Although complete knockout of Cul3 results in embryonic lethality, Cul3 heterozygous mice have reduced CU元 protein, demonstrate comparable body weight, and display minimal behavioral differences including decreased spatial object recognition memory. CU元, coding for a Cullin family scaffold protein mediating assembly of ubiquitin ligase complexes through BTB domain substrate-recruiting adaptors, has been identified as a high-risk gene for autism. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder in which children display repetitive behavior, restricted range of interests, and atypical social interaction and communication.
