Several activity-regulated translational control pathways have been demonstrated to participate in pathologies of autism, such as the ERK/MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase)143 and PI3K/mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathways.144,145 Mutations in several genes, such as TSC1, TSC2, PTEN and FMR1, are canonical components involved in the mTOR pathways and play crucial roles in mRNA translation and protein synthesis.146–148. Here, TSC1 is linked to autism.