Disrupted cognitive and affective empathy network interactions in autistic children viewing social animation.

Empathy can be divided into two core components, cognitive empathy (CE) and affective empathy (AE), mediated by distinct neural networks. Deficient empathy is a central feature of autism spectrum conditions (ASCs), but it is unclear if this deficit results from disruption solely within empathy networks or from disrupted functional integration between CE and AE networks. To address this issue, we measured functional connectivity (FC) patterns both within and between empathy networks in autistic children (4-8 years, n = 31) and matched typically developing (TD) children (n = 26) using near-infrared spectroscopy during the presentation of an animated story evoking CE and AE. Empathy and social communication ability were also assessed using the Empathy Quotient/Systemizing Quotient (EQ/SQ) and Social Responsiveness Scale, respectively. The results showed that the FC in the AE network of autistic children did not differ from the TD group across conditions; however, the ASC group showed weaker FC in the CE network under the CE condition and weaker FC between networks when processing AE information, the latter of which was negatively correlated with EQ scores in ASC. The empathy defect in ASC may involve abnormal integration of CE and AE network activities under AE conditions.

Identification of diagnostic markers for ASD: a restrictive interest analysis based on EEG combined with eye tracking.

Electroencephalography (EEG) functional connectivity (EFC) and eye tracking (ET) have been explored as objective screening methods for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but no study has yet evaluated restricted and repetitive behavior (RRBs) simultaneously to infer early ASD diagnosis. Typically developing (TD) children (n = 27) and ASD (n = 32), age- and sex-matched, were evaluated with EFC and ET simultaneously, using the restricted interest stimulus paradigm. Network-based machine learning prediction (NBS-predict) was used to identify ASD. Correlations between EFC, ET, and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition (ADOS-2) were performed. The Area Under the Curve (AUC) of receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) was measured to evaluate the predictive performance. Under high restrictive interest stimuli (HRIS), ASD children have significantly higher α band connectivity and significantly more total fixation time (TFT)/pupil enlargement of ET relative to TD children (p = 0.04299). These biomarkers were not only significantly positively correlated with each other (R = 0.716, p = 8.26e-4), but also with ADOS total scores (R = 0.749, p = 34e-4) and RRBs sub-score (R = 0.770, p = 1.87e-4) for EFC (R = 0.641, p = 0.0148) for TFT. The accuracy of NBS-predict in identifying ASD was 63.4%. ROC curve demonstrated TFT with 91 and 90% sensitivity, and 78.7% and 77.4% specificity for ADOS total and RRB sub-scores, respectively. Simultaneous EFC and ET evaluation in ASD is highly correlated with RRB symptoms measured by ADOS-2. NBS-predict of EFC offered a direct prediction of ASD. The use of both EFC and ET improve early ASD diagnosis.

Association study and mutation sequencing of genes on chromosome 15q11-q13 identified GABRG3 as a susceptibility gene for autism in Chinese Han population.

Cytogenetic studies suggested that chromosome 15q11-q13 might be a candidate region that increases the risk of autism. Previous association studies in Caucasian populations identified the risk variants of genes in this region. However, the association of these genes with autism in Chinese Han population remains unclear. Herein, 512 autism trios were utilized for a family-based association study of 41 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in this region to explore the association between protein-coding genes on chromosome 15q11-q13 and autism in Chinese Han population. Furthermore, we sequenced these autism-related genes to detect rare variants in 512 autism trios and 575 healthy controls. Our results showed that the C allele of rs7180500 in GABRG3 was a risk variant for autism (p = 0.00057). The expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis revealed that the C allele of rs7180500 might be associated with the expression of GABRG3 in the cerebellum (Braineac: p = 0.0048; GTEx: p = 0.0010). Moreover, the sequencing identified two rare variants rs201602655 (p.Val233Met) and rs201427468 (p.Pro365Ser) in GABRG3 and six rare variants in GABRB3 in autistic patients. Among these variants, rs201602655 (p.Val233Met) in GABRG3 were observed in 9 of 512 autistic children and 2 of 575 healthy controls (Pearson χ2-test, χ2 = 5.375, p = 0.020). The functional prediction indicated that rs201602655 (p.Val233Met) might be deleterious. Thus, these findings demonstrated that GABRG3 might contribute to the pathogenesis of autism in Chinese Han population.

Genetic variants in the transcription regulatory region of MEGF10 are associated with autism in Chinese Han population.

Multiple epidermal growth factor-like-domains 10 (MEGF10), a critical member of the apoptotic engulfment pathway, mediates axon pruning and synapse elimination during brain development. Previous studies indicated that synaptic pruning deficit was associated with autism-related phenotypes. However, the relationship between MEGF10 and autism remains poorly understood. Disease-associated variants are significantly enriched in the transcription regulatory regions. These include the transcription start site (TSS) and its cis-regulatory elements. To investigate the role of MEGF10 variants with putative transcription regulatory function in the etiology of autism, we performed a family-based association study in 410 Chinese Han trios. Our results indicate that three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs4836316, rs2194079 and rs4836317 near the TSS are significantly associated with autism following Bonferroni correction (p = 0.0011, p = 0.0088, and p = 0.0023, respectively). Haplotype T-A-G (rs4836316-rs2194079-rs4836317) was preferentially transmitted from parents to affected offspring (p permutation = 0.0055). Consistently, functional exploration further verified that the risk allele and haplotype might influence its binding with transcription factors, resulting in decreased transcriptional activity of MEGF10. Our findings indicated that the risk alleles and haplotype near the MEGF10 TSS might modulate transcriptional activity and increase the susceptibility to autism.

