Paternally inherited cis-regulatory structural variants are associated with autism

Science. 2018 Apr 20;360(6386):327-331. doi: 10.1126/science.aan2261.

Abstract

The genetic basis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is known to consist of contributions from de novo mutations in variant-intolerant genes. We hypothesize that rare inherited structural variants in cis-regulatory elements (CRE-SVs) of these genes also contribute to ASD. We investigated this by assessing the evidence for natural selection and transmission distortion of CRE-SVs in whole genomes of 9274 subjects from 2600 families affected by ASD. In a discovery cohort of 829 families, structural variants were depleted within promoters and untranslated regions, and paternally inherited CRE-SVs were preferentially transmitted to affected offspring and not to their unaffected siblings. The association of paternal CRE-SVs was replicated in an independent sample of 1771 families. Our results suggest that rare inherited noncoding variants predispose children to ASD, with differing contributions from each parent.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / genetics*
  • Exons
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease*
  • Genetic Variation*
  • Genome, Human
  • Humans
  • Mutation
  • Paternal Inheritance*
  • Pedigree
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics*
  • RNA, Untranslated / genetics
  • Selection, Genetic
  • Sequence Deletion
  • Transcription Factors / genetics

Substances

  • LEO1 protein, human
  • RNA, Untranslated
  • Transcription Factors