Abstract
Parents of children affected with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often have mild forms of autistic-like characteristics. Past studies have focused on searching for individual genetic risk loci of ASD. Here we studied the overall properties of the genomes of ASD trios by using previously published genome-wide data for common SNPs. The pairwise genetic distance (PGD) between a spousal pair with ASD-affected children was found smaller than that of a random pair selected among the spouses in the ASD trios, and spousal relatedness correlated with severe forms of ASD. Furthermore, for a set of 970 ASD associated SNPs, cases showed higher homozygous minor allele content than parents. These results indicate new genetic elements in the broad phenotypes of parents with ASD-affected offspring and in ASD pathogenesis.
Highlights
Studing the overall properties of the genomes of ASD trios is an effective approach to understood the the genetic feature of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or their parents.
Genetic similarities between a spousal pair with ASD-affected children were found more than that of a random pair selected among the spouses in the ASD trios.Minor allele contents in ASD-associated SNPs in ASD cases.
Hundreds of common SNPs that associated with ASD were more enrichment in the ASD children than their parents and the control population