between the UIC and UF samples. However, higher RRB was noted in the ASD sample compared with the PWS sample, as well as in the PWS subgroup with a SCQ score ≥15 compared with the PWS subgroup with a SCQ score <15. Study limitations include a small sample size, a wide age range of our participants, and not controlling for potential covariates. A future replication study using a larger sample and further investigation into the genetic bases of overlapping ASD and RRB phenomenology are needed, given the higher RRB in the PWS subgroup with a SCQ score ≥15.
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Baron-Cohen S, Lombardo MV, Auyeung B, Ashwin E, Chakrabarti B, Knickmeyer R. Why are autism spectrum conditions more prevalent in males? PLoS Biol 2011; 9:e1001081. [PMID: 21695109 PMCID: PMC3114757 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 417] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) are much more common in males, a bias that may offer clues to the etiology of this condition. Although the cause of this bias remains a mystery, we argue that it occurs because ASC is an extreme manifestation of the male brain. The extreme male brain (EMB) theory, first proposed in 1997, is an extension of the Empathizing-Systemizing (E-S) theory of typical sex differences that proposes that females on average have a stronger drive to empathize while males on average have a stronger drive to systemize. In this first major update since 2005, we describe some of the evidence relating to the EMB theory of ASC and consider how typical sex differences in brain structure may be relevant to ASC. One possible biological mechanism to account for the male bias is the effect of fetal testosterone (fT). We also consider alternative biological theories, the X and Y chromosome theories, and the reduced autosomal penetrance theory. None of these theories has yet been fully confirmed or refuted, though the weight of evidence in favor of the fT theory is growing from converging sources (longitudinal amniocentesis studies from pregnancy to age 10 years old, current hormone studies, and genetic association studies of SNPs in the sex steroid pathways). Ultimately, as these theories are not mutually exclusive and ASC is multi-factorial, they may help explain the male prevalence of ASC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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Kantojärvi K, Kotala I, Rehnström K, Ylisaukko-Oja T, Vanhala R, von Wendt TN, von Wendt L, Järvelä I. Fine mapping of Xq11.1-q21.33 and mutation screening of RPS6KA6, ZNF711, ACSL4, DLG3, and IL1RAPL2 for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Autism Res 2011; 4:228-33. [PMID: 21384559 DOI: 10.1002/aur.187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2010] [Accepted: 01/06/2011] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
About 80% of cases with autism express intellectual disability. Both in autism and in mental retardation without autism the majority of the cases are males, suggesting a X-chromosomal effect. In fact, some molecular evidence has been obtained for a common genetic background for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and X-linked mental retardation (XLMR). In several genome-wide scans (GWS), evidence for linkage at X-chromosome has been reported including the GWS of Finnish ASD families with the highest multipoint lod score (MLS) of 2.75 obtained close to DXS7132 at Xq11.1. To further dissect the relationship between autism and genes implicated in XLMR, we have fine-mapped Xq11.1-q21.33 and analyzed five candidate genes in the region. We refined the region using 26 microsatellite markers and linkage analysis in 99 Finnish families with ASD. The most significant evidence for linkage was observed at DXS1225 on Xq21.1 with a nonparametric multipoint NPL(all) value of 3.43 (P = 0.0004). We sequenced the coding regions and splice sites of RPS6KA6 and ZNF711 residing at the peak region in 42 male patients from families contributing to the linkage. We also analyzed ACSL4 and DLG3, which have previously been known to cause XLMR and IL1RAPL2, a homologous gene for IL1RAPL1 that is mutated in autism and XLMR. A total of six novel and 11 known single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified. Further studies are warranted to analyze the candidate genes at Xq11.1-q21.33.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katri Kantojärvi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Chiocchetti A, Pakalapati G, Duketis E, Wiemann S, Poustka A, Poustka F, Klauck SM. Mutation and expression analyses of the ribosomal protein gene RPL10 in an extended German sample of patients with autism spectrum disorder. Am J Med Genet A 2011; 155A:1472-5. [PMID: 21567917 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.33977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2010] [Accepted: 01/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A Chiocchetti
