Watch the complete replay of Huda Zoghbi discussing the genetics and molecular biology of Rett syndrome, an autism-like neurodevelopmental disorder.

Mice carrying any one of five autism-linked mutations struggle to associate a flash of light with an irritating puff of air. The findings suggest that the mice have trouble integrating information from multiple senses — a skill governed by the cerebellum.

Balls of neurons derived from skin cells of four boys with autism show shared alterations in biology and gene expression, researchers reported today in Cell. The findings finger FOXG1, a gene involved in brain development, as a player in autism.

Star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes weave a web of proteins that derails brain development in the autism-like Costello syndrome. The findings add to mounting evidence that brain cells other than neurons contribute to autism.

Nobel Laureate Tim Hunt resigns after ranting about women in labs, and American scientists blow $28 billion a year on research that can’t be replicated.

There is some evidence that neural habituation — the process by which neurons get used to sensory stimuli — goes awry in autism. Mutant fish may help us understand the sensory sensitivities that often accompany the disorder, says Alan Packer.

A new study may help explain why the symptoms of Rett syndrome appear 6 to 18 months after birth. It suggests that the role of MeCP2, the protein missing in the syndrome, becomes more important as the brain matures.

Researchers from four labs were unable to reproduce the findings from a high-profile 2012 study in which bone marrow transplants dramatically extended the lives of mice with features of Rett syndrome. Their sobering findings were published yesterday in Nature.

The mutation that causes Rett syndrome may spark uncontrolled inflammation throughout the body and brain, suggests a study published last week. The findings may explain the syndrome’s wide range of symptoms, from seizures to gut problems.

Mutations in MeCP2, which cause Rett syndrome, boost the expression of long genes in the brain. The findings add to mounting evidence linking long genes to developmental disorders.