
X-Chromosome Long Non-Coding RNA Emerges as a New Route to Autism Traits in Males
Researchers identify PTCHD1-AS, a long non-coding RNA on the X chromosome, as a male-specific autism-susceptibility gene. Deletions skew social interaction and repetitive behaviors without impairing learning or memory; mouse models show similar behavioral changes. Disruption affects striatal circuits, synaptic plasticity, and myelination via reduced protein kinase C activity, offering a new entry point for targeted therapeutics—though no treatments are yet in trials.







