Abstract: A fundamental shortcoming in the current treatment of schizophrenia is the lack of valid criteria to predict who will respond to antipsychotic treatment. The identification of blood-based biological markers of the therapeutic response would enable clinicians to identify the subgroup of patients in whom conventional antipsychotic treatment is ineffective and offer alternative treatments. As part of the Optimization of Treatment and Management of Schizophrenia in Europe (OPTiMiSE) programme, the inventors conducted a transcriptome analysis on 188 subjects with first episode psychosis, all of whom were subsequently treated with amisulpride for 4 weeks. They identify 32 genes for which the expression changed after treatment in good responders only.

Abstract: The invention relates to a kit for diagnosing autism linked to a mutation in a protein belonging to the family of human neuroligins.

Abstract: The invention relates to a kit for diagnosing autism linked to a mutation in a protein belonging to the family of human neuroligins.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a kit for diagnosing autism linked to a mutation in a protein belonging to the family of human neuroligins.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of diagnosing autism linked to a mutation in the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO: 12 or the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 14, or a propensity therefor, in a human, where the mutation results in altered synapse formation.

Abstract: The invention concerns identification of human genes coding for a protein involved in synaptogenesis and whereof the mutation is associated in humans with the development of neurological diseases and/or predisposition to developing mental disorders or psychiatric diseases such as autism and asparagus syndrome. More particularly, the invention concerns a protein belonging to the family of human neuroligins (HNL's) and more particularly the HNL4X protein and its functional homologue HNL4Y encoded by a Y chromosome gene. The invention also concerns polynucleotides coding for the HNL4X and HNL4Y proteins mutated or not and mutated HNL3 proteins, the cellular expression vectors comprising the nucleic acid sequences expressing HNL3, HNL4X, HNL4Y mutated or not, and the polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies capable of being fixed on one of said peptides and/or polynucleotides mentioned above.