title: PlexinA polymorphisms mediate the developmental trajectory of human corpus callosum microstructure.
abstract: PlexinA is a neuronal receptor protein that facilitates axon guidance during embryogenesis. This gene is associated with several neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and autism. However, the effect of variants of PlexinA on brain structure remains unclear. We demonstrate that single-nucleotide polymorphisms within the intron and 3'-untranslated region segments of several human PlexinA genes alter the post-natal developmental trajectory of corpus callosum microstructure. This is the first demonstration that PLXNA mediation of neuroanatomical traits can be detected in humans using in vivo neuroimaging techniques. This result should encourage future research that targets specific disease-related polymorphisms and their relevant neural pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Shelly Jo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kraft
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D016880:Anisotropy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C492116:PLXNA1 protein, human; C515995:PLXNA2 protein, human; C097871:PLXNA3 protein, human; C524474:Plxna4 protein, human; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface