Synaptic Defects Link Autism, Schizophrenia

Several independent groups have found previously unknown risk genes for autism, schizophrenia and mental retardation.The candidate genes — SHANK2, NCAM2, CACNA1B and DOC2A — have one thing in common: they encode proteins that are needed for the healthy function of synapses, the junctions between neurons.The research supports the idea that autism arises from faulty neuron signaling. It could also help explain why individuals with autism often have mental retardation and a family history of other psychiatric diseases, such as schizophrenia and depression, researchers say."It's tempting to speculate that the synapse plays a particularly important role in these clinical disorders," says Gudrun Rappold, head of human molecular genetics at the University of Heidelberg.Read more at...SFARI, July 2010.