Association of oligodendrocytes differentiation regulator gene DUSP15 with autism.

OBJECTIVES: Autism is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder with high heritability. Genetic factors play crucial roles in the aetiology of autism. Dual specificity phosphatase 15 (DUSP15) has been recognised as a key regulator gene for oligodendrocytes differentiation. A previous study detected one de novo missense variant (p.Thr107Met) with probable deleterious function in exon 6 of DUSP15 among patients with autism. Therefore, we sequenced this mutation in autistic children and performed an association analysis between DUSP15 polymorphisms and autism. METHODS: We performed a case-control study between 255 children affected with autism and 427 healthy controls. Four tag-single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected. These SNPs and the previously reported mutation in exon 6 of DUSP15 were genotyped via Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: Our results showed that rs3746599 was significantly associated with autism under allelic, additive and dominant models, respectively (χ2 = 9.699, P = 0.0018; χ2 = 16.224, P = 0.001; χ2 = 7.198, P = 0.007). The association remained significant after Bonferroni correction and permutation tests (n = 10,000). We did not detect the missense variant p.Thr107Met reported in previous studies. However, a de novo missense variant of DUSP15 (p.Ala56Thr) with a probable disease-causing effect was detected in one autistic child while absent in healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings initially suggest that DUSP15 might be a susceptibility gene for autism in Chinese Han population.

Chromatin remodeling gene EZH2 involved in the genetic etiology of autism in Chinese Han population.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of severe neurodevelopmental disorders. Epigenetic factors play a critical role in the etiology of ASD. Enhancer of zest homolog 2 (EZH2), which encodes a histone methyltransferase, plays an important role in the process of chromatin remodeling during neurodevelopment. Further, EZH2 is located in chromosome 7q35-36, which is one of the linkage regions for autism. However, the genetic relationship between autism and EZH2 remains unclear. To investigate the association between EZH2 and autism in Chinese Han population, we performed a family-based association study between autism and three tagged single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that covered 95.4% of the whole region of EZH2. In the discovery cohort of 239 trios, two SNPs (rs740949 and rs6464926) showed a significant association with autism. To decrease false positive results, we expanded the sample size to 427 trios. A SNP (rs6464926) was significantly associated with autism even after Bonferroni correction (p=0.008). Haplotype G-T (rs740949 and rs6464926) was a risk factor for autism (Z=2.655, p=0.008, Global p=0.024). In silico function prediction for SNPs indicated that these two SNPs might be regulatory SNPs. Expression pattern of EZH2 showed that it is highly expressed in human embryonic brains. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that EZH2 might contribute to the genetic etiology of autism in Chinese Han population.

Synaptic P-Rex1 signaling regulates hippocampal long-term depression and autism-like social behavior.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of highly inheritable mental disorders associated with synaptic dysfunction, but the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain to be clarified. Here we report that autism in Chinese Han population is associated with genetic variations and copy number deletion of P-Rex1 (phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent Rac exchange factor 1). Genetic deletion or knockdown of P-Rex1 in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in mice resulted in autism-like social behavior that was specifically linked to the defect of long-term depression (LTD) in the CA1 region through alteration of AMPA receptor endocytosis mediated by the postsynaptic PP1α (protein phosphase 1α)-P-Rex1-Rac1 (Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1) signaling pathway. Rescue of the LTD in the CA1 region markedly alleviated autism-like social behavior. Together, our findings suggest a vital role of P-Rex1 signaling in CA1 LTD that is critical for social behavior and cognitive function and offer new insight into the etiology of ASDs.

Genetic Evidence for Possible Involvement of the Calcium Channel Gene CACNA1A in Autism Pathogenesis in Chinese Han Population.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders. Recent studies suggested that calcium channel genes might be involved in the genetic etiology of ASD. CACNA1A, encoding an alpha-1 subunit of voltage-gated calcium channel, has been reported to play an important role in neural development. Previous study detected that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in CACNA1A confers risk to ASD in Central European population. However, the genetic relationship between autism and CACNA1A in Chinese Han population remains unclear. To explore the association of CACNA1A with autism, we performed a family-based association study. First, we carried out a family-based association test between twelve tagged SNPs and autism in 239 trios. To further confirm the association, the sample size was expanded to 553 trios by recruiting 314 additional trios. In a total of 553 trios, we identified association of rs7249246 and rs12609735 with autism though this would not survive after Bonferroni correction. Our findings suggest that CACNA1A might play a role in the etiology of autism.