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Genome-wide analyses of exonic copy number variants in a family-based study point to novel autism susceptibility genes.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Bucan, M; Abrahams, BS; Wang, K; Glessner, JT; Herman, EI; Sonnenblick, LI; Alvarez Retuerto, AI; Imielinski, M; Hadley, D; Bradfield, JP ...
Published in: PLoS Genet
June 2009

The genetics underlying the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is complex and remains poorly understood. Previous work has demonstrated an important role for structural variation in a subset of cases, but has lacked the resolution necessary to move beyond detection of large regions of potential interest to identification of individual genes. To pinpoint genes likely to contribute to ASD etiology, we performed high density genotyping in 912 multiplex families from the Autism Genetics Resource Exchange (AGRE) collection and contrasted results to those obtained for 1,488 healthy controls. Through prioritization of exonic deletions (eDels), exonic duplications (eDups), and whole gene duplication events (gDups), we identified more than 150 loci harboring rare variants in multiple unrelated probands, but no controls. Importantly, 27 of these were confirmed on examination of an independent replication cohort comprised of 859 cases and an additional 1,051 controls. Rare variants at known loci, including exonic deletions at NRXN1 and whole gene duplications encompassing UBE3A and several other genes in the 15q11-q13 region, were observed in the course of these analyses. Strong support was likewise observed for previously unreported genes such as BZRAP1, an adaptor molecule known to regulate synaptic transmission, with eDels or eDups observed in twelve unrelated cases but no controls (p = 2.3x10(-5)). Less is known about MDGA2, likewise observed to be case-specific (p = 1.3x10(-4)). But, it is notable that the encoded protein shows an unexpectedly high similarity to Contactin 4 (BLAST E-value = 3x10(-39)), which has also been linked to disease. That hundreds of distinct rare variants were each seen only once further highlights complexity in the ASDs and points to the continued need for larger cohorts.

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Published In

PLoS Genet

DOI

EISSN

1553-7404

Publication Date

June 2009

Volume

5

Issue

6

Start / End Page

e1000536

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Sequence Deletion
  • Pedigree
  • Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
 

Citation

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Bucan, M., Abrahams, B. S., Wang, K., Glessner, J. T., Herman, E. I., Sonnenblick, L. I., … Hakonarson, H. (2009). Genome-wide analyses of exonic copy number variants in a family-based study point to novel autism susceptibility genes. PLoS Genet, 5(6), e1000536. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1000536
Bucan, Maja, Brett S. Abrahams, Kai Wang, Joseph T. Glessner, Edward I. Herman, Lisa I. Sonnenblick, Ana I. Alvarez Retuerto, et al. “Genome-wide analyses of exonic copy number variants in a family-based study point to novel autism susceptibility genes.PLoS Genet 5, no. 6 (June 2009): e1000536. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1000536.
Bucan M, Abrahams BS, Wang K, Glessner JT, Herman EI, Sonnenblick LI, et al. Genome-wide analyses of exonic copy number variants in a family-based study point to novel autism susceptibility genes. PLoS Genet. 2009 Jun;5(6):e1000536.
Bucan, Maja, et al. “Genome-wide analyses of exonic copy number variants in a family-based study point to novel autism susceptibility genes.PLoS Genet, vol. 5, no. 6, June 2009, p. e1000536. Pubmed, doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000536.
Bucan M, Abrahams BS, Wang K, Glessner JT, Herman EI, Sonnenblick LI, Alvarez Retuerto AI, Imielinski M, Hadley D, Bradfield JP, Kim C, Gidaya NB, Lindquist I, Hutman T, Sigman M, Kustanovich V, Lajonchere CM, Singleton A, Kim J, Wassink TH, McMahon WM, Owley T, Sweeney JA, Coon H, Nurnberger JI, Li M, Cantor RM, Minshew NJ, Sutcliffe JS, Cook EH, Dawson G, Buxbaum JD, Grant SFA, Schellenberg GD, Geschwind DH, Hakonarson H. Genome-wide analyses of exonic copy number variants in a family-based study point to novel autism susceptibility genes. PLoS Genet. 2009 Jun;5(6):e1000536.

Published In

PLoS Genet

DOI

EISSN

1553-7404

Publication Date

June 2009

Volume

5

Issue

6

Start / End Page

e1000536

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Sequence Deletion
  • Pedigree
  • Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease