CHRM3基因与孤独症谱系障碍

CHRM3 gene and autism spectrum disorder

孤独症谱系障碍是一类具有遗传基础的儿童发展障碍疾病。近些年,研究者们从分子病理学层面发现中枢胆碱能神经系统异常与孤独症患者认知和行为异常存在相关性。尸检研究、临床案例、动物模型研究均发现毒蕈碱型(M型)乙酰胆碱受体异常和孤独症的发生有着密切的关系。在以小鼠为模型的行为学研究中,编码毒蕈碱型乙酰胆碱受体Ⅲ亚型的CHRM3基因突变会导致小鼠出现认知障碍、刻板行为等孤独症样表现。深入了解CHRM3基因的功能将能够帮助研究者进一步解释孤独症的相关行为特征,为孤独症儿童教育方案的制定提供新的思路和方法。

Autism Spectrum Disorder is one of the most complex developmental disorders with a strong genetic impact. In recent years, researchers have increasingly linked effects of central cholinergic system dysfunction to autism-related cognitive and behavioral abnormalities at the molecular pathological level. Results from autopsy studies, clinical cases and animal experiments revealed that aberrant muscarinic acetylcholine receptors have a strong relationship with autism. In behavioral studies using mouse models, the variations of CHRM3 gene, which encodes the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype III receptor, can cause autistic phenotypes such as cognitive impairment and stereotypic behavior. Accordingly, in-depth functional understanding of CHRM3 gene may have important implications to further explain the characteristics and mechanisms of autistic behavior and may potentially provide new ideas and methods for the development of educational programs for autistic children.