Regulatory RNA genes are targeted by Copy Number Variation in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a highly heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder with an unclear etiology. Genetic factors are estimated to account for 50 to 80% of the familial ASD risk, but most of the genetic determinants are still not known and a role for epigenetic factors is likely. The involvement of noncoding RNAs in ASD is, so far, insufficiently explored. MicroRNA (miRNA) and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) are regulatory molecules, abundantly expressed in the brain, that play an important role during early stages of neural development. In this work we sought to address their potential role as ASD candidates, by identifying Copy Number Variants (CNVs) targeting miRNA and lncRNA genes in a large cohort of ASD patients, and examined their target genes and biological pathways.