The cyclic AMP phenotype of fragile X and autism

• Published in: Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews Vol. 32; no. 8; pp. 1533 - 1543
• Main Authors: Kelley, Daniel J., Bhattacharyya, Anita, Lahvis, Garet P., Yin, Jerry C.P., Malter, Jim, Davidson, Richard J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-10-2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Anxiety - metabolism; Autism; Autistic Disorder - complications; Autistic Disorder - genetics; Autistic Disorder - metabolism; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; cAMP; Child clinical studies; Cyclic AMP; Cyclic AMP - metabolism; Developmental disorders; FMR1; FMRP; Fragile X; Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein - genetics; Fragile X Syndrome - complications; Fragile X Syndrome - genetics; Fragile X Syndrome - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Infantile autism; Medical sciences; Memory - physiology; Models, Biological; Phenotype; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Signal transduction; Autism; Signal transduction; FMRP; FMR1; Cyclic AMP; cAMP; Fragile X; Chromosome fragility; Developmental disorder; Review; Phenotype; Fragile X mental retardation protein; Fragile X syndrome
• ISSN: 0149-7634; 1873-7528
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2008.06.005

Cyclic AMP (cAMP) is a second messenger involved in many processes including mnemonic processing and anxiety. Memory deficits and anxiety are noted in the phenotype of fragile X (FX), the most common heritable cause of mental retardation and autism. Here we review reported observations of altered cAMP cascade function in FX and autism. Cyclic AMP is a potentially useful biochemical marker to distinguish autism comorbid with FX from autism per se and the cAMP cascade may be a viable therapeutic target for both FX and autism.