GABAergic inhibition shapes the connectivity, activity and plasticity of the brain. A series of
exciting new discoveries provides compelling evidence that disruptions in a number of key …

Several large-scale genomic studies have supported an association between cases of
autism spectrum disorder and mutations in the genes SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat …

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and related neurological disorders are associated with
mutations in many genes affecting the ratio between neuronal excitation and inhibition …

Dendritic spines are small protrusions studding neuronal dendrites, first described in 1888
by Ramón y Cajal using his famous Golgi stainings. Around 50 years later the advance of …

Abstract Methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is a key component of constitutive
heterochromatin, which is crucial for chromosome maintenance and transcriptional …

DNA methylation is one of the best characterized epigenetic modifications. In mammals it is
involved in various biological processes including the silencing of transposable elements …

Imbalances between excitation and inhibition in synaptic transmission and neural circuits
have been implicated in autism spectrum disorders. Excitation and inhibition imbalances are …

In the mammalian genome, DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism involving the
transfer of a methyl group onto the C5 position of the cytosine to form 5-methylcytosine. DNA …

Proper development and function of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) depend
critically on the activity of parenchymal sentinels referred to as microglia. Although microglia …

Because autism spectrum disorders are neurodevelopmental disorders and patients
typically display symptoms before the age of three, one of the key questions in autism …