- Division of Molecular Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
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Chapman NH, Estes A, Munson J, Bernier R, Webb SJ, Rothstein JH, Minshew NJ, Dawson G, Schellenberg GD, Wijsman EM. Genome-scan for IQ discrepancy in autism: evidence for loci on chromosomes 10 and 16. Hum Genet 2011; 129:59-70. [PMID: 20963441 PMCID: PMC3082447 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-010-0899-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2010] [Accepted: 09/28/2010] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Performance IQ (PIQ) greater than verbal IQ (VIQ) is often observed in studies of the cognitive abilities of autistic individuals. This characteristic is correlated with social and communication impairments, key parts of the autism diagnosis. We present the first genetic analyses of IQ discrepancy (PIQ-VIQ) as an autism-related phenotype. We performed genome-wide joint linkage and segregation analyses on 287 multiplex families, using a Markov chain Monte Carlo approach. Genetic data included a genome-scan of 387 micro-satellite markers in 210 families augmented with additional markers added in a subset of families. Empirical P values were calculated for five interesting regions. Linkage analysis identified five chromosomal regions with substantial regional evidence of linkage; 10p12 [P = 0.001; genome-wide (gw) P = 0.05], 16q23 (P = .015; gw P = 0.53), 2p21 (P = 0.03, gw P = 0.78), 6q25 (P = 0.047, gw P = 0.91) and 15q23-25 (P = 0.053, gw P = 0.93). The location of the chromosome 10 linkage signal coincides with a region noted in a much earlier genome-scan for autism, and the chromosome 16 signal coincides exactly with a linkage signal for non-word repetition in specific language impairment. This study provides strong evidence for a QTL influencing IQ discrepancy in families with autistic individuals on chromosome 10, and suggestive evidence for a QTL on chromosome 16. The location of the chromosome 16 signal suggests a candidate gene, CDH13, a T-cadherin expressed in the brain, which has been implicated in previous SNP studies of autism and ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Annette Estes
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jeff Munson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Raphael Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sara J. Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Nancy J. Minshew
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Autism Speaks, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Gerard D. Schellenberg
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ellen M. Wijsman
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Statistical Genetics Lab, T15, 4333 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98195-9460, USA
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Gourdine RM, Baffour TD, Teasley M. Autism and the African American community. SOCIAL WORK IN PUBLIC HEALTH 2011; 26:454-470. [PMID: 21707353 DOI: 10.1080/19371918.2011.579499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
It is estimated that autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect 1 in 500 live births per year. However, due to varying techniques for diagnosis and treatment, the disability remains the subject of debate. African Americans tend to suffer disproportionate rates of disability and disease when compared to other racial and ethnic groups due to access to preventative and curative care. However, evidence demonstrates that although rates of diagnosis for autism occur at the same rates in all racial groups, diagnosis in African American children occurs later than in White children. As a result, African American children may require longer and more intensive intervention. This article examines the etiology of autism, diagnosis, and treatment strategies and its impact on African American families. A case method approach is utilized to describe the impact of autism on an African American family. Implications for future research and professional practice and policy are discussed. Understanding autism is important as it relates to the human genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruby M Gourdine
- School of Social Work, Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia 20059, USA.
