Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common, complex neurological condition, affecting approximately 1% of people worldwide. Monogenic neurodevelopmental disorders which showed autistic behavior patterns have suggested synaptic dysfunction, as a key mechanism in the pathophysiology of ASD. Subsequently, genes involved in synaptic signaling have been investigated with a priority for candidate gene studies. A synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (SNAP25) gene plays a crucial role in the central nervous system, contributing to exocytosis by targeting and fusion of vesicles to the cell membrane. Studies have shown a correlation between aberrant expression of the SNAP25 and a variety of brain diseases. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in this gene are associated with several psychiatric diseases, such as bipolar, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether polymorphisms (rs3746544 and rs1051312) in the regulatory 3′-untranslated region (3′UTR) of the SNAP25 gene have an association with ASD in unrelated Iranian case (N = 524)-control (N = 472) samples. We observed robust association of the rs3746544 SNP and ASD patients, in both allele and haplotype-based analyses. Our results supported the previous observations and indicated a possible role for SNAP25 polymorphisms as susceptibility genetic factors involved in developing ASD.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to offer our sincere gratitude to the State Welfare Organization and Departments of Special Education of Tehran, Hamadan, Ahvaz, Mashhad, Esfahan, and Abadan. We are also grateful to all the honorable patients and volunteer subjects as controls and their families. This study was funded by the Hamadan University of Medical Sciences (grant number 9504081836) and was supported by the Department of Medical Genetics of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional Hamadan University of Medical Sciences (IR.UMSHA.REC.1394.521).
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Safari, M.r., Omrani, M.D., Noroozi, R. et al. Synaptosome-Associated Protein 25 (SNAP25) Gene Association Analysis Revealed Risk Variants for ASD, in Iranian Population. J Mol Neurosci 61, 305–311 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-016-0860-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-016-0860-2