ADNP, also known as Activity Dependent Neuroprotective Protein, is a vital gene for mammalian brain formation [5]. It plays a role in chromatin remodeling as it is associated with proteins like HP1, BRG1, and in murine stem cells, with CHD4 in a ChAHP complex [4]. Additionally, ADNP is involved in the autophagy pathway and has functions related to cytoskeletal proteins [5].

Loss-of-function experiments, such as Adnp +/- mice (a form of gene knockout), show that they suffer from learning and memory deficiencies, muscle weakness, and communication problems [2]. In zebrafish, adnp gene disruption leads to defective neurogenesis and reduced Wnt signaling [1]. Mechanistically, ADNP is required for neural induction and differentiation by enhancing Wnt signaling. It stabilizes β -Catenin through binding, preventing its degradation, and down -regulation of key neuroectoderm developmental genes [1].

In conclusion, ADNP is essential for neural development, with its functions revealed through gene knockout models in mice and zebrafish. Mutations in ADNP are linked to the Helsmoortel -Van der Aa syndrome, also known as ADNP syndrome, which is characterized by features like autism, intellectual disability, and multiple comorbidities, highlighting the importance of ADNP in understanding these neurodevelopmental disorders [1,2,3].