One Brain, Many Genomes: Somatic Mutation, Genomic Variability, and Psychiatric Disease

Abstract

Although it had long been assumed that the genomes of all neurons are identical, recent work has shown that every cell division causes mutations even during normal development, and that postmitotic neurons continue to accumulate mutations throughout life. Clonal somatic mutations create a mosaic brain that in some cases is associated with brain malformations, and autism spectrum disorders, and may underlie other neuropsychiatric diseases. The mutations that arise during development also represent a permanent forensic cell lineage map of the body.