1Hum. Mutat. 2004 Jul 24: 35-42
PMID15221787
TitleFunctional analysis of polymorphisms in the promoter regions of genes on 22q11.
AbstractSegmental aneusomy, which includes chromosome 22 deletion syndrome (del(22)(q11.2q11.2)), has been associated with DiGeorge syndrome (DGS), velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS), conotruncal anomaly face (CAF) syndrome, cat-eye syndrome (CES), der(22) syndrome, and duplication of the del(22)(q11.2q11.2) syndrome's typically deleted region. Adults with del(22)(q11.2q11.2) may develop psychiatric illnesses, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, suggesting that lower gene dosage leads to a predisposition to these illnesses. In a bid to identify important regulatory polymorphisms (SNPs) that may emulate changes in gene dosage of the genes within the common deletion, we have analyzed the promoter region of 47 genes (44 of which encode a protein with known function) encoding proteins in and around 22q11 for sequence variants. A total of 33 of the promoters contained polymorphisms. Of those, 25 were cloned into a reporter gene vector, pGL3. The relative ability of each promoter haplotype to promote transcription of the luciferase gene was tested in each of two human cell lines (HEK293t and TE671), using a cotransfected CMV-SPAP plasmid as an internal control. Five genes (PRODH, DGCR14, GSTT2, SERPIND1, and a gene tentatively called DKFZP434P211) showed activity differences between haplotypes of greater than 1.5-fold. Of those, PRODH, which encodes proline dehydrogenase, has previously been highlighted in relation to schizophrenia, and the functional promoter polymorphism reported here may be involved in pathogenic mechanisms.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic
2Am. J. Med. Genet. B Neuropsychiatr. Genet. 2009 Jan 150B: 86-94
PMID18449862
TitleAssociation study between the genetic polymorphisms of glutathione-related enzymes and schizophrenia in a Japanese population.
AbstractSeveral lines of evidence suggest that oxidative stress plays a role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, and that glutathione (GSH) plays a crucial role in antioxidant defense mechanisms. In this study, we performed association studies between GSH-related genes (GSTM1, GSTP1, GSTO1, GSTT1, GSTT2, GPX1, and GCLM) and schizophrenia in a Japanese population. The overall distributions of the genotypes and alleles of each gene were not different between schizophrenic patients and controls. Subjects with residual-type schizophrenia showed different distributions in the analysis of GSTM1 genotype and in the combination analysis of GSTs, GPX1, and GCLM genotypes although the small sample size should be considered as a limitation of this study. In addition, our findings revealed that there were large ethnic differences in the genotype distributions of those GSH-related genes. The present study suggests that GSH-related genes may not play a major role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia in a Japanese population. However, a dysregulation of GSH metabolism may be one of the vulnerability factors contributing to the development of a certain type of schizophrenia, and it is likely that the ethnic background should be considered in further study for those GSH-related genes.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic
3Am. J. Med. Genet. B Neuropsychiatr. Genet. 2009 Jan 150B: 86-94
PMID18449862
TitleAssociation study between the genetic polymorphisms of glutathione-related enzymes and schizophrenia in a Japanese population.
AbstractSeveral lines of evidence suggest that oxidative stress plays a role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, and that glutathione (GSH) plays a crucial role in antioxidant defense mechanisms. In this study, we performed association studies between GSH-related genes (GSTM1, GSTP1, GSTO1, GSTT1, GSTT2, GPX1, and GCLM) and schizophrenia in a Japanese population. The overall distributions of the genotypes and alleles of each gene were not different between schizophrenic patients and controls. Subjects with residual-type schizophrenia showed different distributions in the analysis of GSTM1 genotype and in the combination analysis of GSTs, GPX1, and GCLM genotypes although the small sample size should be considered as a limitation of this study. In addition, our findings revealed that there were large ethnic differences in the genotype distributions of those GSH-related genes. The present study suggests that GSH-related genes may not play a major role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia in a Japanese population. However, a dysregulation of GSH metabolism may be one of the vulnerability factors contributing to the development of a certain type of schizophrenia, and it is likely that the ethnic background should be considered in further study for those GSH-related genes.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic
4Mol. Psychiatry 2010 Oct 15: 1023-33
PMID19528963
TitleAssociation of common copy number variants at the glutathione S-transferase genes and rare novel genomic changes with schizophrenia.
