Unlikely Genetic Suspect Implicated in Common Brain Defect
Sunday, August 9, 2009 - 12:35
in Biology & Nature
A genetic search using patients and mouse models has uncovered an unlikely gene involved in Dandy-Walker malformation, a common birth defect which causes mental retardation, motor delays and sometimes autism. This newly discovered function of the gene, which is never expressed in the brain, reveals a novel role for the skull in directing brain development.