Girirajan 3q29 Interactions (IMAGE) Penn State Caption Neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia and autism, likely result from complex interactions that modify the effects of individual genes. Illustration of interactions between pairs of fruit fly counterparts of genes within the neurodevelopmental disorder-associated 3q29 deletion (top). Simultaneous reduced expression of NCBP2 using RNA interference led to an enhancement of cellular defects due to reduced expression of each of the other 3q29 genes. NCBP2 acts as a modifier gene within the 3q29 deletion, and affects several cellular processes, including apoptosis or cell death, to contribute to the observed neurodevelopmental features of the deletion (bottom). Credit Girirajan Laboratory, Penn State Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.