Autism researchers have long believed that there is more than one gene involved in autism, and that these genes are interacting with one another to create the spectrum associated with the disorder.
For the first time, scientists at MIT found that mice carrying mutations in two candidate genes for autism have more severe symptoms than those with only one mutation. The two genes studied were PTEN and serotonin transporter. In female mice, mutations in PTEN impaired sociability while those who also had mutations in the serotonin gene had worse symptoms.
"We found that two genetic risk factors for autism spectrum …read more