Autism genes are selectively targeted by environmental pollutants including pesticides, heavy metals, bisphenol A, phthalates and many others in food, cosmetics or household products.

Abstract

The increasing incidence of autism suggests a major environmental influence. Epidemiology has implicated many candidates and genetics many susceptibility genes. Gene/environment interactions in autism were analysed using 206 autism genes (ASGs) to interrogate ~1 million chemical/gene interactions in the comparative toxicogenomics database. Bias towards ASGs was statistically determined for each chemical. Many suspect compounds identified in epidemiology, including tetrachlorodibenzodioxin, pesticides, particulate matter, benzo(a)pyrene, heavy metals, valproate, acetaminophen, SSRIs, cocaine, bisphenol A, phthalates, polyhalogenated biphenyls, flame retardants, diesel constituents, terbutaline and oxytocin, inter alia showed a significant degree of bias towards ASGs, as did relevant endogenous agents (retinoids, sex steroids, thyroxine, melatonin, folate, dopamine, serotonin). Numerous other endocrine disruptors selectively targeted ASGs including paraquat, atrazine and other pesticides not yet studied in autism and many compounds used in food, cosmetics or household products, including tretinoin, soy phytoestrogens, aspartame, titanium dioxide and sodium fluoride. Autism polymorphisms are known to influence sensitivity to some of these chemicals and these same genes play an important role in barrier function and control of respiratory cilia sweeping particulate matter from the airways. The close gene/environment relationships, for multiple suspect pollutants, suggest that the rising incidence of autism might be chemically driven by numerous environmental contaminants in a gene dependent manner. The protective dappled camouflage of the peppered moth was rendered invalid by industrial soot covering the trees, a situation reversed by clean air acts. The rising tide of neurodevelopmental and other childhood disorders linked to multiple pollutants may need a similar solution.