FOXP1 orchestration of ASD-relevant signaling pathways.

Mutations in the gene encoding the transcription factor forkhead box P1 or FOXP1 occur in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. However, the function of FOXP1 in the brain remains mostly unknown. Here, we identify the gene expression program regulated by FoxP1 in both human neural cells and mouse brain and demonstrate a conserved role for FOXP1 transcriptional regulation of autism and Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) mediated pathways. Coexpression networks support a role for Foxp1 in neuronal activity, and we show that Foxp1 is necessary for neuronal excitability. Using a Foxp1 mouse model, we observe defects in ultrasonic vocalizations. This behavioral phenotype is reflected at the genomic level as striatal Foxp1-regulated overlap with genes known to be important in rodent vocalizations. These data support an integral role for FOXP1 in regulating signaling pathways vulnerable in developmental disorders and the specific regulation of pathways important for vocal communication. We carried out RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and ChIP-sequencing of human neural progenitors cells. We carried out RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) of mouse striatal tissue, mouse hippocampal tissue and mouse cortical tissue. For the RNA-seq, four indipendent replicates were used for the neural progenitor cells and mouse tissues. For the Chip-seq, a single neural progenitor cell line was used.