FOXP2 gene and language impairment in schizophrenia: association and epigenetic studies.

Background: Schizophrenia is considered a language related human specific disease. Previous studies have reported evidence of positive selection for schizophrenia-associated genes specific to the human lineage. FOXP2 shows two important features as a convincing candidate gene for schizophrenia vulnerability: FOXP2 is the first gene related to a language disorder, and it has been subject to positive selection in the human lineage.

Where and what is the right shift factor or cerebral dominance gene? A critique of Francks et al. (2007).

Francks et al. (2007, p. 1129) claim to have identified "The first potential genetic influence on human handedness .

Methylation of two Homo sapiens-specific X-Y homologous genes in Klinefelter's syndrome (XXY).

An increased incidence of psychiatric and structural brain abnormalities in individuals with Klinefelter syndrome (KS, 47 XXY) could be due to the presence of extra copies of X-Y homologous genes that escape X inactivation. Of particular interest are the two brain-expressed genes Protocadherin11XY (PCDH11XY) and the Synaptobrevin-like gene (SYBL1) which have been duplicated from the X chromosome to the Y chromosome to give X-Y homologous gene pairs that are specific to modern humans. We examined the DNA of KS individuals reported recently by DeLisi et al.

Inactivation status of PCDH11X: sexual dimorphisms in gene expression levels in brain.

Genes escaping X-inactivation are predicted to contribute to differences in gene dosage between the sexes and are the prime candidates for being involved in the phenotype observed in individuals with X chromosome aneuploidies. Of particular interest is ProtocadherinX (PCDH11X or PCDHX), a recently described gene expressed in brain. In humans, PCDH11X has a homologue on the Y chromosome and is predicted to escape from X-inactivation.