1Transl Psychiatry 2011 -1 1: e10
PMID22832399
TitlePCLO rs2522833 impacts HPA system activity in healthy young adults.
AbstractRecent genetic studies showed evidence for a role of the single-nucleotide polymorphism rs2522833 within the PCLO gene in the etiology of major depression, and rs2522833 has been shown to modulate hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activity during antidepressant treatment. Monoaminergic modulation of the HPA system may be one possible pathomechanism by which PCLO exerts its effect on depression. In the present study, we investigated the effect of rs2522833 on the cortisol awakening response (CAR) in healthy young adults. A total of 66 healthy volunteers from the community (36 men and 30 women) aged 18-25 years without individual or family history of affective disorders and schizophrenia collected saliva cortisol samples at 0, 30, 45 and 60?min after awakening on two consecutive working days. We identified a blunted CAR (AUCinc) in rs2522833 risk-allele (C) carriers, possibly indicating exhausted regulatory mechanisms underlying the HPA system. We also identified higher neuroticism scores in rs2522833 risk-allele carriers but no phenotypic correlation between the CAR (AUCinc) and neuroticism. These findings suggest that the rs2522833 risk variant might increase vulnerability to depression both by physiological and behavioral pathways, which appear, however, not to be substantially overlapped. Replication with larger samples is warranted.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia
2J. Biol. Chem. 2011 Aug 286: 28867-75
PMID21700703
TitleD-amino acid oxidase activity is inhibited by an interaction with bassoon protein at the presynaptic active zone.
Abstractschizophrenia is a highly heritable neuropsychiatric disorder affecting ?1% of the world's population. Linkage and association studies have identified multiple candidate schizophrenia susceptibility genes whose functions converge on the glutamatergic neurotransmitter system. One such susceptibility gene encoding D-amino acid oxidase (DAO), an enzyme that metabolizes the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) co-agonist D-serine, has the potential to modulate NMDAR function in the context of schizophrenia. To further investigate its cellular regulation, we sought to identify DAO-interacting proteins that participate in its functional regulation in rat cerebellum, where DAO expression is especially high. Immunoprecipitation with DAO-specific antibodies and subsequent mass spectrometric analysis of co-precipitated proteins yielded 24 putative DAO-interacting proteins. The most robust interactions occurred with known components of the presynaptic active zone, such as bassoon (BSN) and piccolo (PCLO). The interaction of DAO with BSN was confirmed through co-immunoprecipitation assays using DAO- and BSN-specific antibodies. Moreover, DAO and BSN colocalized with one another in cultured cerebellar granule cells and in synaptic junction membrane protein fractions derived from rat cerebellum. The functional consequences of this interaction were studied through enzyme assay experiments, where DAO enzymatic activity was significantly inhibited as a result of its interaction with BSN. Taking these results together, we hypothesize that synaptic D-serine concentrations may be under tight regulation by a BSN-DAO complex. We therefore predict that this mechanism plays a role in the modulation of glutamatergic signaling through NMDARs. It also furthers our understanding of the biology underlying this potential therapeutic entry point for schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia
3Biol. Pharm. Bull. 2012 -1 35: 265-8
PMID22293360
TitleGenotype distributions and allele frequencies of possible major depressive disorder-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms, cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein 1 rs4675690 and Piccolo rs2522833, in a Japanese population.
AbstractIt is known that the onset of major depressive disorder (MDD) would be associated with genetic factors. To investigate the susceptibility to psychiatric disorders, e.g. MDD, schizophrenia etc., it is necessary to compare the genetic differences of objective polymorphisms between in patients and in relative contol subjects. Recently, an increasing number of studies focused on the role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein 1 (CREB1) and Piccolo (PCLO) on MDD. However, there was no report about genetic characterization of polymorphisms in between MDD patients and healthy subjects in Japanese population. We analized genotype distributions and allele frequencies of CREB1 rs4675690 and PCLO rs2522833 polymorphisms in 267 Japanese subjects, respectively. In CREB1 rs4675690, C allele frequency (0.41) was lower than T allele (0.59). While in PCLO rs2522833, A allele frequency (0.45) was lower than C allele (0.55). Our findings may be useful for investigating the genetic factors concerning the susceptibility to MDD in Japanese population.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia