Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42169156›Full record

ArticleGenome biology2026

Histone H1 variants regulate neurodevelopmental transcriptional programs in autism with 16p11.2 deletion.

Roni Brudno, Dan Askayo, Doha Khair, Ronna Shayevitch, Ifat Keydar, Michal Zmudjak-Olevson, Galit Lev-Maor, Mihaela Zavolan, Ran Elkon, Gil Ast

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Genome biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Roni BrudnoDepartment of Human Genetics and Computational Medicine, Gray School of Medical Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
Dan AskayoDepartment of Human Genetics and Computational Medicine, Gray School of Medical Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
Doha KhairDepartment of Human Genetics and Computational Medicine, Gray School of Medical Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
Ronna ShayevitchDepartment of Human Genetics and Computational Medicine, Gray School of Medical Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
Ifat KeydarDepartment of Human Genetics and Computational Medicine, Gray School of Medical Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
Michal Zmudjak-OlevsonDepartment of Human Genetics and Computational Medicine, Gray School of Medical Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
Galit Lev-MaorDepartment of Human Genetics and Computational Medicine, Gray School of Medical Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
Mihaela ZavolanBiozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Ran ElkonDepartment of Human Genetics and Computational Medicine, Gray School of Medical Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
Gil AstDepartment of Human Genetics and Computational Medicine, Gray School of Medical Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 6997801, Israel. gilast@post.tau.ac.il.

Funding

Israel Science Foundation 194/23Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung 320030E_232737
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNeurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, involve widespread transcriptional dysregulation. Copy number variations at 16p11.2 are among the strongest genetic risk factors for autism spectrum disorder, yet the molecular mechanisms by which these copy number variations contribute to neurodevelopmental pathology remain unclear.

resultsWe identify significant genetic associations between autism spectrum disorder susceptibility and the HIST1 histone gene cluster through genome-wide analysis. Transcriptomic profiling across post-mortem brain tissue, patient-derived neural progenitor cells, neurons, and cerebral organoids reveals consistent upregulation of linker histone variants H1.2 and H1.5 in idiopathic autism spectrum disorder and 16p11.2 hemi-deletion carriers, but not in schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Functional assays demonstrate that dysregulated H1 expression disrupts gene networks involved in synaptic signaling, chromatin remodeling, and neural differentiation. Mechanistically, we link H1 upregulation to MAZ, a transcription factor encoded within the 16p11.2 locus. MAZ binds the promoter regions of H1 genes and represses their transcription. Knockdown of MAZ leads to H1 overexpression. H1 upregulation alone is sufficient to alter the expression of autism spectrum disorder-associated genes.

conclusionsOur findings define a MAZ-dependent regulation of H1 dosage as a critical chromatin-mediated mechanism contributing to transcriptional pathology in 16p11.2-associated autism spectrum disorder.

Indexed as

Autism Spectrum DisorderAutistic DisorderChromosome DisordersHistonesIntellectual DisabilityTranscription, GeneticChromosome DeletionChromosomes, Human, Pair 16DNA Copy Number VariationsGene Expression RegulationHumansNeurodevelopmentTranscription FactorsHistonesTranscription Factors16p11.2 Hemi-deletionAutism Spectrum DisorderChromatin remodelingHistone H1MAZTranscriptomics

Identifiers

PMID42169156
PMCPMC13366670

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.