Cited by 370Genetics and Neurodevelopmental DisordersNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchRNA and protein synthesis mechanisms

The Pathophysiology of Fragile X (and What It Teaches Us about Synapses)

Open access
Bhakar, Asha L., Dölen, Gül, Bear, Mark F.·2012·Annual Review of Neuroscience

Abstract

Fragile X is the most common known inherited cause of intellectual disability and autism, and it typically results from transcriptional silencing of FMR1 and loss of the encoded protein, FMRP (fragile X mental retardation protein). FMRP is an mRNA-binding protein that functions at many synapses to inhibit local translation stimulated by metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) 1 and 5. Recent studies on the biology of FMRP and the signaling pathways downstream of mGluR1/5 have yielded deeper insight into how synaptic protein synthesis and plasticity are regulated by experience. This new knowledge has also suggested ways that altered signaling and synaptic function can be corrected in fragile X, and human clinical trials based on this information are under way.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1146/annurev-neuro-060909-153138

Cites

206 of 206 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • FMRP modulates the rate of translational elongation of mRNAs encoding synaptic proteins, suggesting that reduced FMRP in Fragile X syndrome may dysregulate synaptic protein expression through impaired translational control.

    “FMRP has recently been reported to modulate the rate of translational elongation of mRNAs that encode synaptic proteins33, suggesting that the decrease in FMRP expression that occurs in Fragile X syndrome may result in the dysregulation of synaptic protein expression owing to an impairment in translational control23.”
  • Fragile X syndrome results from a CGG trinucleotide expansion in FMR1, which encodes FMRP.

    “Fragile X syndrome results from a trinucleotide expansion (CGG) in FMR1, which encodes fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP).”
  • The CGG expansion occurs in the 5′ untranslated region of FMRP mRNA, decreasing FMRP mRNA translation and reducing FMRP levels in neurons.

    “The CGG expansion occurs within the 5′ untranslated region of the FMRP mRNA, resulting in decreased translation of the FMRP mRNA and a decrease in the amount of FMRP expressed in neurons.”
  • Several widely studied syndromic disorders, such as Fragile X, with penetrant autism spectrum features have provided useful insight into the pathophysiology of ASD.

    “In addition to these rare mutations, several widely studied syndromic disorders, such as Fragile X, with penetrant autism spectrum features have provided useful insight into the pathophysiology of ASD.”
  • Fragile X syndrome is characterized by macroorchidism, connective-tissue disease, motor abnormalities, language deficits and impaired social interactions, and is the leading cause of inherited intellectual disability and ASD.

    “For example, Fragile X syndrome — characterized by macroorchidism, connective-tissue disease, motor abnormalities, language deficits and impaired social interactions — is the leading cause of inherited intellectual disability and ASD23.”

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

1 of the 207 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Bhakar, A. L., Dölen, G., & Bear, M. F.
Affiliations
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
Venue
Annual Review of Neuroscience
Published
2012-07-21
Volume
35
Issue
1
Pages
417-443
ISSN
  • 0147-006X (ISSN-L)
  • 1545-4126
OpenAlex
W2146760872
Cited by
370
References
207
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 31 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 43 · 2014: 49 · 2013: 42 · 2012: 17
FWCI
5.90
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Annual Review of Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PMC
Funders
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • National Institute of Mental Health (F30MH067431)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
Keywords
fragile X syndrome, FMRP, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, metabotropic glutamate receptors, local protein synthesis, synaptic plasticity, mRNA-binding proteins
MeSH terms
Animals, Brain, Disease Models, Animal, Fragile X Syndrome, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Models, Biological, Nerve Tissue Proteins, Neuronal Plasticity, RNA, Synapses, Protein Biosynthesis, Signal Transduction, Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate, Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein, Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review