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Inoue H, Yamasue H, Tochigi M, Abe O, Liu X, Kawamura Y, Takei K, Suga M, Yamada H, Rogers MA, Aoki S, Sasaki T, Kasai K. Association between the oxytocin receptor gene and amygdalar volume in healthy adults. Biol Psychiatry 2010; 68:1066-72. [PMID: 20832055 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2009] [Revised: 07/10/2010] [Accepted: 07/12/2010] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have suggested that oxytocin affects social cognition and behavior mediated by the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) in amygdala in humans as well as in experimental animals. Genetic studies have revealed a link between the OXTR gene and the susceptibility to autism spectrum disorders (ASD), especially in the social dysfunctional feature of ASD. METHODS We examined the relationship between amygdala volume measured with manual tracing methodology and seven single nucleotide polymorphisms and one haplotype-block in OXTR, which were previously reported to be associated with ASD, in 208 socially intact Japanese adults with no neuropsychiatric history or current diagnosis. RESULTS The rs2254298A allele of OXTR was significantly associated with larger bilateral amygdala volume. The rs2254298A allele effect on amygdala volume varied in proportion to the dose of this allele. The larger the number of rs2254298A alleles an individual had, the larger their amygdala volume. Such an association was not observed with hippocampal volume or with global brain volumes, including whole gray, white matter, and cerebrospinal-fluid space. Furthermore, two three-single nucleotide polymorphism haplotypes, including rs2254298G allele, showed significant associations with the smaller bilateral amygdala volume. CONCLUSIONS The present results suggest that OXTR might be associated with the susceptibility to ASD, especially in its aspects of social interaction and communication mediated by a modulation of amygdala development, one of the most distributed brain regions with high density of OXTR. Furthermore, amygdala volume measured with magnetic resonance imaging could be a useful intermediate phenotype to uncover the complex link between OXTR and social dysfunction in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideyuki Inoue
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Multiple autism-like behaviors in a novel transgenic mouse model. Behav Brain Res 2010; 218:29-41. [PMID: 21093492 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2010] [Revised: 11/05/2010] [Accepted: 11/09/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses are behaviorally based with no defined universal biomarkers, occur at a 1:110 ratio in the population, and predominantly affect males compared to females at approximately a 4:1 ratio. One approach to investigate and identify causes of ASD is to use organisms that display abnormal behavioral responses that model ASD-related impairments. This study describes a novel transgenic mouse, MALTT, which was generated using a forward genetics approach. It was determined that the transgene integrated within a non-coding region on the X chromosome. The MALTT line exhibited a complete repertoire of ASD-like behavioral deficits in all three domains required for an ASD diagnosis: reciprocal social interaction, communication, and repetitive or inflexible behaviors. Specifically, MALTT male mice showed deficits in social interaction and interest, abnormalities in pup and juvenile ultrasonic vocalization communications, and exhibited a repetitive stereotypy. Abnormalities were also observed in the domain of sensory function, a secondary phenotype prevalently associated with ASD. Mapping and expression studies suggested that the Fam46 gene family may be linked to the observed ASD-related behaviors. The MALTT line provides a unique genetic model for examining the underlying biological mechanisms involved in ASD-related behaviors.
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Pagnamenta AT, Bacchelli E, de Jonge MV, Mirza G, Scerri TS, Minopoli F, Chiocchetti A, Ludwig KU, Hoffmann P, Paracchini S, Lowy E, Harold DH, Chapman JA, Klauck SM, Poustka F, Houben RH, Staal WG, Ophoff RA, O'Donovan MC, Williams J, Nöthen MM, Schulte-Körne G, Deloukas P, Ragoussis J, Bailey AJ, Maestrini E, Monaco AP. Characterization of a family with rare deletions in CNTNAP5 and DOCK4 suggests novel risk loci for autism and dyslexia. Biol Psychiatry 2010; 68:320-8. [PMID: 20346443 PMCID: PMC2941017 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2009] [Revised: 01/15/2010] [Accepted: 02/01/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are characterized by social, communication, and behavioral deficits and complex genetic etiology. A recent study of 517 ASD families implicated DOCK4 by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) association and a microdeletion in an affected sibling pair. METHODS The DOCK4 microdeletion on 7q31.1 was further characterized in this family using QuantiSNP analysis of 1M SNP array data and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Extended family members were tested by polymerase chain reaction amplification of junction fragments. DOCK4 dosage was measured in additional samples using SNP arrays. Since QuantiSNP analysis identified a novel CNTNAP5 microdeletion in the same affected sibling pair, this gene was sequenced in 143 additional ASD families. Further polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis included 380 ASD cases and suitable control subjects. RESULTS The maternally inherited microdeletion encompassed chr7:110,663,978-111,257,682 and led to a DOCK4-IMMP2L fusion transcript. It was also detected in five extended family members with no ASD. However, six of nine individuals with this microdeletion had poor reading ability, which prompted us to screen 606 other dyslexia cases. This led to the identification of a second DOCK4 microdeletion co-segregating with dyslexia. Assessment of genomic background in the original ASD family detected a paternal 2q14.3 microdeletion disrupting CNTNAP5 that was also transmitted to both affected siblings. Analysis of other ASD cohorts revealed four additional rare missense changes in CNTNAP5. No exonic deletions of DOCK4 or CNTNAP5 were seen in 2091 control subjects. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights two new risk factors for ASD and dyslexia and demonstrates the importance of performing a high-resolution assessment of genomic background, even after detection of a rare and likely damaging microdeletion using a targeted approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair T. Pagnamenta
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Bacchelli
- Department of Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maretha V. de Jonge
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ghazala Mirza
