Elsevier

Genomics

Volume 61, Issue 3, 1 November 1999, Pages 227-236
Genomics

Regular Article
Genetic Studies of Autistic Disorder and Chromosome 7

https://doi.org/10.1006/geno.1999.5968Get rights and content

Abstract

Genome-wide scans have suggested that a locus on 7q is involved in the etiology of autistic disorder (AD). We have identified an AD family in which three sibs inherited from their mother a paracentric inversion in the chromosome 7 candidate region (inv(7)(q22–q31.2)). Clinically, the two male sibs have AD, while the female sib has expressive language disorder. The mother carries the inversion, but does not express AD. Haplotype data on the family suggest that the chromosomal origin of the inversion was from the children's maternal grandfather. Based on these data, we have genotyped 76 multiplex (≥2 AD affecteds/family) families for markers in this region of 7q. Two-point linkage analysis yielded a maximum heterogeneity lod score of 1.47 and maximum lod score (MLS) of 1.03 at D7S495. Multipoint MLS and NPL analyses resulted in peak scores of 1.77 at D7S2527 and 2.01 at D7S640. Examination of affected sibpairs revealed significant paternal (P = 0.007), but not maternal (P = 0.75), identity-by-descent sharing at D7S640. Significant linkage disequilibrium was detected with paternal (P = 0.02), but not maternal (P = 0.15), transmissions at D7S1824 in multiplex and singleton families. There was also evidence for an increase in recombination in the region (D7S1817 to D7S1824) in the AD families versus non-AD families (P = 0.03, sex-averaged; and P = 0.01, sex-specific). These results provide further evidence for the presence of an AD locus on chromosome 7q, as well as provide evidence suggesting that this locus may be paternally expressed.

References (65)

  • A. Bailey et al.

    Autism as a strongly genetic disorder: Evidence from a British twin study

    Psychol. Med.

    (1995)
  • Bass, M. P, Menold, M. M, Wolpert, C. M, Donnelly, S. L, Ravan, S. A, Hauser, E. R, Maddox, L. O, Vance, J. M,...
  • M.P. Bass et al.

    Genomic screen for autistic disorder

    Am. J. Hum. Genet. (Suppl.)

    (1998)
  • Basu, S, Ashley-Koch, A, Wolpert, C. M, Menold, M. M, Matsumoto, N, Powell, C. M, Qumsiyeh, M. B, Cuccaro, M. L,...
  • P. Bolton et al.

    A case-control family history study of autism

    J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry

    (1994)
  • D.F. Callen et al.

    Paracentric inversions in man

    Clin Genet

    (1985)
  • B.M. Cattanach et al.

    Genetic imprinting in the mouse: Implications for gene regulation

    J. Inherit. Metab. Dis.

    (1994)
  • E.H. Cook et al.

    Autism or atypical autism in maternally but not paternally derived proximal 15q duplication

    Am. J. Hum. Genet.

    (1997)
  • N.G. Copeland et al.

    A genetic linkage map of the mouse: Current applications and future prospects

    Science

    (1993)
  • M.L. Cuccaro et al.

    Familial aggregation in autism: Evidence against X-linkage as a major genetic etiology

    Am. J. Hum. Genet. (Suppl.)

    (1996)
  • M.J. Faed et al.

    A cytogenetic survey of men being investigated for subfertility

    J. Reprod. Fertil.

    (1979)
  • W. Feichtinger et al.

    Increased frequencies of sister chromatid exchanges at common fragile sites (1)(q42) and (19)(q13)

    Hum. Genet.

    (1989)
  • S.E. Fisher et al.

    Localization of a gene implicated in a severe speech and language disorder

    Nat. Genet.

    (1998)
  • W.L. Flejter et al.

    Cytogenetic and molecular analysis of inv dup(15) chromosomes observed in two patients with autistic disorder and mental retardation

    Am. J. Med. Genet.

    (1996)
  • S.E. Folstein et al.

    Etiology of autism: Genetic influences

    Pediatrics

    (1991)
  • C. Gillberg

    Chromosomal disorders and autism

    J. Autism Dev. Disord.

    (1998)
  • T.W. Glover et al.

    Induction of sister chromatid exchanges at common fragile sites

    Am. J. Hum. Genet.

    (1987)
  • T.W. Glover et al.

    Chromosome breakage and recombination at fragile sites

    Am. J. Hum. Genet.

    (1988)
  • J.G. Hall

    Genomic imprinting: Review and relevance to human diseases

    Am. J. Hum. Genet.

    (1990)
  • J. Hallmayer et al.

    Male-to-male transmission in extended pedigrees with multiple cases of autism

    Am. J. Med. Genet.

    (1996)
  • E.R. Hauser et al.

    Affected-sib-pair interval mapping and exclusion for complex genetic traits—sampling considerations

    Genet Epidemiol.

    (1996)
  • N. Helali et al.

    What are the polymorphonuclear projections in trisomy 13?

    Am. J. Hum. Genet. (Suppl.)

    (1995)
  • Cited by (167)

    • Genetic and cytogenetic screening of autistic spectrum disorder: Genotype-phenotype profiles

      2021, Meta Gene
      Citation Excerpt :

      Several reviews evaluating cytogenetic abnormalities co-occurring with autism can be seen in the literature. ( Ashley-Koch et al., 1999; Badner and Gershon, 2002; Veenstra-VanderWeele et al., 2004; Vincent et al., 2000). Studies related to the chromosomal location for cytogenetic abnormalities and breakpoints can helps to identify the genetic predisposition for the disease (Lu et al., 2020).

    • Testing the imprinted brain: Parent-of-origin effects on empathy and systemizing

      2012, Evolution and Human Behavior
      Citation Excerpt :

      In particular, maternal gene expression is associated with the cortex, striatum and hippocampus, and paternal gene expression with the hypothalamus (Keverne, Fundele, Narasimha, Barton, & Surani, 1996). A role for imprinting in human brain development was suggested by behavioural traits and psychopathologies showing parent-of-origin effects, such as alcoholism (Durcan and Goldman, 1993; Paterson & Petronis, 1999), Angelman syndrome (Clayton-Smith & Laan, 2003; Lalande & Calciano, 2007), autism spectrum condition (ASC) (Arking et al., 2008; Ashley-Koch et al., 1999; Cook et al., 1997; Lamb et al., 2005; Repetto, White, Bader, Johnson, & Knoll, 1998), bipolar disorder (Dick et al., 2003; McInnis et al., 2003; Schultze et al., 2004), Prader–Willi syndrome (Gallagher, Pils, Albalwi, & Francke, 2002; Glenn, Driscoll, Yang, & Nicholls, 1997; Runte, Varon, Horn, Horsthemke, & Buiting, 2005; Sahoo et al., 2008) and schizophrenia (DeLisi et al., 2002; Francks et al., 2003; Seal et al., 2006). There have been many theories regarding the evolution of imprinting, but as more imprinted genes are discovered and their function becomes better understood, few theories have retained any credibility as they struggle to accommodate the data (Day & Bonduriansky, 2004; Moore & Mills, 2008; Weisstein, Feldman, & Spencer, 2002; Weisstein & Spencer, 2003).

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    1

    To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Medicine, Center for Human Genetics, CARL Building, Box 3445, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710. Telephone: (919) 684-2063. Fax: (919) 684-2275. E-mail: [email protected].

    View full text