A missing brain protein may be one of the culprits behind autism and other brain disorders, according to researchers at MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory.The protein, called CASK, helps in the development of synapses, which neurons use to communicate with one another and which underlie our ability to learn and remember. Improperly formed synapses could lead to mental retardation, and mutations in genes encoding certain synaptic proteins are associated with autism.
