Duplication of a chromosomal region that includes the autism-linked gene MBD5 leads to intellectual disability, language impairment and autism-like symptoms, according to a study published 1 May in the European Journal of Human Genetics.

A boost in the levels of MeCP2, the gene implicated in Rett syndrome, makes mice more susceptible to seizures and subtly alters their neurons, according to a study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Pathology.

By combining bioinformatics techniques with an analysis of gene expression, researchers have identified 30 candidate genes for autism, according to a study published 28 May in Translational Psychiatry.

A mild form of the fragile X mutation produces an unusual protein that may trigger fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome, a neurodegenerative disorder, according to a study published 8 May in Neuron.

Gut cells from children with autism who have gastrointestinal problems have gene expression patterns that suggest a unique immune disorder, according to a study published 8 March in PLoS One.

RORA, an autism candidate gene, encodes a protein that binds more than 2,500 other genes and alters the expression of some of those genes, according to a study published 22 May in Molecular Autism.

It is possible to discover relationships between autism genes simply by reanalyzing existing datasets, says Alan Packer.

The discovery of microRNAs that regulate gene expression has changed our view of cellular biochemistry. It may also change our perception of neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism, says Peng Jin.

Epigenetics, or the chemical markings on DNA that affect gene expression, plays a role in some cases of autism, according to a study of 50 identical twins published 23 April in Molecular Psychiatry.

Two proteins involved in shuttling other proteins between the outside and inside of a cell show a distinct pattern of expression in autism brains, according to a report published 19 March in Molecular Psychiatry.