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas S. Scerri
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Andreas Chiocchetti
- Division of Molecular Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kerstin U. Ludwig
- Department of Genomics, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Per Hoffmann
- Department of Genomics, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Silvia Paracchini
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ernesto Lowy
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Denise H. Harold
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Jade A. Chapman
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Sabine M. Klauck
- Division of Molecular Genome Analysis, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fritz Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Renske H. Houben
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter G. Staal
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Roel A. Ophoff
- Department of Medical Genetics and Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- University of California Los Angeles Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Julie Williams
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Markus M. Nöthen
- Department of Genomics, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Gerd Schulte-Körne
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Panos Deloukas
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Jiannis Ragoussis
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony J. Bailey
- University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Maestrini
- Department of Biology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anthony P. Monaco
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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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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Wermter AK, Kamp-Becker I, Hesse P, Schulte-Körne G, Strauch K, Remschmidt H. Evidence for the involvement of genetic variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) in the etiology of autistic disorders on high-functioning level. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2010; 153B:629-639. [PMID: 19777562 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.31032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
An increasing number of animal studies advert to a substantial role of the neuropeptide oxytocin in the regulation of social attachment and affiliation. Furthermore, animal studies showed anxiety and stress-reduced effects of oxytocin. First human studies confirm these findings in animal studies and implicate a crucial role of oxytocin in human social attachment behavior and in social interactions. Thus, the oxytocin system might be involved in the impairment of social interaction and attachment in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The human oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) represents a plausible candidate gene for the etiology of ASD. To analyze whether genetic variants in the OXTR gene are associated with ASD we performed family-based single-marker and haplotype association analyses with 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the OXTR and its 5' region in 100 families with autistic disorders on high-functioning level (Asperger syndrome (AS), high-functioning autism (HFA), and atypical autism (AA)). Single-marker and haplotype association analyses revealed nominally significant associations of one single SNP and one haplotype with autism, respectively. Furthermore, employing a "reverse phenotyping" approach, patients carrying the haplotype associated with autism showed nominally significant impairments in comparison to noncarriers of the haplotype in items of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised algorithm describing aspects of social interaction and communication. In conclusion, our results implicate that genetic variation in the OXTR gene might be relevant in the etiology of autism on high-functioning level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Kathrin Wermter
- Clinical Research Group, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Inge Kamp-Becker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Hesse
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Gerd Schulte-Körne
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Konstantin Strauch
- Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Helmut Remschmidt
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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Carayol J, Schellenberg GD, Tores F, Hager J, Ziegler A, Dawson G. Assessing the impact of a combined analysis of four common low-risk genetic variants on autism risk. Mol Autism 2010; 1:4. [PMID: 20678243 PMCID: PMC2907567 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-1-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2009] [Accepted: 02/22/2010] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Autism is a complex disorder characterized by deficits involving communication, social interaction, and repetitive and restrictive patterns of behavior. Twin studies have shown that autism is strongly heritable, suggesting a strong genetic component. In other disease states with a complex etiology, such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease, combined analysis of multiple genetic variants in a genetic score has helped to identify individuals at high risk of disease. Genetic scores are designed to test for association of genetic markers with disease. Method The accumulation of multiple risk alleles markedly increases the risk of being affected, and compared with studying polymorphisms individually, it improves the identification of subgroups of individuals at greater risk. In the present study, we show that this approach can be applied to autism by specifically looking at a high-risk population of children who have siblings with autism. A two-sample study design and the generation of a genetic score using multiple independent genes were used to assess the risk of autism in a high-risk population. Results In both samples, odds ratios (ORs) increased significantly as a function of the number of risk alleles, with a genetic score of 8 being associated with an OR of 5.54 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.45 to 12.49). The sensitivities and specificities for each genetic score were similar in both analyses, and the resultant area under the receiver operating characteristic curves were identical (0.59). Conclusions These results suggest that the accumulation of multiple risk alleles in a genetic score is a useful strategy for assessing the risk of autism in siblings of affected individuals, and may be better than studying single polymorphisms for identifying subgroups of individuals with significantly greater risk.
