Cited by 576Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchGenetics and Neurodevelopmental DisordersGenomic variations and chromosomal abnormalities

Genomic and epigenetic evidence for oxytocin receptor deficiency in autism

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Gregory, Simon G, Connelly, Jessica J, Towers, Aaron J, Johnson, Jessica, Biscocho, Dhani, Markunas, Christina A, Lintas, Carla, Abramson, Ruth K +9 more·2009·BMC Medicine

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Autism comprises a spectrum of behavioral and cognitive disturbances of childhood development and is known to be highly heritable. Although numerous approaches have been used to identify genes implicated in the development of autism, less than 10% of autism cases have been attributed to single gene disorders. METHODS: We describe the use of high-resolution genome-wide tilepath microarrays and comparative genomic hybridization to identify copy number variants within 119 probands from multiplex autism families. We next carried out DNA methylation analysis by bisulfite sequencing in a proband and his family, expanding this analysis to methylation analysis of peripheral blood and temporal cortex DNA of autism cases and matched controls from independent datasets. We also assessed oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene expression within the temporal cortex tissue by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Our analysis revealed a genomic deletion containing the oxytocin receptor gene, OXTR (MIM accession no.: 167055), previously implicated in autism, was present in an autism proband and his mother who exhibits symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The proband's affected sibling did not harbor this deletion but instead may exhibit epigenetic misregulation of this gene through aberrant gene silencing by DNA methylation. Further DNA methylation analysis of the CpG island known to regulate OXTR expression identified several CpG dinucleotides that show independent statistically significant increases in the DNA methylation status in the peripheral blood cells and temporal cortex in independent datasets of individuals with autism as compared to control samples. Associated with the increase in methylation of these CpG dinucleotides is our finding that OXTR mRNA showed decreased expression in the temporal cortex tissue of autism cases matched for age and sex compared to controls. CONCLUSION: Together, these data provide further evidence for the role of OXTR and the oxytocin signaling pathway in the etiology of autism and, for the first time, implicate the epigenetic regulation of OXTR in the development of the disorder.See the related commentary by Gurrieri and Neri: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/7/63.

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  1. Vance JM Haines JL, Pericak-Vance MA The collection of biological samples for DNA analysis Approaches to Gene Mapping in Complex Human Diseases 1998 New York, USA: Wiley-Liss
  2. Bolton PF Pickles A Murphy M Rutter M Autism, affective and other psychiatric disorders: patterns of familial aggregation Psychol Med 1998 28 385 395 9572095 10.1017/S0033291797006004 · DOI · Paper page

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Authors
Gregory, S. G., Connelly, J. J., Towers, A. J., Johnson, J., Biscocho, D., Markunas, C. A., Lintas, C., Abramson, R. K., Wright, H. H., Ellis, P., Langford, C. F., Worley, G., Delong, G. R., Murphy, S. K., Cuccaro, M. L., Persico, A., & Pericak-Vance, M. A.
Affiliations
  • Duke University (US)
  • Università Campus Bio-Medico (IT)
  • University of South Carolina (US)
  • Wellcome Sanger Institute (GB)
  • University of Miami (US)
Corresponding author
Gregory, Simon G
Venue
BMC Medicine
Published
2009-10-22
Volume
7
Issue
1
Pages
62-62
ISSN
1741-7015 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2145850516
Cited by
576
References
80
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 35 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 41 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 43 · 2016: 48 · 2015: 46 · 2014: 49 · 2013: 46 · 2012: 42
FWCI
16.78
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • BMC Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • IRIS UNIMORE (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Hussman Foundation
  • Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (2006058195)
  • National Institutes of Health
  • U.S. Public Health Service (R01-NIH080647)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (P01NS026630)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genomic variations and chromosomal abnormalities
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder, oxytocin receptor, copy number variation, genomic deletions, DNA methylation, epigenetic regulation, gene silencing, CpG islands, temporal cortex, oxytocin signaling pathway, obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism etiology
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Autistic Disorder, Child, Child, Preschool, DNA, Female, Humans, Male, Sequence Deletion, Receptors, Oxytocin, DNA Methylation, Microarray Analysis, Comparative Genomic Hybridization, Young Adult

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