Abnormalities in neuronal maturation in Rett syndrome neocortex: preliminary molecular correlates.

In correspondence with the severe cognitive impairment and autistic features of Rett syndrome (RS), multiple anomalies of the cerebral cortex that include generalized reductions in dendritic arborizations and in cholinergic markers have been found. Considering the potential role of neurotransmitters in cortical differentiation, we have studied the relationship between cholinergic deficit and dendritic protein expression in RS and in a relevant animal model. Dendritic development is characterized by the sequential expression of cytoskeletal proteins whose levels remain relatively stable in adult life.