SHANK3

Recent articles

A research image of autism-linked genes.

Autism-linked perturbations converge on cell skeleton and RNA-binding proteins

The findings solidify the idea that autism-linked mutations affect brain activity by way of several key shared mechanisms.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
29 February 2024 | 4 min read
Position heatmaps of mice performing a behavioral assay.

New test taps nose pokes as a proxy for social motivation in mice

Over one hour, a particularly motivated mouse poked its nose 350 times into a hole in the test chamber in the hopes of meeting a playmate.

By Holly Barker
10 August 2023 | 5 min read

Autism’s ties to the cell skeleton

Many genes related to the condition play a role in the internal scaffolding of cells, and cytoskeletal disruptions can affect neurodevelopment and behavior.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
22 June 2023 | 7 min read
Research video of a zebrafish larva (zoomed in on the gut) being given glucose.

On the periphery: Thinking ‘outside the brain’ offers new ideas about autism

Neuronal alterations outside the brain may help to explain a host of the condition’s characteristic traits, including sensory changes, gut problems and motor differences.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
13 April 2023 | 20 min read
Graham Diering smiles in a portrait in his yard.

Asleep in the Mouse House with Graham Diering

Memories from Diering’s life trace the rising star’s scientific path from raising lizards as a child and later exploring home brewing to heading a lab that investigates memory, sleep disturbances and early development in animals with autism-linked mutations.

By Peter Hess
12 January 2023 | 18 min listen
Composite image of inhibitory and excitatory neurons.

One-rosette technique grows well-organized organoids

The method yields complex organoids that more closely mimic embryonic brain development than do those cultured in other ways.

By Peter Hess
2 December 2022 | 5 min listen
A white mouse sits on a nest against a blue background.

Mouse models help sniff out olfactory differences in autism

A range of presentations at Neuroscience 2022 tie atypical social behavior to trouble discriminating between odors in the animals.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
16 November 2022 | 5 min read
Mouse brain slices showing the effects of SHANK2 and SHANK3 deletions.

Double SHANK knockout highlights brain circuit’s social role

Mice missing the autism-linked SHANK2 and SHANK3 genes in their retrosplenial cortex have trouble distinguishing between novel and familiar mice.

By Angie Voyles Askham
19 October 2022 | 5 min read

Lost sleep sparks lasting social problems in SHANK3 mice

Sleep disruption early in life has long-lasting consequences for mice missing a copy of the autism-linked gene SHANK3.

By Peter Hess
12 September 2022 | 3 min read
Lab mice (Mus musculus), tribe Balbc, three 13 day old babies with eyes still closed, laying side by side

Sleepy mice with autism-linked mutation struggle to fall asleep

Mice with a mutated copy of SHANK3 fail to establish normal sleep patterns during development.

By Peter Hess
12 September 2022 | 3 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Piggy bank with half of its body replaced by a brain.

Neuroscientists reeling from past cuts advocate for more BRAIN Initiative funding

The director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health calls BRAIN a “high priority” but acknowledges that difficult decisions lie ahead if federal budgets remain flat.

By Angie Voyles Askham
22 November 2024 | 5 min read
A repeating pattern of orange butterflies against a blue background.

‘Huge influx’ of neuroscientists migrates to Bluesky

Daily neuroscience-related posts on the social-media platform this week have increased more than 400 percent, on average, compared with October.

By Calli McMurray
21 November 2024 | 5 min read
Woman in a clinician's office.

Autism prevalence increasing in children, adults, according to electronic medical records

The uptick from 2011 to 2022 in the United States underscores a need for more services and research, the investigators say.

By Shaena Montanari
21 November 2024 | 2 min read