2 August, 2011

A Newsletter from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative

NEWS How many tests does it take to diagnose autism? Fragile X protein found to regulate key autism candidates VIEWPOINT Studying autism genetics in special populations IN BRIEF Cognition and behavior: Babies with fragile X show prolonged gaze Genetics: Neurexin 1 variant affects volume of healthy brains Molecular mechanisms: Fragments of RNA regulate synapse TOOLBOX Microscopy reveals central control of neuronal signals BLOG Powerful perspective Playing by the rules

NEWS

How many tests does it take to diagnose autism?

Only a fraction of autism studies use the gold standard tests to diagnose the disorder in study participants. Given the heterogeneity of autism, researchers could be comparing dissimilar phenotypes when weighing research results.

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Fragile X protein found to regulate key autism candidates

The protein missing in people with fragile X syndrome regulates the activity of more than 800 other proteins, including some key players in autism, according to a study published 22 July in Cell. Many of these autism-associated proteins cluster on either side of the synapse, the junction between neurons.

cluster on either side of the synapse, the junction between neurons.

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VIEWPOINT

Studying autism genetics in special populations

The study of any genetic disorder benefits from including the many diverse human populations in our world, and autism should be no different, says geneticist Christopher Walsh.

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IN BRIEF

Cognition and behavior: Babies with fragile X show prolonged gaze

Infants with fragile X syndrome spend more time looking at a toy before switching their attention elsewhere than do healthy controls, according to a study published 1 July in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

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Genetics: Neurexin 1 variant affects volume of healthy brains

A variant of neurexin 1, a gene linked to both autism and schizophrenia, is associated with less brain matter than normal in healthy individuals, according to a study published 8 June in PLoS ONE.

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Molecular mechanisms: Fragments of RNA regulate synapse

Small fragments of RNA, called microRNAs, can fine-tune the levels of proteins

at the junctions between neurons in response to cell signals, according to a study published 10 June in Molecular Cell.

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TOOLBOX

Microscopy reveals central control of neuronal signals

An elegant microscopy technique reveals that neurons can regulate how quickly they recycle chemical messengers, according to a study published in July in Nature Neuroscience. This process is believed to be the limiting step in the speed of signaling across neuronal junctions.

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BLOG

Powerful perspective
At a workshop where some of the top scientists in autism research assembled to discuss biomarkers, a 7-year-old girl with the disorder was the real expert.

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Playing by the rules

Broken rules are even more distressing to people with autism than being excluded, according to a new study.

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