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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: CHD8

May 2023
Research image of zebrafish forebrains.

Autism-related genes converge on microglia and dopamine in zebrafish

by  /  12 May 2023

The findings add to the growing evidence that genes with disparate functions can play similar roles in brain development.

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February 2023
Illustration of neurons.

Chromatin remodeling tied to altered splicing in autism model

by  /  7 February 2023

Exposing neurons to valproic acid, a well-known environmental risk factor for autism, disrupts their ability to generate different proteins from the same gene.

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A white mouse, brown mouse and black mouse stand inside a wooden circle against a blue background.

CHD8 mutation in 33 mouse strains yields range of traits

by  /  3 February 2023

The findings put genetic background forward to help explain autism’s heterogeneity.

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November 2022
Three-dimensional structure of cells in the cerebellum.

Flexible genomic architecture undergoes major redesigns during cerebellum development

by  /  13 November 2022

A new atlas reveals how the structural shake-ups within a cell’s genome differ by cell type and brain region over time.

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September 2022
An illustration of two scientists carrying a larger-than-life DNA strand on their shoulders.

Community Newsletter: Autism gene lists, genetic diversity in mouse models, an autism biomarker

by  /  4 September 2022

This week, we’re bringing you some labors of love: a thread lamenting the autism field’s focus on gene lists, a study introducing genetic diversity in mouse models, and long-awaited results from a biomarker study.

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August 2022
Several strands of DNA with different openings at different points to show different functions for the same gene at different points in time

‘Double duty’ autism-linked genes upend conventional characterizations

by  /  23 August 2022

What these genes do and how they affect autism depends on when in development they’re studied, despite what classic ‘gene ontology’ analyses say.

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May 2022
Ultrasound in black and white shows a pattern.

Heart anomalies abound in mouse models of autism

by  /  23 May 2022

Of nine genetic models examined in a new study, all had some incidence of cardiac abnormalities. But the problems varied widely depending on the affected genes.

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April 2022
organoids in early stages of development.

Organoids show how mutations in top autism gene may lead to brain overgrowth in people

by  /  19 April 2022

The loss of CHD8, a top autism gene, speeds up the production of certain neurons and leads to overgrowth in spheres of cultured brain cells.

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February 2022

Three autism-linked genes converge on tweaks to cells’ timing

by  /  2 February 2022

Mutations in all three accelerate the maturation of inhibitory neurons, which could upset the brain’s balance of excitation and inhibition early in development.

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September 2021
researcher holds zebrafinch

Fish, frogs, flies and other fauna in scientific firsts

by  /  8 September 2021

Over the past century, scientists have used a variety of animal models to advance their understanding of the developing brain and autism.

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