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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: synaptic plasticity

February 2012

SHANK2 study bolsters ‘multi-hit’ gene model of autism

by  /  13 February 2012

By screening the genomes of hundreds of people with autism and analyzing the effects of newly identified mutations in cultured neurons, researchers have clarified the disorder’s link to the SHANK2 gene.

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January 2012

Molecular mechanisms: Autism gene tied to neuronal junctions

by  /  24 January 2012

Neurobeachin, or NBEA, an autism–associated gene, may regulate the transport of signaling molecules to neuronal branches, according to a study published 22 November in Nature Communications.

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December 2011

New system screens for drugs that alter neuronal junctions

by  /  7 December 2011

A new technique efficiently screens for compounds that enhance or inhibit the formation of synapses, the junctions between neurons, according to a study published 25 October in Nature Communications.

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Eric Kandel: The way forward for autism research

by ,  /  6 December 2011

Studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie autism is crucial to advancing our understanding of the disorder, says neuroscientist Eric Kandel.

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Chart explaining healthy neuron synapse function.

Tuberous sclerosis, fragile X may be molecular opposites

by  /  1 December 2011

Some forms of autism are caused by too many proteins at the synapse, the junction between neurons, whereas other forms result from too few, according to a study published 23 November in Nature.

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November 2011

A case for the importance of interneurons in autism

by ,  /  22 November 2011

The etiology of autism may be best understood as an impairment of neuronal circuits, specifically interneurons that dampen signals in the brain, says neuroscientist Gordon Fishell.  

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Molecular mechanisms: MeCP2 may modify DNA structure

by  /  9 November 2011

The Rett syndrome gene MeCP2 may subtly regulate the expression of genes across the genome by altering DNA structure.

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September 2011

The big sleep

by  /  2 September 2011

A new review suggests that sleep problems in neurodevelopmental disorders don’t just reflect underlying weaknesses in neural circuitry; they actively intensify these deficits.

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August 2011

Molecular mechanisms: MeCP2 regulated by chemical switch

by  /  17 August 2011

MeCP2, the protein missing in people with Rett syndrome, enhances learning and memory by binding to key genes and either activating or inhibiting their expression, according to a study published 17 July in Nature Neuroscience. Adding a phosphate to the protein in response to neuronal activity releases MeCP2 from these genes, the study found.

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July 2011

Fragile X protein found to regulate key autism candidates

by  /  28 July 2011

The protein missing in people with fragile X syndrome regulates the activity of more than 800 other proteins, including some key players in autism, according to a study published 22 July in Cell. Many of these autism-associated proteins cluster on either side of the synapse, the junction between neurons.

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