Abstract
Accumulated genetic evidences indicate that the contactin associated protein-like (CNTNAP) family is implicated in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In this study, we identified transmitted genetic mutations in the CNTNAP3 gene from Chinese Han ASD cohorts and Simons Simplex Collections. We found that CNTNAP3 interacted with synaptic adhesion proteins Neuroligin1 and Neuroligin2, as well as scaffolding proteins PSD95 and Gephyrin. Importantly, we found that CNTNAP3 plays an opposite role in controlling development of excitatory and inhibitory synapses in vitro and in vivo, in which ASD mutants exhibited loss-of-function effects. We showed that Cntnap3-null mice exhibited deficits in social interaction and spatial learning. These evidences elucidate the pivotal role of CNTNAP3 in synapse development and social behavior, providing the mechanistic insights for ASD.
One Sentence Summary CNTNAP3 is a candidate gene for ASD.