COMPLEX GENETIC ARCHITECTURE IN AUTISM Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encompasses a range of early-onset neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired social interactions and communications, together with repetitive stereotypic behaviors (MIM20895; DSM5). Individuals with ASD can display a broad clinical profile ranging in symptom severity and comorbidities. A strong genetic component ...

Hox genes encode transcription factors that control spatial patterning during embryogenesis. To date, downstream targets of Hox genes have proven difficult to identify. Here, we describe studies designed to identify target genes under the control of the murine transcription factor Hoxc8. We used a mouse 16,463 gene oligonucleotide microarray to identify mRNAs whose expression was altered by the...

The E2F family of transcriptional regulators consists of six different members. Analysis of E2F-regulated promoters by using cultured cells suggests that E2Fs may have redundant functions. However, animal studies have shown that loss of individual E2Fs can have distinct biological consequences. Such seemingly conflicting results could be due to a difference in E2F-mediated regulation in cell cu...

RBPJ is the central transcription factor that controls the Notch-dependent transcriptional response by coordinating repressing histone H3K27 deacetylation and activating histone H3K4 methylation. Here, we discuss the molecular mechanisms how RBPJ interacts with opposing NCoR/HDAC-corepressing or KMT2D/UTX-coactivating complexes and how this is controlled by phosphorylation of chromatin modifiers.