1Schizophr. Res. 2008 Mar 100: 308-15
PMID18164902
TitleAnalyses of variants located in estrogen metabolism genes (ESR1, ESR2, COMT and APOE) and schizophrenia.
AbstractRelationships between gender, age-of-onset of schizophrenia and reproductive age strongly suggest a key role for gonadal hormones, and more specifically for estrogens, in the etiology of the illness. Also, estrogens act as neural growth and trophic factors influencing neuron and glial cells in many areas of the central nervous system. Therefore, we investigated the association between schizophrenia and 4 genes related to estrogen metabolism. These genes are ESR1 (estrogen receptor 1), ESR2 (estrogen receptor 2), APOE (apolipoprotein E) and COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase). The expression of APOE and COMT, which contain estrogen response elements, have been demonstrated to be regulated by the estrogen receptors. In this current association study, we examined 59 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the ESR1 (26), ESR2 (14), APOE (7) and COMT (12) loci. Allele frequencies were evaluated in the schizophrenia (n=585)-control (n=615) sample and no association was found with any of the four genes. In conclusion, our data suggest that the four analyzed genes do not play an important role in susceptibility to schizophrenia.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics
2Hum. Mol. Genet. 2008 Aug 17: 2293-309
PMID18424448
TitleVariants in the estrogen receptor alpha gene and its mRNA contribute to risk for schizophrenia.
AbstractEstrogen modifies human emotion and cognition and impacts symptoms of schizophrenia. We hypothesized that the variation in the estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) gene and cortical ESR1 mRNA is associated with schizophrenia. In a small case-control genetic association analysis of postmortem brain tissue, genotype CC (rs2234693) and haplotypes containing the C allele of a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in intron1 (PvuII) were more frequent in African American schizophrenics (P = 0.01-0.001). In a follow-up family-based association analysis, we found overtransmission of PvuII allele C and a PvuII C-containing haplotype (P = 0.01-0.03) to African American and Caucasian patients with schizophrenia. schizophrenics with the 'at risk' PvuII genotype had lower ESR1 mRNA levels in the frontal cortex. Eighteen ESR1 splice variants and decreased frequencies of the wild-type ESR1 mRNA were detected in schizophrenia. In one patient, a unique ESR1 transcript with a genomic insert encoding a premature stop codon and a truncated ESR1 protein lacking most of the estrogen binding domain was the only transcript detected. Using a luciferase assay, we found that mRNA encoding a truncated ESR1 significantly attenuates gene expression at estrogen-response elements demonstrating a dominant negative function. An intron 6 SNP [rs2273207(G)] was associated with an ESR1 splice variant missing exon seven. The T allele of another intron 6 SNP was part of a 3' haplotype less common in schizophrenia [rs2273206(T), rs2273207(G), rs2228480(G)]. Thus, the variation in the ESR1 gene is associated with schizophrenia and the mechanism of this association may involve alternative gene regulation and transcript processing.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics
3Hum. Mol. Genet. 2008 Aug 17: 2293-309
PMID18424448
TitleVariants in the estrogen receptor alpha gene and its mRNA contribute to risk for schizophrenia.
AbstractEstrogen modifies human emotion and cognition and impacts symptoms of schizophrenia. We hypothesized that the variation in the estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) gene and cortical ESR1 mRNA is associated with schizophrenia. In a small case-control genetic association analysis of postmortem brain tissue, genotype CC (rs2234693) and haplotypes containing the C allele of a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in intron1 (PvuII) were more frequent in African American schizophrenics (P = 0.01-0.001). In a follow-up family-based association analysis, we found overtransmission of PvuII allele C and a PvuII C-containing haplotype (P = 0.01-0.03) to African American and Caucasian patients with schizophrenia. schizophrenics with the 'at risk' PvuII genotype had lower ESR1 mRNA levels in the frontal cortex. Eighteen ESR1 splice variants and decreased frequencies of the wild-type ESR1 mRNA were detected in schizophrenia. In one patient, a unique ESR1 transcript with a genomic insert encoding a premature stop codon and a truncated ESR1 protein lacking most of the estrogen binding domain was the only transcript detected. Using a luciferase assay, we found that mRNA encoding a truncated ESR1 significantly attenuates gene expression at estrogen-response elements demonstrating a dominant negative function. An intron 6 SNP [rs2273207(G)] was associated with an ESR1 splice variant missing exon seven. The T allele of another intron 6 SNP was part of a 3' haplotype less common in schizophrenia [rs2273206(T), rs2273207(G), rs2228480(G)]. Thus, the variation in the ESR1 gene is associated with schizophrenia and the mechanism of this association may involve alternative gene regulation and transcript processing.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics
4Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry 2009 Aug 33: 895-8
PMID19386276
TitleA functional polymorphism in estrogen receptor alpha gene is associated with Japanese methamphetamine induced psychosis.
