Simons Simplex Collection
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.
Genome structure could be key factor in some forms of autism
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.
Some who lack autism diagnosis carry variants tied to the condition
Null and Noteworthy: Modified MRI; father findings
This month’s newsletter tackles null findings from an attempted replication of a “revolutionary” MRI approach and an analysis of family genetics.
Null and Noteworthy: Modified MRI; father findings
X-chromosome variants help explain autism’s sex bias
The rare variants are also linked to ADHD and Tourette syndrome, two other conditions that disproportionately affect boys and men.
X-chromosome variants help explain autism’s sex bias
Scans of sundry variant types uncover autism-linked genes
Troves of sequencing data reveal genes tied to autism through different variant types, providing a more complete picture of the condition’s genetic roots and new clues to its heterogeneity.
Scans of sundry variant types uncover autism-linked genes
Mutations disrupting chromatin interactions contribute to autism
The mutations occur spontaneously in noncoding stretches of DNA that control gene expression.
Mutations disrupting chromatin interactions contribute to autism
The final frontier: Autism geneticists take on the noncoding genome
The vast stretches of DNA that don't code for proteins could fill key knowledge gaps about autism genetics. But making sense of it all won't be easy.
The final frontier: Autism geneticists take on the noncoding genome
Common inherited variants tied to autism show sex bias in families
Siblings of autistic females are more likely to have autism than siblings of autistic males are, and mothers of autistic children carry more common, autism-linked variants than fathers do.
Common inherited variants tied to autism show sex bias in families
Spectrum of variants contribute differently to autism traits
Different combinations of common, rare, inherited and spontaneous mutations may explain why traits vary so widely among autistic people.
Spectrum of variants contribute differently to autism traits
Novel gene linked to brain size in autistic people
The gene, YTHDF2, may be one of several that contribute to an autism subtype marked by an unusually big brain.
Novel gene linked to brain size in autistic people
Explore more from The Transmitter
At the credit crossroads: Modern neuroscience needs a cultural shift to adopt new authorship practices
Old heuristics to acknowledge contributors—calling out first and last authors, with everyone else in between—don’t work well for large collaborative and interdisciplinary projects, yet they remain the default.
At the credit crossroads: Modern neuroscience needs a cultural shift to adopt new authorship practices
Old heuristics to acknowledge contributors—calling out first and last authors, with everyone else in between—don’t work well for large collaborative and interdisciplinary projects, yet they remain the default.
Rat neurons thrive in a mouse brain world, testing ‘nature versus nurture’
Neurons from the two rodents can wire up together to form functional circuits—all while maintaining some species-specific properties, two new studies show.
Rat neurons thrive in a mouse brain world, testing ‘nature versus nurture’
Neurons from the two rodents can wire up together to form functional circuits—all while maintaining some species-specific properties, two new studies show.
It’s past time to stop using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test
The widely used measure of “theory of mind” needs to be re-examined, along with the long-standing claim that autism is linked to a lack of this ability.
It’s past time to stop using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test
The widely used measure of “theory of mind” needs to be re-examined, along with the long-standing claim that autism is linked to a lack of this ability.