Fruit Fly Studies Finds Missing Genes that Could Be Linked to Autism (IMAGE)

University of Nevada, Reno

Fruit Fly Studies Finds Missing Genes that Could Be Linked to Autism

Caption

Thomas Kidd, associate professor in the University's biology department, points out the area of interest in the split-brain research using the fruit fly. The fruit fly nervous system research was over several years. The study, published in the scientific journal PLOS Genetics, shows that the human gene, called PRRG4, functions the same way as the fruit fly Comm at the molecular level, regulating which signals neurons can respond to in their environment.

Credit

Photo by Mike Wolterbeek, University of Nevada, Reno.

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