AbstractA recent study reported an association between rs2234693, which influences enhancer activity levels in estrogen receptor alpha gene (ESR1), and schizophrenia. This study reported that schizophrenic patients with the CC genotype have significantly lower ESR1 mRNA levels in the prefrontal cortex than patients with other genotypes. The symptoms of methamphetamine induced psychosis are similar to those of paranoid type schizophrenia. Therefore, we conducted an association analysis of rs2234693 with Japanese methamphetamine induced psychosis patients.
Using rs2234693, we conducted a genetic association analysis of case-control samples (197 methamphetamine induced psychosis patients and 197 healthy controls). The age and sex of the control subjects did not differ from those of the methamphetamine induced psychosis patients.
We detected a significant association between ESR1 and methamphetamine induced psychosis patients in allele/genotype-wise analysis. For further interpretation of these associations, we performed single marker analysis of subjects divided by sex. Rs2234693 was associated with male methamphetamine induced psychosis.
Our results suggest that rs2234693 in ESR1 may play a role in the pathophysiology of Japanese methamphetamine induced psychosis patients.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics
5Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry 2009 Aug 33: 895-8
PMID19386276
TitleA functional polymorphism in estrogen receptor alpha gene is associated with Japanese methamphetamine induced psychosis.
AbstractA recent study reported an association between rs2234693, which influences enhancer activity levels in estrogen receptor alpha gene (ESR1), and schizophrenia. This study reported that schizophrenic patients with the CC genotype have significantly lower ESR1 mRNA levels in the prefrontal cortex than patients with other genotypes. The symptoms of methamphetamine induced psychosis are similar to those of paranoid type schizophrenia. Therefore, we conducted an association analysis of rs2234693 with Japanese methamphetamine induced psychosis patients.
Using rs2234693, we conducted a genetic association analysis of case-control samples (197 methamphetamine induced psychosis patients and 197 healthy controls). The age and sex of the control subjects did not differ from those of the methamphetamine induced psychosis patients.
We detected a significant association between ESR1 and methamphetamine induced psychosis patients in allele/genotype-wise analysis. For further interpretation of these associations, we performed single marker analysis of subjects divided by sex. Rs2234693 was associated with male methamphetamine induced psychosis.
Our results suggest that rs2234693 in ESR1 may play a role in the pathophysiology of Japanese methamphetamine induced psychosis patients.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics
6Schizophr Bull 2012 May 38: 433-43
PMID20732949
TitleGender-specific reduction of estrogen-sensitive small RNA, miR-30b, in subjects with schizophrenia.
