| Abstract | Major depressive disorder is one of the most common and devastating psychiatric disorders. To identify candidate mechanisms for major depressive disorder, we compared gene expression in the temporal cortex from 12 patients with major depressive disorder and 14 matched controls using Affymetrix HgU95A microarrays. Significant expression changes were revealed in families of genes involved in neurodevelopment, signal transduction and cell communication. Among these, the expression of 17 genes related to oligodendrocyte function was significantly (P < 0.05, fold change > 1.4) decreased in patients with major depressive disorder. Eight of these 17 genes encode structural components of myelin (CNP, MAG, MAL, MOG, MOBP, PMP22, PLLP, PLP1). Five other genes encode enzymes involved in the synthesis of myelin constituents (ASPA, UGT8), or are essential in regulation of myelin formation (ENPP2, EDG2, TF, KLK6). One gene, that is, SOX10, encodes a transcription factor regulating other myelination-related genes. OLIG2 is a transcription factor present exclusively in oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte precursors. Another gene, ERBB3, is involved in oligodendrocyte differentiation. In addition to myelination-related genes, there were significant changes in multiple genes involved in axonal growth/synaptic function. These findings suggest that major depressive disorder may be associated with changes in cell communication and signal transduction mechanisms that contribute to abnormalities in oligodendroglia and synaptic function. Taken together with other studies, these findings indicate that major depressive disorder may share common oligodendroglial abnormalities with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. |
| Abstract | Purine repeat sequences present in the human genome are known to act as hotspots for mutations leading to chromosomal imbalances. It is established that large purine repeats (PRs) form stable DNA triplex structure which can inhibit gene expression. Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA), the autosomal neurodegenerative disorder is the only human disease known so far, where a large purine (GAA) repeat in the FXN gene is known to inhibit the expression of frataxin protein. We explored the hidden purine repeats (PRn with n ? 200) if any, in the human genome to find out how they are associated with neurological disorders. The results showed 28 PRs, which are mostly restricted to the intronic regions. Interestingly, the transcriptome expression analysis of PR-carrying genes (PR-genes) revealed that most of them are down-regulated in neurological disorders (autism, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, epilepsy, mental retardation, Parkinson's disease, brain tumor) as compared to that in healthy controls. The altered gene expression in brain disorders can be interpreted in terms of a possible expansion of purine repeats leading to formation of very stable DNA-triplex and/or alleviation of the repair enzymes and/or other unknown cellular factors. Interactome analysis identified four PR-genes in signaling pathways whose dysregulation is correlated directly with pathogenesis: GRK5 and KLK6 in Alzheimer's disease; FGF14 in craniosynostosis, mental retardation and FLT1 in neuroferritinopathy. By virtue of being mutational hotspots and their ability to form DNA-triplex, purine repeats in genome disturb the genome integrity and interfere with the transcriptional regulation. However, validation of the disease linkage of PR-genes can be validated using knock-out techniques. |