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Cukier HN, Skaar DA, Rayner-Evans MY, Konidari I, Whitehead PL, Jaworski JM, Cuccaro ML, Pericak-Vance MA, Gilbert JR. Identification of chromosome 7 inversion breakpoints in an autistic family narrows candidate region for autism susceptibility. Autism Res 2010; 2:258-66. [PMID: 19877165 DOI: 10.1002/aur.96] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Chromosomal breaks and rearrangements have been observed in conjunction with autism and autistic spectrum disorders. A chromosomal inversion has been previously reported in autistic siblings, spanning the region from approximately 7q22.1 to 7q31. This family is distinguished by having multiple individuals with autism and associated disabilities. The region containing the inversion has been strongly implicated in autism by multiple linkage studies, and has been particularly associated with language defects in autism as well as in other disorders with language components. Mapping of the inversion breakpoints by FISH has localized the inversion to the region spanning approximately 99-108.75 Mb of chromosome 7. The proximal breakpoint has the potential to disrupt either the coding sequence or regulatory regions of a number of cytochrome P450 genes while the distal region falls in a relative gene desert. Copy number variant analysis of the breakpoint regions detected no duplication or deletion that could clearly be associated with disease status. Association analysis in our autism data set using single nucleotide polymorphisms located near the breakpoints showed no significant association with proximal breakpoint markers, but has identified markers near the distal breakpoint ( approximately 108-110 Mb) with significant associations to autism. The chromosomal abnormality in this family strengthens the case for an autism susceptibility gene in the chromosome 7q22-31 region and targets a candidate region for further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly N Cukier
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
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Correia C, Coutinho AM, Almeida J, Lontro R, Lobo C, Miguel TS, Martins M, Gallagher L, Conroy J, Gill M, Oliveira G, Vicente AM. Association of the alpha4 integrin subunit gene (ITGA4) with autism. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2009; 150B:1147-51. [PMID: 19259978 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.30940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
In the present work, we provide further evidence for the involvement of the integrin alpha-4 precursor gene (ITGA4) in the etiology of autism, by replicating previous findings of a genetic association with autism in various independent populations. The ITGA4 gene maps to the autism linkage region on 2q31-33 and is therefore a plausible positional candidate. We tested eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ITGA4 gene region for association with autism in a sample of 164 nuclear families. Evidence for association was found for the rs155100 marker (P = 0.019) and for a number of specific marker haplotypes containing this SNP (0.00053 < P < 0.022). alpha4 integrins are known to play a key role in neuroinflammatory processes, which are hypothesized to contribute to autism. In this study, an association was found between the ITGA4 rs1449263 marker and levels of a serum autoantibody directed to brain tissue, which was previously shown to be significantly more frequent in autistic patients than in age-matched controls in our population. This result suggests that the ITGA4 gene could be involved in a neuroimmune process thought to occur in autistic patients and, together with previous findings, offers a new perspective on the role of integrins in the etiology of autism to which little attention has been paid so far.
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