AbstractEstrogen signaling pathways affect cortical function and metabolism, are thought to play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, and exert neuroprotective effects in female subjects at risk. However, the molecular signatures of estrogen signaling in normal and diseased cerebral cortex remain largely unexplored. Expression of the estrogen-sensitive small RNA, microRNA-30b (miR-30b), was studied in 30 controls and 30 matched samples from subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia from prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as in 23 samples from parietal cortex (12 controls and 11 schizophrenia cases). The majority of case and control samples were genotyped for an estrogen receptor ? (ESR1) sequence variant (rs2234693) previously associated with genetic risk, and a subset of them were subjected to further analysis to determine expression of mature and precursor forms of miR-30b (pre/pri-miR-30b). Gender-dimorphic expression was also explored in mouse frontal cortex and hippocampus. A significant interaction between gender and diagnosis was discovered for changes in mature miR-30b levels, so that miR-30b expression was significantly reduced in the cerebral cortex of female but not male subjects with schizophrenia. In addition, disease-related changes in miR-30b expression in a subset of female subjects were further modulated by ESR1 genotype. Changes after antipsychotic drug exposure remained insignificant. These preliminary findings point to the possibility that disease-related changes in the expression of small noncoding RNAs such as miR-30b in schizophrenia could be influenced by gender and potentially regulated by estrogen signaling.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics
7Zhonghua Yi Xue Yi Chuan Xue Za Zhi 2013 Feb 30: 21-5
PMID23450473
Title[Association between ESR1 gene polymorphisms and haplotypes with schizophrenia].
AbstractTo assess the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) gene with schizophrenia.
Three SNPs (rs2234693, rs9340799 and rs3798759) were determined in 333 schizophrenic patients and 315 healthy subjects with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Allelic and genotypic frequencies and particular haplotypes were compared between the two groups using Chi-square test.
The allelic and genotypic frequencies of rs2234693 and rs9340799 showed no significant difference between the two groups (P U+003E 0.05). However, a significant difference was detected in the frequencies of rs3798759 G allele and GG genotype between the two groups (P U+003C 0.01). Single factor analysis stratified by sex also found that frequencies of rs3798759 GG and TG genotypes and G allele were significantly higher in female schizophrenia patients compared with healthy females (P U+003C 0.05). Haplotypes C-A-G and C-G-G were more common in schizophrenia group (P U+003C 0.05).
polymorphisms of rs3798759 may be a risk factor for female patients with schizophrenia, and haplotypes C-A-G and C-G-G may be risk factors for schizophrenia.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics
8Zhonghua Yi Xue Yi Chuan Xue Za Zhi 2013 Feb 30: 21-5
PMID23450473
Title[Association between ESR1 gene polymorphisms and haplotypes with schizophrenia].
AbstractTo assess the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) gene with schizophrenia.
Three SNPs (rs2234693, rs9340799 and rs3798759) were determined in 333 schizophrenic patients and 315 healthy subjects with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Allelic and genotypic frequencies and particular haplotypes were compared between the two groups using Chi-square test.
The allelic and genotypic frequencies of rs2234693 and rs9340799 showed no significant difference between the two groups (P U+003E 0.05). However, a significant difference was detected in the frequencies of rs3798759 G allele and GG genotype between the two groups (P U+003C 0.01). Single factor analysis stratified by sex also found that frequencies of rs3798759 GG and TG genotypes and G allele were significantly higher in female schizophrenia patients compared with healthy females (P U+003C 0.05). Haplotypes C-A-G and C-G-G were more common in schizophrenia group (P U+003C 0.05).
polymorphisms of rs3798759 may be a risk factor for female patients with schizophrenia, and haplotypes C-A-G and C-G-G may be risk factors for schizophrenia.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics
9Cereb. Cortex 2014 May 24: 1230-46
PMID23283688
TitleCommon variants in psychiatric risk genes predict brain structure at birth.
