Figure 1

Differential mRNA and protein expression of each candidate molecule. (A) Differential mRNA expression of EFNB3, PLXNA4A and ROBO2 in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of brains from people with autism and controls. Graphs represent the mean ratio (autism:control) of relative expression levels. The error bar represents the SEM. There were thirteen control and eight autistic samples. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001 by Mann-Whitney U-test. Left to right, U = 4, P < 0.001; U = 18, P = 0.015; U = 0., P < 0.001; U = 11, P < 0.003; U = 14, P < 0.007; U = 3, P < 0.001; U = 7, P < 0.001; U = 23, P < 0.039; U = 0., P < 0.001. (B) Western blots showing the immunolabeling of PLXNA4 and ROBO2 in the ACC of control and autistic samples. (C) The values in the graphs are the mean percentage of the mean of the control values. There were thirteen control and eight autistic samples. *P < 0.05 by two-tailed unpaired t-test. Left to right, t = 2.44, df = 19, P < 0.024; t = 2.14, df = 19, P < 0.045.