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Neurodegenerative Diseases pp 91–98Cite as

Epigenetics in Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Diseases

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Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 724))

Abstract

Autism was previously thought to be caused by environmental factors. However, genetic factors are now considered to be more contributory to the pathogenesis of autism, based on the recent findings of mutations in the genes which encode synaptic molecules associated with the communication between neurons. Epigenetic is a mechanism that controls gene expression without changing DNA sequence but by changing chromosomal histone modifications and its abnormality is associated with several neurodevelopmental diseases. Since epigenetic modifications are known to be affected by environmental factors such as nutrition, drugs and mental stress, autistic diseases are not only caused by congenital genetic defects, but may also be caused by environmental factors via epigenetic mechanism. In this chapter, we introduce autistic diseases caused by epigenetic failures and discuss epigenetic changes by environmental factors and discuss new treatments for neurodevelopmental diseases based on the recent epigenetic findings.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epigenetics Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan

    Kunio Miyake, Takae Hirasawa & Takeo Kubota

  2. Department of Mouse Genomics Resource Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Shizuoka, Japan

    Tsuyoshi Koide

Authors
  1. Kunio Miyake
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  2. Takae Hirasawa
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  3. Tsuyoshi Koide
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  4. Takeo Kubota
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Takeo Kubota .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK

    Shamim I. Ahmad BSc, MSc, PhD

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© 2012 Landes Bioscience and Springer Science+Business Media

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Miyake, K., Hirasawa, T., Koide, T., Kubota, T. (2012). Epigenetics in Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Diseases. In: Ahmad, S.I. (eds) Neurodegenerative Diseases. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 724. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0653-2_7

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