AbstractCopy number variants (CNVs) are a substantial source of human genetic diversity, influencing the variable susceptibility to multifactorial disorders. schizophrenia is a complex illness thought to be caused by a number of genetic and environmental effects, few of which have been clearly defined. Recent reports have found several low prevalent CNVs associated with the disease. We have used a multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification-based (MLPA) method to target 140 previously reported and putatively relevant gene-containing CNV regions in 654 schizophrenic patients and 604 controls for association studies. Most genotyped CNVs (95%) showed very low (<1%) population frequency. A few novel rare variants were only present in patients suggesting a possible pathogenic involvement, including 1.39?Mb overlapping duplications at 22q11.23 found in two unrelated patients, and duplications of the somatostatin receptor 5 gene (SSTR5) at 16p13.3 in three unrelated patients. Furthermore, among the few relatively common CNVs observed in patients and controls, the combined analysis of gene copy number genotypes at two glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes, GSTM1 (glutathione S-transferase mu 1) (1p13.3) and GSTT2 (glutathione S-transferase theta 2) (22q11.23), showed a statistically significant association of non-null genotypes at both loci with an additive effect for increased vulnerability to schizophrenia (odds ratio of 1.92; P=0.0008). Our data provide complementary evidences for low prevalent, but highly penetrant chromosomal variants associated with schizophrenia, as well as for common CNVs that may act as susceptibility factors by disturbing glutathione metabolism.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic
5Mol. Psychiatry 2010 Oct 15: 1023-33
PMID19528963
TitleAssociation of common copy number variants at the glutathione S-transferase genes and rare novel genomic changes with schizophrenia.
AbstractCopy number variants (CNVs) are a substantial source of human genetic diversity, influencing the variable susceptibility to multifactorial disorders. schizophrenia is a complex illness thought to be caused by a number of genetic and environmental effects, few of which have been clearly defined. Recent reports have found several low prevalent CNVs associated with the disease. We have used a multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification-based (MLPA) method to target 140 previously reported and putatively relevant gene-containing CNV regions in 654 schizophrenic patients and 604 controls for association studies. Most genotyped CNVs (95%) showed very low (<1%) population frequency. A few novel rare variants were only present in patients suggesting a possible pathogenic involvement, including 1.39?Mb overlapping duplications at 22q11.23 found in two unrelated patients, and duplications of the somatostatin receptor 5 gene (SSTR5) at 16p13.3 in three unrelated patients. Furthermore, among the few relatively common CNVs observed in patients and controls, the combined analysis of gene copy number genotypes at two glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes, GSTM1 (glutathione S-transferase mu 1) (1p13.3) and GSTT2 (glutathione S-transferase theta 2) (22q11.23), showed a statistically significant association of non-null genotypes at both loci with an additive effect for increased vulnerability to schizophrenia (odds ratio of 1.92; P=0.0008). Our data provide complementary evidences for low prevalent, but highly penetrant chromosomal variants associated with schizophrenia, as well as for common CNVs that may act as susceptibility factors by disturbing glutathione metabolism.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic
6World J Psychiatry 2013 Sep 3: 57-61
PMID24255876
TitleNew findings in the genetics of schizophrenia.
AbstractNew findings in schizophrenia genetics are based on genome-wide association studies (GWAS), research into DNA copy number variations (CNVs), and endophenotypes. More than 70 genes have recently been suspected to be involved in the genetic background of schizophrenia based on the GWAS´s results. They are typically related to neurodevelopment/neuroplasticity, immunology and neuroendocrinology. Nevertheless, for many detected genes their possible relationship to schizophrenia etiopathogenesis is still unknown. The CNVs at genome loci 1q21.1 (candidate gene e.g., PRKAB2), 2p16.3 (candidate gene e.g., NRXN1), 3q29 (candidate genes e.g., BDH1, DLG1, PAK2 or TFRC), 15q11.2 (candidate gene e.g., CYFIP1), 15q13.3 (candidate gene e.g., CHRNA7), 16p13.1 (candidate genes e.g.,NTAN1 or NDE1) and 22q11.2 (candidate genes e.g., COMT, GSTT2 or PRODH) were associated with schizophrenia most frequently. Genetic research of schizophrenia endophenotypes, usually neurophysiological, neuromotoric, neurocognitive, neuroanatomical, neurological or personality-related, will help us to discover the role of relevant genes in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. It is also necessary to integrate knowledge from other research platforms in schizophrenia, like epigenetics, studies of gene-environment interactions, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, neuroimaging and psychopathology. A better knowledge of the genetic background of schizophrenia can lead to changes in the treatment, prevention and genetic counselling. It may also reduce stigma in this severe mental disorder.
SCZ Keywordsschizophrenia, schizophrenic