Environment

DNA sequences called enhancers — which boost the expression of genes from within or outside them — are enriched for genetic variants linked to autism, suggests a new study. The finding may help researchers understand how variants outside genes contribute to autism.

Marmosets exposed to an epilepsy drug in the womb do not recognize reciprocity — the social give-and-take that is a challenge for some people with autism — suggests a new study. The findings add to mounting evidence that these tiny monkeys offer clues about autism.

Researchers have devised a reliable technique for evaluating how well antibodies home in on specific molecules in scientific experiments. The new approach could take some of the guesswork out of studies that use antibodies to label and isolate proteins.

Women who are overweight while pregnant have an increased risk of having a child with autism. But a new study suggests that genetics, not the obesity per se, underlies the association.

A new strategy sharpens the analysis of chemical tags on the DNA-protein complexes that regulate gene expression. The method may help researchers decipher how gene expression goes awry in disorders such as autism.

Telomeres, the structures at the tips of chromosomes, tend to be unusually short in people with autism and their immediate family members.

Older women and men are at high risk of having a child with autism — and so are teenage girls and parents whose age differs by at least a decade, according to a multinational study of more than 5 million children.

Many children with autism have gastrointestinal problems, seizures and sleep disorders. A new study suggests that these seemingly disparate conditions are interconnected and may lead to the children’s behavioral issues.

Children whose older sisters are on the spectrum are at higher risk for autism than are those with affected older brothers, a new study suggests. Younger brothers of children with autism are at greater risk than younger sisters.