Genes 2 Brains 2 Mind 2 Me

A recent analysis of brain structure in healthy individuals who carry a common 2,445-bp deletion in intron 2 of the doublecortin domain containing 2 (DCDC2) gene found that heterozygotes for the deletion showed higher grey matter volumes for several brain areas known to be involved in the processing of written and spoken language (superior, medial and inferior temporal cortex, fusiform, hippocampal / parahippocampal, inferior occipito-parietal, inferior and middle frontal gyri, especially in the left hemisphere) [doi:10.1007/s11682-007-9012-1].  The DCDC2 gene sits within a well known locus frequently found to be associated with developmental dyslexia, and associations of reading disability with DCDC2 have been confirmed in population-based studies.  Further work on DCDC2 (open access) shows that the DNA that is deleted in the 2,445-bp deletion in intron 2 carries a number of repeating sequences to which developmental transcription factors bind and that inhibition of DCDC2 results in altered neuronal migration (the right-hand panel shows altered radial migration when DCDC2 is inhibited).  Perhaps the greater grey matter volumes are related to this type of neuronal migration finding?  Will be interesting to follow this story further!