Newly identified gene sheds light on boys’ susceptibility to autism

In the tangled forest that is the genetics of autism, scientists have a new guidepost.For the first time, a gene called DDX53 has been associated with the complex developmental disorder. Its identification is an important piece of new information for those seeking answers about the causes of autism. And its location, on the human X-chromosome, is particularly noteworthy, because it helps shed light on why boys are about four times more likely to present with autism than girls.