Skip Navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document
Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document

Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Beyond Genes: Germline Disruption in the Etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Authors: Escher, Jill; Yan, Wei; Rissman, Emilie F; Wang, Hsiao-Lin V; Hernandez, Arturo; Corces, Victor G

Published In J Autism Dev Disord, (2022 Oct)

Abstract: Investigations into the etiology of autism spectrum disorders have been largely confined to two realms: variations in DNA sequence and somatic developmental exposures. Here we suggest a third route-disruption of the germline epigenome induced by exogenous toxicants during a parent's gamete development. Similar to cases of germline mutation, these molecular perturbations may produce dysregulated transcription of brain-related genes during fetal and early development, resulting in abnormal neurobehavioral phenotypes in offspring. Many types of exposures may have these impacts, and here we discuss examples of anesthetic gases, tobacco components, synthetic steroids, and valproic acid. Alterations in parental germline could help explain some unsolved phenomena of autism, including increased prevalence, missing heritability, skewed sex ratio, and heterogeneity of neurobiology and behavior.

PubMed ID: 34596807 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Anesthetics, Inhalation*; Autism Spectrum Disorder*/genetics; Autistic Disorder*/genetics; Germ Cells; Humans; Valproic Acid

Back
to Top