De novo mutations

Recent articles

Research image of rodent brains.

PTEN problems underscore autism connection to excess brain fluid

Damaging variants in the autism-linked gene cause congenital hydrocephalus—a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain—by turbocharging a downstream signaling pathway that promotes the growth of cells, according to a new study.

By Holly Barker
3 April 2025 | 4 min read

Genome structure could be key factor in some forms of autism

Variants in DNA stretches that do not code for proteins may alter the genome’s 3D architecture, influencing the expression of distant genes linked to autism.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
28 March 2024 | 4 min read
Illustration of half of a brain on the left and half of a heart on the right

Change of heart and mind: Autism’s ties to cardiac defects

Children with congenital heart disease have an increased likelihood of autism. Why?

By Lauren Schenkman
21 July 2023 | 12 min read
Blurry photograph of a crowd of people on a street.

Some who lack autism diagnosis carry variants tied to the condition

The variants are associated with slight differences in measures of intelligence, income and employment, but the relationship may not be causal.

By Charles Q. Choi
13 July 2023 | 4 min read
A couple drinks tea at a café.

Partner selection may amplify rare variants in children

Nonrandom mating — the propensity for people to partner with others who share their traits — can increase the likelihood of autism or other conditions across generations.

By Calli McMurray
6 July 2023 | 5 min read
Illustration of a brain.

Cortical differences in autism vary by sex

Compared with their non-autistic peers, young autistic girls have a thicker cortex that thins more quickly with age.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
4 May 2023 | 2 min read
Illustration of a room with DNA sequence wallpaper and three doors leading to abstract new environments.

The future of autism therapies: A conversation with Lilia Iakoucheva and Derek Hong

If a therapy for autism’s core traits makes it to market, it will likely take one of three forms, the researchers say.

By Peter Hess
14 April 2023 | 5 min read
An illustration of doctors examining a larger-than-life DNA strand

Whole-genome trove ties new genes, variants to autism

A massive update to the MSSNG dataset gives qualified researchers ready access to explore autism’s genetic architecture on a cloud-based platform.

By Isabel Ruehl
12 December 2022 | 4 min read
X chromosome against a dark background.

Common and rare autism-linked variants share functional effects

Within the 16p region of the genome, the two types of variants similarly decrease neuronal gene expression — an effect that may reflect their spatial relationship.

By Nora Bradford
1 December 2022 | 4 min read

Tying PPFIA3 to autism: A quick take at SfN with Tuan Chao and Maimuna Paul

Work in fruit flies has helped Paul decode a neurodevelopmental syndrome in children caused by rare de novo variants in the gene PPFIA3.

By Spectrum
15 November 2022 | 3 min watch

Explore more from The Transmitter

Digitally distorted building blocks.

The BabyLM Challenge: In search of more efficient learning algorithms, researchers look to infants

A competition that trains language models on relatively small datasets of words, closer in size to what a child hears up to age 13, seeks solutions to some of the major challenges of today’s large language models.

By Alona Fyshe
19 May 2025 | 7 min read
Research image showing resting-state functional connectivity in the human red nucleus.

‘Ancient’ brainstem structure evolved beyond basic motor control

The human red nucleus may also help coordinate action, reward and motivated behavior, a new study suggests.

By Sydney Wyatt
16 May 2025 | 5 min read
Seattle skyline.

Reporter’s notebook: Highlights from INSAR 2025

The annual meeting brought autism researchers, advocates and clinicians to Seattle to discuss the latest research, including attempts to define subgroups, a potential new CHD8 macaque model and life expectancy gaps.

By Daisy Yuhas
15 May 2025 | 5 min read