1Schizophr. Res. 2005 Sep 77: 261-70
PMID15890497
TitleCortical gene expression in the neonatal ventral-hippocampal lesion rat model.
Abstractschizophrenia is a chronic, debilitating psychotic illness of unknown etiology that has been the subject of many genetic studies. We studied the neonatal ventral-hippocampal lesioned rat as an animal model of schizophrenia in order to identify novel candidate genes for schizophrenia. Temporal and frontal cortices were assessed using cDNA microarrays for differences in mRNA expression associated with the lesion, haloperidol treatment and in two rat strains with differential sensitivity to the behavioural effects of the lesion. Genes that had altered expression levels as a result of the lesion, that were normalized by haloperidol treatment, and that differed between rat strains were selected. The pattern of differential transcription was confirmed with quantitative PCR for all six candidate genes: large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel, subfamily M, beta member 1 (Kcnmb1); doublecortex (DCX); adenylyl cyclase-associated protein 1 (CAP1); adenosine monophosphate deaminase 2-isoform L (AMPD2); malic enzyme 3, NADP(+)-dependent, mitochondrial (Me3); and aspartylglucosaminidase (AGA). None of these genes has been extensively studied in schizophrenia, and further work with post-mortem tissue and genetic studies are ongoing.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia
2PLoS ONE 2011 -1 6: e25194
PMID21966452
TitleDevelopmental patterns of doublecortin expression and white matter neuron density in the postnatal primate prefrontal cortex and schizophrenia.
AbstractPostnatal neurogenesis occurs in the subventricular zone and dentate gyrus, and evidence suggests that new neurons may be present in additional regions of the mature primate brain, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Addition of new neurons to the PFC implies local generation of neurons or migration from areas such as the subventricular zone. We examined the putative contribution of new, migrating neurons to postnatal cortical development by determining the density of neurons in white matter subjacent to the cortex and measuring expression of doublecortin (DCX), a microtubule-associated protein involved in neuronal migration, in humans and rhesus macaques. We found a striking decline in DCX expression (human and macaque) and density of white matter neurons (humans) during infancy, consistent with the arrival of new neurons in the early postnatal cortex. Considering the expansion of the brain during this time, the decline in white matter neuron density does not necessarily indicate reduced total numbers of white matter neurons in early postnatal life. Furthermore, numerous cells in the white matter and deep grey matter were positive for the migration-associated glycoprotein polysialiated-neuronal cell adhesion molecule and GAD65/67, suggesting that immature migrating neurons in the adult may be GABAergic. We also examined DCX mRNA in the PFC of adult schizophrenia patients (n?=?37) and matched controls (n?=?37) and did not find any difference in DCX mRNA expression. However, we report a negative correlation between DCX mRNA expression and white matter neuron density in adult schizophrenia patients, in contrast to a positive correlation in human development where DCX mRNA and white matter neuron density are higher earlier in life. Accumulation of neurons in the white matter in schizophrenia would be congruent with a negative correlation between DCX mRNA and white matter neuron density and support the hypothesis of a migration deficit in schizophrenia.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia
3Scientifica (Cairo) 2013 -1 2013: 393975
PMID24278775
TitleLIS1 and DCX: Implications for Brain Development and Human Disease in Relation to Microtubules.
AbstractProper lamination of the cerebral cortex requires the orchestrated motility of neurons from their place of birth to their final destination. Improper neuronal migration may result in a wide range of diseases, including brain malformations, such as lissencephaly, mental retardation, schizophrenia, and autism. Ours and other studies have implicated that microtubules and microtubule-associated proteins play an important role in the regulation of neuronal polarization and neuronal migration. Here, we will review normal processes of brain development and neuronal migration, describe neuronal migration diseases, and will focus on the microtubule-associated functions of LIS1 and DCX, which participate in the regulation of neuronal migration and are involved in the human developmental brain disease, lissencephaly.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia
4Brain Behav. Immun. 2014 Nov 42: 212-21
PMID25014010
TitleInfluenza vaccination during early pregnancy contributes to neurogenesis and behavioral function in offspring.
AbstractPrenatal influenza virus infection has been associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia. Thus, inactivated flu vaccines are widely recommended for pregnant women. In a mouse model of pregnancy, immune activation via exposure to viruses or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) impaired brain development and behavioral function in offspring. The objective of our study was to determine if flu vaccination as an immune activation could affect postnatal neurogenesis and behavior. Female C57BL/6J mice were administered A(H1N1) influenza vaccine (AIV) or seasonal influenza vaccine (SIV) early in pregnancy. We found that the offspring of vaccinated mice, especially AIV group, presented superior performance in terms of exploratory behavior and spatial ability compared with controls at postnatal day 28 (P28), but at P56, there was no significance differences among these pups. Quantification of BrdU(+)/DCX(+) and BrdU(+)/NeuN(+) cells in the dentate gyrus (DG) indicated an increase in the hippocampal neurogenesis of the pups born to both vaccinated mothers. The cytokine levels in both the serum and hippocampus changed to varying degrees. Furthermore, administration of the A(H1N1) vaccine blocked LPS-induced cognitive impairment in the progeny. Altogether, the results suggest that maternal influenza vaccination promotes neurogenesis and behavioral function, as well as protection from LPS insults in the developing offspring.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia