The autistic neuron: troubled translation?

Cell

Center for Human Genetic Research, Harvard-Partners Center for Genetics and Genomics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Program in Neuroscience and Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Published: October 2008

Autism is a complex genetic disorder, but single-gene disorders with a high prevalence of autism offer insight into its pathogenesis. Recent evidence suggests that some molecular defects in autism may interfere with the mechanisms of synaptic protein synthesis. We propose that aberrant synaptic protein synthesis may represent one possible pathway leading to autistic phenotypes, including cognitive impairment and savant abilities.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2008.10.017DOI Listing

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