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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.

A research image of a mouse hippocampus

Some social issues in DYRK1A model mice stem from faulty inhibitory circuits

by  /  11 October 2023
Alterations in inhibitory circuits and difficulties in social recognition characterize mice missing one copy of DYRK1A, a gene linked to autism.
Research image of mutations in mouse cortical neurons.

Mutations in multipurpose gene deal dendrites a double whammy

by  /  4 October 2023
The mutations disrupt protein translation as well as the cell’s skeleton, according to a new study.
Research image of presynapses on sensory neurons in fruit flies.

UBE3A’s link to synaptic pruning bolstered by fly study

by  /  28 September 2023
Increasing or reducing the levels of the UBE3A gene, which is associated with autism and autism-related syndromes, results in altered patterns of synaptic pruning — a process that snips away brain cell connections.
September 2023

Common genetic variants shape the structure of the cortex

by  /  18 September 2023

A genome-wide association study lays a foundation for deeper investigation of these variants in neurodevelopmental conditions.

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Research image of organoids in the forebrain.

Head size parts autism into two major subtypes

by  /  12 September 2023

An imbalance in the number of excitatory neurons in early brain development may account for the difference.

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Research image of neurons in mice.

Skewed signaling in striatum may spawn repetitive behaviors

by  /  6 September 2023

Synaptic changes in the brain region could drive a core trait of fragile X syndrome, a new mouse study suggests.

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August 2023
Research images of protein synthesis in mice.

Neuronal deafness to stress may add to protein surplus in fragile X

by  /  29 August 2023

A protective pathway that pauses protein synthesis is muted in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome, according to a new study.

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Photograph of a family of rhesus macaque monkeys.

Father’s genes may drive sociability in male monkeys

by  /  18 August 2023

The findings in rhesus macaque monkeys may provide clues to sex differences in the heredity of social behavior in people.

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Position heatmaps of mice performing a behavioral assay.

New test taps nose pokes as a proxy for social motivation in mice

by  /  10 August 2023

Over one hour, a particularly motivated mouse poked its nose 350 times into a hole in the test chamber in the hopes of meeting a playmate.

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July 2023
Research images of a Fanzor protein.

Compact kin of CRISPR discovered across eukaryotes

by  /  31 July 2023

The newfound DNA-cutting enzyme, called Fanzor, can be programmed to edit the human genome and could prove easier to deliver to cells than current CRISPR tools.

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Research image of neurons.

Abundant motor proteins disrupt cries in FOXP2 mice

by ,  /  28 July 2023

Knocking down the gene that codes for the proteins normalizes the vocalizations.

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Research image of interneurons in the outer layer of a human brain.

‘Gain-of-function’ mutation spawns autism traits

by  /  24 July 2023

The mutation increases the activity of an autism-linked protein and leads to social difficulties and other behavioral differences in mice.

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A brown mouse looks away from a white mouse in a cage to its left.

‘VIP’ interneurons may drive autism traits in Dravet syndrome

by  /  19 July 2023

The inhibitory cells misfire and contribute to social difficulties in mice that model the syndrome.

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