Association between microdeletion and microduplication at 16p11.2 and autism

N Engl J Med. 2008 Feb 14;358(7):667-75. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa075974. Epub 2008 Jan 9.

Abstract

Background: Autism spectrum disorder is a heritable developmental disorder in which chromosomal abnormalities are thought to play a role.

Methods: As a first component of a genomewide association study of families from the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE), we used two novel algorithms to search for recurrent copy-number variations in genotype data from 751 multiplex families with autism. Specific recurrent de novo events were further evaluated in clinical-testing data from Children's Hospital Boston and in a large population study in Iceland.

Results: Among the AGRE families, we observed five instances of a de novo deletion of 593 kb on chromosome 16p11.2. Using comparative genomic hybridization, we observed the identical deletion in 5 of 512 children referred to Children's Hospital Boston for developmental delay, mental retardation, or suspected autism spectrum disorder, as well as in 3 of 299 persons with autism in an Icelandic population; the deletion was also carried by 2 of 18,834 unscreened Icelandic control subjects. The reciprocal duplication of this region occurred in 7 affected persons in AGRE families and 4 of the 512 children from Children's Hospital Boston. The duplication also appeared to be a high-penetrance risk factor.

Conclusions: We have identified a novel, recurrent microdeletion and a reciprocal microduplication that carry substantial susceptibility to autism and appear to account for approximately 1% of cases. We did not identify other regions with similar aggregations of large de novo mutations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Autistic Disorder / genetics*
  • Child
  • Chromosome Aberrations*
  • Chromosome Deletion*
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 15 / genetics
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16 / genetics*
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Developmental Disabilities / genetics
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Intellectual Disability / genetics
  • Male
  • Phenotype
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA / methods