Boston Children’s Hospital researchers report that changes to one autism-associated gene can affect a wider group of genes, and that higher levels of ZFX may help explain females’ relative protection from autism-linked disruptions.
In a study published in Nature, the team examined autism-associated genes in models made from human nerve cells and found that changing one gene often changed the activity of others. The researchers described a pattern in which different genetic changes may cause similar changes in groups of genes. They also investigated why autism is diagnosed more often in males.
They noted that the reasons for this difference are not fully understood. ZFX is a gene on the X chromosome. In females, it avoids the usual silencing of one X chromosome.
ZFX is present at higher levels in female cells. The researchers found that ZFX affects the activity of many autism-related genes. This raises the possibility that higher levels of ZFX help protect against disruptions elsewhere in the gene network.
The suggested protective role is a research finding, not a proven explanation for sex differences in autism or a treatment. The work points to common processes in cells for future study. But findings from cell models alone do not show how this process affects people.