The branched chain amino acids in autism spectrum disorders

Tarlungeanu D-C. 2018. The branched chain amino acids in autism spectrum disorders . Institute of Science and Technology Austria.

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Thesis | PhD | Published | English
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ISTA Thesis
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of genetic disorders often overlapping with other neurological conditions. Despite the remarkable number of scientific breakthroughs of the last 100 years, the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, epilepsy) remains a great challenge. Recent advancements in geno mics, like whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing, have enabled scientists to identify numerous mutations underlying neurodevelopmental disorders. Given the few hundred risk genes that were discovered, the etiological variability and the heterogeneous phenotypic outcomes, the need for genotype -along with phenotype- based diagnosis of individual patients becomes a requisite. Driven by this rationale, in a previous study our group described mutations, identified via whole - exome sequencing, in the gene BCKDK – encoding for a key regulator of branched chain amin o acid (BCAA) catabolism - as a cause of ASD. Following up on the role of BCAAs, in the study described here we show that the solute carrier transporter 7a5 (SLC7A5), a large neutral amino acid transporter localized mainly at the blood brain barrier (BBB), has an essential role in maintaining normal levels of brain BCAAs. In mice, deletion of Slc7a5 from the endothelial cells of the BBB leads to atypical brain amino acid profile, abnormal mRNA translation and severe neurolo gical abnormalities. Additionally, deletion of Slc7a5 from the neural progenitor cell population leads to microcephaly. Interestingly, we demonstrate that BCAA intracerebroventricular administration ameliorates abnormal behaviors in adult mutant mice. Furthermore, whole - exome sequencing of patients diagnosed with neurological dis o r ders helped us identify several patients with autistic traits, microcephaly and motor delay carrying deleterious homozygous mutations in the SLC7A5 gene. In conclusion, our data elucidate a neurological syndrome defined by SLC7A5 mutations and support an essential role for t he BCAA s in human bra in function. Together with r ecent studies (described in chapter two) that have successfully made the transition into clinical practice, our findings on the role of B CAAs might have a crucial impact on the development of novel individualized therapeutic strategies for ASD.
Publishing Year
Date Published
2018-03-01
Publisher
Institute of Science and Technology Austria
Page
88
ISSN
IST-REx-ID
395

Cite this

Tarlungeanu D-C. The branched chain amino acids in autism spectrum disorders . 2018. doi:10.15479/AT:ISTA:th_992
Tarlungeanu, D.-C. (2018). The branched chain amino acids in autism spectrum disorders . Institute of Science and Technology Austria. https://doi.org/10.15479/AT:ISTA:th_992
Tarlungeanu, Dora-Clara. “The Branched Chain Amino Acids in Autism Spectrum Disorders .” Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2018. https://doi.org/10.15479/AT:ISTA:th_992.
D.-C. Tarlungeanu, “The branched chain amino acids in autism spectrum disorders ,” Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2018.
Tarlungeanu D-C. 2018. The branched chain amino acids in autism spectrum disorders . Institute of Science and Technology Austria.
Tarlungeanu, Dora-Clara. The Branched Chain Amino Acids in Autism Spectrum Disorders . Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 2018, doi:10.15479/AT:ISTA:th_992.
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2019-04-05
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2018-03-15
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