AbstractStudies in adolescents and adults have demonstrated that polymorphisms in putative psychiatric risk genes are associated with differences in brain structure, but cannot address when in development these relationships arise. To determine if common genetic variants in disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1 (DISC1; rs821616 and rs6675281), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT; rs4680), neuregulin 1 (NRG1; rs35753505 and rs6994992), apolipoprotein E (APOE; ?3?4 vs. ?3?3), estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1; rs9340799 and rs2234693), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF; rs6265), and glutamate decarboxylase 1 (GAD1; rs2270335) are associated with individual differences in brain tissue volumes in neonates, we applied both automated region-of-interest volumetry and tensor-based morphometry to a sample of 272 neonates who had received high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging scans. ESR1 (rs9340799) predicted intracranial volume. Local variation in gray matter (GM) volume was significantly associated with polymorphisms in DISC1 (rs821616), COMT, NRG1, APOE, ESR1 (rs9340799), and BDNF. No associations were identified for DISC1 (rs6675281), ESR1 (rs2234693), or GAD1. Of note, neonates homozygous for the DISC1 (rs821616) serine allele exhibited numerous large clusters of reduced GM in the frontal lobes, and neonates homozygous for the COMT valine allele exhibited reduced GM in the temporal cortex and hippocampus, mirroring findings in adults. The results highlight the importance of prenatal brain development in mediating psychiatric risk.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics
10Adv Gerontol 2015 -1 28: 228-47
PMID26856084
TitleGENETICS OF HUMAN AGE RELATED DISORDERS.
AbstractAging is an inevitable biological phenomenon. The incidence of age related disorders (ARDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, arthritis, dementia, osteoporosis, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases increase rapidly with aging. ARDs are becoming a key social and economic trouble for the world's elderly population (above 60 years), which is expected to reach 2 billion by 2050. Advancement in understanding of genetic associations, particularly through genome wide association studies (GWAS), has revealed a substantial contribution of genes to human aging and ARDs. In this review, we have focused on the recent understanding of the extent to which genetic predisposition may influence the aging process. Further analysis of the genetic association studies through pathway analysis several genes associated with multiple ARDs have been highlighted such as apolipoprotein E (APOE), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cadherin 13 (CDH13), CDK5 regulatory subunit associated protein 1 (CDKAL-1), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3), paraoxonase 1 (PON1), indicating that these genes could play a pivotal role in ARD causation. These genes were found to be significantly enriched in Jak-STAT signalling pathway, asthma and allograft rejection. Further, interleukin-6 (IL-6), insulin (INS), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), estrogen receptor1 (ESR1), transforming growth factor, beta 1(TGFB1) and calmodulin 1 (CALM1) were found to be highly interconnected in network analysis. We believe that extensive research on the presence of common genetic variants among various ARDs may facilitate scientists to understand the biology behind ARDs causation.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics
11Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry 2015 Jun 59: 31-9
PMID25598502
TitleAssociations between DNA methylation and schizophrenia-related intermediate phenotypes - a gene set enrichment analysis.
AbstractMultiple genetic approaches have identified microRNAs as key effectors in psychiatric disorders as they post-transcriptionally regulate expression of thousands of target genes. However, their role in specific psychiatric diseases remains poorly understood. In addition, epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, which affect the expression of both microRNAs and coding genes, are critical for our understanding of molecular mechanisms in schizophrenia. Using clinical, imaging, genetic, and epigenetic data of 103 patients with schizophrenia and 111 healthy controls of the Mind Clinical Imaging Consortium (MCIC) study of schizophrenia, we conducted gene set enrichment analysis to identify markers for schizophrenia-associated intermediate phenotypes. Genes were ranked based on the correlation between DNA methylation patterns and each phenotype, and then searched for enrichment in 221 predicted microRNA target gene sets. We found the predicted hsa-miR-219a-5p target gene set to be significantly enriched for genes (EPHA4, PKNOX1, ESR1, among others) whose methylation status is correlated with hippocampal volume independent of disease status. Our results were strengthened by significant associations between hsa-miR-219a-5p target gene methylation patterns and hippocampus-related neuropsychological variables. IPA pathway analysis of the respective predicted hsa-miR-219a-5p target genes revealed associated network functions in behavior and developmental disorders. Altered methylation patterns of predicted hsa-miR-219a-5p target genes are associated with a structural aberration of the brain that has been proposed as a possible biomarker for schizophrenia. The (dys)regulation of microRNA target genes by epigenetic mechanisms may confer additional risk for developing psychiatric symptoms. Further study is needed to understand possible interactions between microRNAs and epigenetic changes and their impact on risk for brain-based disorders such as schizophrenia.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics