Gene network analysis reveals a role for striatal glutamatergic receptors in dysregulated risk-assessment behavior of autism mouse models

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) presents a wide, and often varied, behavioral phenotype. Impulsivity and improper assessment of risks has been widely reported among individuals diagnosed with ASD. However, there is little knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of the impaired risk-assessment phenotype. In this study, we have identified impaired risk-assessment activity in multiple male ASD mouse models. By performing network-based analysis of striatal whole transcriptome data from each of these ASD models, we have identified a cluster of glutamate receptor–associated genes that correlate with the risk-assessment phenotype. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of striatal glutamatergic receptors was able to mimic the dysregulation in risk-assessment. Therefore, this study has identified a molecular mechanism that may underlie impulsivity and risk-assessment dysregulation in ASD. Overall design: Examination of whole transcriptome in dorsal striatum of four ASD mouse models and controls