Cited by 103Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchMicroRNA in disease regulationGenetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

A Comparative Review of microRNA Expression Patterns in Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Hicks, Steven D., Middleton, Frank A.·2016·Frontiers in Psychiatry

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a wide spectrum of deficits in social interaction, communication, and behavior. There is a significant genetic component to ASD, yet no single gene variant accounts for >1% of incidence. Posttranscriptional mechanisms such as microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression without altering the genetic code. They are abundant in the developing brain and are dysregulated in children with ASD. Patterns of miRNA expression are altered in the brain, blood, saliva, and olfactory precursor cells of ASD subjects. The ability of miRNAs to regulate broad molecular pathways in response to environmental stimuli makes them an intriguing player in ASD, a disorder characterized by genetic predisposition with ill-defined environmental triggers. In addition, the availability and extracellular stability of miRNAs make them an ideal candidate for biomarker discovery. Here, we discuss 27 miRNAs with overlap across ASD studies, including 3 miRNAs identified in 3 or more studies (miR-23a, miR-146a, and miR-106b). Together, these 27 miRNAs have 1245 high-confidence mRNA targets, a significant number of which are expressed in the brain. Furthermore, these mRNA targets demonstrate over-representation of autism-related genes with enrichment of neurotrophic signaling molecules. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a molecule involved in hippocampal neurogenesis and altered in ASD, is targeted by 6 of the 27 miRNAs of interest. This neurotrophic pathway represents one intriguing mechanism by which perturbations in miRNA signaling might influence central nervous system development in children with ASD.

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Authors
Hicks, S. D., & Middleton, F. A.
Affiliations
  • Pennsylvania State University (US)
  • SUNY Upstate Medical University (US)
Corresponding author
Hicks, Steven D.
Venue
Frontiers in Psychiatry
Published
2016-11-04
Volume
7
Pages
176-176
ISSN
1664-0640 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2547391805
Cited by
103
References
76
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 5
FWCI
7.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Frontiers in Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (MH111347)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › MicroRNA in disease regulation
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder, microRNA expression, post-transcriptional regulation, microRNA biomarkers, miR-23a, miR-146a, miR-106b, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophic signaling, hippocampal neurogenesis, brain development, miRNA target genes

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