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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Genes

Rare or common, inherited or spontaneous, mutations form the core of autism risk.

January 2021
human and mouse cells.

Atlas pair profiles fetal gene expression, regulation in single cells

by  /  7 January 2021

A pair of new atlases that profile millions of cells across 15 organs offer an unparalleled look at gene activity during fetal development.

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lab mice

Mice with autism-related mutations show brain signaling imbalance

by  /  4 January 2021

Mutations in POGZ, a gene strongly linked to autism, lead to a signaling imbalance in multiple brain regions in mice, according to two new studies.

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December 2020
Protein in brain

Drug helps mice with autism-linked mutation recognize others

by  /  21 December 2020

Mice that model 22q11.2 deletion syndrome lack social memory, but that trait can be reversed using a drug that targets the flow of potassium ions in neurons.

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Oxytocin neurons stained pink and green.

Autism-linked gene exerts varied effects on oxytocin circuits in mice

by  /  18 December 2020

Two types of neurons process social information, a new mouse study suggests, but only one is disrupted in mice missing the autism-linked gene FMR1.

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Stylized DNA molecule

Mutations in the same exon linked to similar autism traits

by  /  17 December 2020

People with autism who carry DNA variants in the same protein-coding region of a gene have more similar cognitive abilities and behaviors than those who carry mutations in different regions of the same gene.

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Approximately 24 month old twin girls, one of them reaching for something.

Genes’ influence on social behaviors shifts with age

by  /  14 December 2020

Some social behaviors associated with autism are heritable, but the extent to which genes and the environment influence these behaviors changes as a child grows.

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Mutated cells in mouse embryos--the mutations are seen in pink

Autism genes affect development of neurons and glia

by  /  11 December 2020

Researchers have devised a new way of seeing how gene mutations affect cells during development.

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Paper DNA with one torn base to signify a point mutation.

Analysis links 98 genes to neurodevelopmental conditions

by  /  10 December 2020

Genetic sequences from nearly 53,000 people with autism, developmental delay or intellectual disability reveal strong ties to 98 genes.

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Global map of 17,800 human proteins.

Proteome map identifies more than 90 percent of all human proteins

by  /  9 December 2020

Researchers expand on the already enormous progress made on the Human Proteome Project

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Cells transporting NCKAP1 protein in and out of nucleus

Rare variants tied to neuronal migration, autism traits

by  /  4 December 2020

Many people with mutations in the NCKAP1 gene have autism or autism traits, according to a new study spanning seven countries.

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