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Mutations of ANK3 identified by exome sequencing are associated with autism susceptibility
Author(s) -
Bi Cheng,
Wu Jinyu,
Jiang Tao,
Liu Qi,
Cai Wanshi,
Yu Ping,
Cai Tao,
Zhao Mei,
Jiang Yonghui,
Sun Zhong Sheng
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
human mutation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.981
H-Index - 162
eISSN - 1098-1004
pISSN - 1059-7794
DOI - 10.1002/humu.22174
Subject(s) - exome sequencing , autism , biology , genetics , missense mutation , exome , heritability of autism , autism spectrum disorder , mutation , gene , bioinformatics , medicine , phenotype , psychiatry
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are common neurodevelopmental disorders with a strong genetic etiology. However, due to the extreme genetic heterogeneity of ASDs, traditional approaches for gene discovery are challenging. Next‐generation sequencing technologies offer an opportunity to accelerate the identification of the genetic causes of ASDs. Here, we report the results of whole‐exome sequence in a cohort of 20 ASD patients. By extensive bioinformatic analysis, we identified novel mutations in seven genes that are implicated in synaptic function and neurodevelopment. After sequencing an additional 47 ASD samples, we identified three different missense mutations in ANK3 in four unrelated ASD patients, one of which, c.4705T>G (p.S1569A), is a de novo mutation. Given the fact that ANK3 has been shown to strongly associate with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, our findings support an association between ANK3 mutations and ASD susceptibility and imply a shared molecular pathophysiology between ASDs and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Hum Mutat 33:1635–1638, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.