SUV39H2: A direct genetic link to autism spectrum disorders

(RIKEN) New research from the RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS) in Japan has identified a direct link between the SUV39h2 gene and the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A human variant of the SUV39H2 gene led researchers to examine its absence in mice. Published in Molecular Psychiatry, the study found that when absent, adult mice exhibited cognitive inflexibility similar to what occurs in autism, and embryonic mice showed misregulated expression of genes related to brain develo...