Postsynaptic density

Recent articles

Pruning protein; cultural connection; cannabis consent and more

A pruning protein reshapes neurons, culture should be a consideration in trials of autism treatments, and another U.S. state adds autism to the list of indications for medical cannabis.

By Emily Willingham
8 December 2017 | 4 min read
Illustration of Protein factories at neuronal junctions

Protein factories at neuronal junctions take center stage in autism

Some genes linked to autism regulate the production of proteins at neuronal junctions, suggesting that disrupted protein synthesis contributes to the condition.

By Claudia Bagni, Fiona Hollis
12 September 2017 | 4 min read

Proteins that spark learning may play key part in autism

A new study ties autism risk to a core team of proteins that facilitate neuronal signaling as an animal learns.

By Ann Griswold
29 September 2016 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Cell skeleton breakdown may spur autism symptoms in mice

An autism-linked mutation in the SHANK3 gene alters the protein skeleton of mouse neurons. Repairing the scaffold eases the animals’ social deficits.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
15 June 2015 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Method isolates protein complexes from neuronal junctions

Researchers have for the first time isolated and characterized protein complexes found at the points of connection between neurons. Mutations in some of these proteins are linked to autism.

By Kate Yandell
17 December 2014 | 2 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Large study underscores role of gene copy number in autism

People with autism tend to carry mutations that duplicate or delete several genes at once, according to a large study published 1 May in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

By Jessica Wright
2 June 2014 | 5 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Brain atlas maps gene expression in three dimensions

Researchers have charted patterns of gene expression in a three-dimensional representation of the human brain. The results, published 20 September in Nature, show that different brain regions have distinct molecular and functional roles.

By Jessica Wright
14 November 2012 | 2 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Defects in autism risk genes may lead to slower signals

Mutations in two genes linked to autism, neurexin and neuroligin, slow down neuronal signaling, according to research published 2 August in Science. Analyzing the mutations in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the study found that mutations in these genes affect signaling in the opposite direction than is typical.

By Emily Singer
6 August 2012 | 4 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Molecular mechanisms: Autism gene tied to neuronal junctions

Neurobeachin, or NBEA, an autism–associated gene, may regulate the transport of signaling molecules to neuronal branches, according to a study published 22 November in Nature Communications.

By Jessica Wright
24 January 2012 | 3 min read
Spectrum from The Transmitter.

Molecular mechanisms: SHANK2 mutants alter synapses

Three mutations in SHANK2, an autism-associated gene, each lead to abnormal synapses, the junctions between neurons, according to a study in Human Molecular Genetics.

By Jessica Wright
30 November 2011 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

ABCD Study omits gender-identity data from latest release

The removal counteracts the goals of the longitudinal study by “pretending that some aspects of adolescent brain development don’t exist,” says sex differences researcher Nicola Grissom.

By Calli McMurray
11 July 2025 | 4 min read
Leafcutter ants carrying leaves.

Neuropeptides reprogram social roles in leafcutter ants

The mechanisms that control the labor roles of ants may also be conserved in naked mole rats, a new study shows.

By Shaena Montanari
11 July 2025 | 7 min listen
Illustration of overlapping, multi-colored human head silhouettes.

Perspectives from the field: Opinions in autism research

This collection of Spectrum articles from the past 12 months highlights expert perspectives on autism’s heritability and its link to biological sex, the value of transdiagnostic frameworks, and the field’s future, among other topics.

By Daisy Yuhas
10 July 2025 | 3 min read