Ann Conkle
Mar 20, 2012

Novel mouse model for autism yields clues to a 50-year-old mystery

Early disruptions in serotonin signaling in the brain may contribute to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and other "enduring effects on behavior," Vanderbilt University researchers report. Serotonin is a brain chemical that carries signals across the synapse, or gap between nerve cells. The supply of serotonin is regulated by the serotonin transporter (SERT). In 2005, a team of Vanderbilt researchers identified rare genetic variations in children with ASD that disrupt SERT function. In a new study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the researchers report the creation of a mouse model that expressed the most common of these variations. The change is a very small one in biochemical terms, yet it appears to cause SERT in the brain to go into overdrive and restrict the availability of serotonin at synapses. The researchers conclude that a lack of serotonin during development may lead to long-standing changes in the way the brain is "wired."

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