Additionally, the transcription factor PITX1, which has known mutations associated with pituitary development and the development of autism (Szeto et al., 1999; Philippi et al., 2007), putatively binds to sequences immediately flanking DMLs, suggesting that differential binding of PITX1, as a consequence of differential 5 mC and 5 hmC levels, may have contributed to the evolution of the pituitary gland. This evidence concerns the gene PITX1 and autism.