Progress in understanding the genetic etiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has
fueled remarkable advances in our understanding of its potential neurobiological …

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 …

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

Experimental modelling of human disorders enables the definition of the cellular and
molecular mechanisms underlying diseases and the development of therapies for treating …

It is extremely rare for a single experiment to be so impactful and timely that it shapes and
forecasts the experiments of the next decade. Here, we review how two such experiments …

Polyploidy is a key mechanism of genome evolution and speciation, particularly in plants.
Many aspects of polyploidy have been elucidated with the tools that have become available …

Probing gene function in the mammalian brain can be greatly assisted with methods to
manipulate the genome of neurons in vivo. The clustered, regularly interspaced, short …

An expansion of the cerebral neocortex is thought to be the foundation for the unique
intellectual abilities of humans. It has been suggested that an increase in the proliferative …

Disruption of the MECP2 gene leads to Rett syndrome (RTT), a severe neurological disorder
with features of autism. MECP2 encodes a methyl-DNA-binding protein that has been …

Microglia, the only lifelong resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), are
highly specialized macrophages that have been recognized to have a crucial role in …