Heterozygous L1-deficient mice express an autism-like phenotype

The L1CAM (L1) gene encodes a cell adhesion molecule that contributes to several important processes in the developing and adult nervous system, including neuronal migration, survival, and plasticity. In humans and mice, mutations in the X chromosome-linked gene L1 cause severe neurological defects in males. L1 heterozygous female mice with one functional copy of the L1 gene show complex morphological features that are different from L1...