Analysis of a Protein Network Related to Copy Number Variations in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, with strong genetic influences as evidenced by its high heritability. Submicroscopic variations (ranging from one kilobase to several megabases) in DNA, called copy number variations (CNVs), have been associated with psychiatric diseases, including ASD. We aimed to identify CNVs in children diagnosed with idiopathic ASD.

Evidence for Association Between OXTR Gene and ASD Clinical Phenotypes.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early-onset neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social behaviors and communication. Oxytocin and its signaling pathway are related to a range of human behaviors, from facial expression recognition to aggressive behaviors, and have been suggested as involved in the etiology of ASD. Our aim was to evaluate the influence of two polymorphisms (rs1042778, rs53576) at the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) on ASD diagnosis and on specific ASD-related clinical symptoms (seizures, panic, and aggressive behaviors).

Functional New World monkey oxytocin forms elicit an altered signaling profile and promotes parental care in rats.

The neurohormone oxytocin is a key player in the modulation of reproductive and social behavioral traits, such as parental care. Recently, a correlation between different forms of oxytocin and behavioral phenotypes has been described in the New World Monkeys (NWMs). Here, we demonstrate that, compared with the LeuOXT found in most placental mammals, the Cebidae ProOXT and ValProOXT taxon-specific variants act as equi-efficacious agonists for the G-dependent pathway but are weaker agonists for the β-arrestin engagement and subsequent endocytosis toward the oxytocin receptor (OXTR).

Progesterone Response Element Variation in the OXTR Promoter Region and Paternal Care in New World Monkeys.

Paternal care is a complex social behavior common in primate species with socially monogamous mating systems and twin births. Evolutionary causes and consequences of such behavior are not well understood, nor are their neuroendocrine and genetic bases. However, the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) and its receptor (OXTR) are associated with parental care in mammalian lineages.

The role of β3 integrin gene variants in Autism Spectrum Disorders--diagnosis and symptomatology.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) represent a group of very complex early-onset neurodevelopmental diseases. In this study, we analyzed 5 SNPs (rs2317385, rs5918, rs15908, rs12603582, rs3809865) at the β3 integrin locus (ITGB3), which has been suggested as a possible susceptibility gene, both as single markers and as part of haplotypes in 209 ASD children and their biological parents. We tested for association with the following: a) DSM-IV ASD diagnosis; b) clinical symptoms common in ASD patients (repetitive behaviors, echolalia, seizures and epilepsy, mood instability, aggression, psychomotor agitation, sleep disorders); and c) dimensional scores obtained with the Autism Screening Questionnaire and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale.

Implications of the admixture process in skin color molecular assessment.

The understanding of the complex genotype-phenotype architecture of human pigmentation has clear implications for the evolutionary history of humans, as well as for medical and forensic practices. Although dozens of genes have previously been associated with human skin color, knowledge about this trait remains incomplete. In particular, studies focusing on populations outside the European-North American axis are rare, and, until now, admixed populations have seldom been considered.

Translation and validation of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) for autism diagnosis in Brazil.

Objective: To translate into Brazilian Portuguese the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), an extremely useful diagnostic tool in autism.

Methods: A case-control study was done to validate the ADI-R. After being translated, the interview was applied in a sample of 20 patients with autism and 20 patients with intellectual disability without autism, in order to obtain the initial psychometric properties.

MTHFR C677T is not a risk factor for autism spectrum disorders in South Brazil.

Many studies have suggested that autism may be associated with metabolic abnormalities in the folate/homocysteine pathway, which is involved in DNA methylation, thus altering gene expression. One of the most important polymorphisms in this pathway is C677T of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene, because the T allele is associated with a decrease in enzymatic activity. We evaluated the association between C677T polymorphism and autism spectrum disorders through a case--control study.

Influence of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and environmental risk factors in a Brazilian sample of patients with autism spectrum disorders.

The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism of serotonin transporter gene is widely investigated in association studies in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The results of such studies, however, remain controversial possibly due to the great genetic heterogeneity related to ASD and the lack of evaluation of the triallelic functional structure of 5-HTTLPR. This study tested for association between the 5-HTTLPR and ASD in a Brazilian sample by case-control and family-based association test (FBAT) methods, considering the biallelic and triallelic structures of this polymorphism.