Critical Role of One Gene to Brain Development

A gene linked to intellectual disability is critical to the earliest stages of the development of human brains, new research from University of Adelaide has shown. Mutations of the gene known as USP9X have been shown to cause disruptions to normal brain cell functioning and are associated with intellectual disability, epilepsy and autism. Moreover, these mutations can be inherited from one generation to the next. According to Dr. Lachlan Jolly, senior co-author from University of Adelaide’s Neurogenetics Research Program, USP9X is involved in creating the brain’s base network of nerve cells, “USP9X controls both the initial generation of the nerve cells from stem cells, and also their ability to connect with one another and form the proper networks,” he says. “We hope that by learning more about genes such as USP9X, we will create new opportunities to understand brain disorders at a much deeper level than currently known.” To read more about this study, click here.