Scientists first reported a link between a surplus of genetic
material on chromosome 15 and autism in 1994, a finding that has since been replicated and confirmed to be a copy number variation.
Bearden's earlier research had focused on children with abnormalities caused by missing sections of genetic
material on chromosome 22, in a location known as 22q11.2.
The research team showed that extra genetic
material on chromosome number 8 caused the condition in two families from Manchester.
Not exact matches
The research, published May 23 in the Journal of Neuroscience, sheds light
on how an excess, or absence, of genetic
material on a particular
chromosome affects neural development.
The new genetic
material either floats free in the cells or is inserted into the patient's
chromosomes, depending
on the type of vector.
These «black holes» are different
on a male's pedigree versus a female's pedigree, because there is more genetic
material (information)
on a X
chromosome versus a Y
chromosome.