Toward a Better Understanding of Neuronal Migration Deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

Xiao-Bing Yuan¹  Nan Wu²  Yi-Hsuan Pan² 

[1] Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States;Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Life Sciences and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China;

关键词: autism-spectrum disorders;    neuronal migration;    brain structural abnormalities;    mechanism-based therapy;    E/I balance;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fcell.2019.00205

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Newborn neurons in developing brains actively migrate from germinal zones to designated regions before being wired into functional circuits. The motility and trajectory of migrating neurons are regulated by both extracellular factors and intracellular signaling cascades. Defects in the molecular machinery of neuronal migration lead to mis-localization of affected neurons and are considered as an important etiology of multiple developmental disorders including epilepsy, dyslexia, schizophrenia (SCZ), and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the mechanisms that link neuronal migration deficits to the development of these diseases remain elusive. This review focuses on neuronal migration deficits in ASD. From a translational perspective, we discuss (1) whether neuronal migration deficits are general neuropathological characteristics of ASD; (2) how the phenotypic heterogeneity of neuronal migration disorders is generated; (3) how neuronal migration deficits lead to functional defects of brain circuits; and (4) how therapeutic intervention of neuronal migration deficits can be a potential treatment for ASD.

【 授权许可】

Unknown