Postnatal neurodevelopmental disorders: meeting at the synapse?
We often think of neurodevelopmental disorders as beginning before birth, and many certainly do. A handful, however, strike many months after birth, following a period of apparently normal growth and development. Autism and Rett syndrome are two such disorders, and here I consider some of their similarities at the phenotypic and pathogenic levels. I propose that both disorders result from disruption of postnatal or experience-dependent synaptic plasticity.
Departments of Pediatrics, Neurology, and Molecular and Human Genetics, Division of Neuroscience, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. hzoghbi@bcm.tmc.edu
Huda Y
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Zoghbi
D017668:Age of Onset; D000818:Animals; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020880:Neuregulins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D015518:Rett Syndrome / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology*; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C497392:MECP2 protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2; C486357:NRG3 protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D020880:Neuregulins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C467747:neuregulin-4; C093438:neuroligin 1; C471639:UBE3A protein, human; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases