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Zhong Y, Tubbs JD, Leung PBM, Zhan N, Hui TCK, Ho KKY, Hung KSY, Cheung EFC, So HC, Lui SSY, Sham PC. Early-onset schizophrenia is associated with immune-related rare variants in a Chinese sample. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.11.21.23298115. [PMID: 38045317 PMCID: PMC10690336 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.21.23298115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Background Rare variants are likely to contribute to schizophrenia (SCZ), given the large discrepancy between the heritability estimated from twin and GWAS studies. Furthermore, the nature of the rare-variant contribution to SCZ may vary with the "age-at-onset" (AAO), since early-onset has been suggested as being indicative of neurodevelopment deviance. Objective To examine the association of rare deleterious coding variants in early- and adult-onset SCZ in a Chinese sample. Method Exome sequencing was performed on DNA from 197 patients with SCZ spectrum disorder and 82 healthy controls (HC) of Chinese ancestry recruited in Hong Kong. We also gathered AAO information in the majority of SCZ samples. Patients were classified into early-onset (EOS, AAO<18) and adult-onset (AOS, AAO>18). We collapsed the rare variants to improve statistical power and examined the overall association of rare variants in SCZ versus HC, EOS versus HC, and AOS versus HC at the gene and gene-set levels by Sequence Kernel Association Test. The quantitative rare-variant association test of AAO was also conducted. We focused on variants which were predicted to have a medium or high impact on the protein-encoding process as defined by Ensembl. We applied a 100000-time permutation test to obtain empirical p-values, with significance threshold set at p < 1e -3 to control family-wise error rates. Moreover, we compared the burden of targeted rare variants in significant risk genes and gene sets in cases and controls. Results Based on several binary-trait association tests (i.e., SCZ vs HC, EOS vs HC and AOS vs HC), we identified 7 candidate risk genes and 20 gene ontology biological processes (GOBP) terms, which exhibited higher burdens in SCZ than in controls. Based on quantitative rare-variant association tests, we found that alterations in 5 candidate risk genes and 7 GOBP pathways were significantly correlated with AAO. Based on biological and functional profiles of the candidate risk genes and gene sets, our findings suggested that, in addition to the involvement of perturbations in neural systems in SCZ in general, altered immune responses may be specifically implicated in EOS. Conclusion Disrupted immune responses may exacerbate abnormal perturbations during neurodevelopment and trigger the early onset of SCZ. We provided evidence of rare variants increasing SCZ risk in the Chinese population.
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Valencia M, Medina R, Calixto E, Rodríguez N. Cerebral, Psychosocial, Family Functioning and Disability of Persons with Schizophrenia. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2022; 18:2069-2082. [PMID: 36133029 PMCID: PMC9484561 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s370449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The human brain is the most cognitively capable of mammalian brains, endowed as it is with an overdeveloped cerebral cortex that, in parallel, renders it vulnerable to mental disorders. Schizophrenia is the expression of the dysregulation of the neuronal activity of cortical and subcortical regions due to modifications in the levels of the various neurotransmitters, especially of dopamine, with a reciprocal, intimate relationship among genes with environmental and psychosocial factors. If the dopaminergic system increases the function prefrontal cortex will be reduced: this is the main reason of social, occupational and familiar disruption. The present article describes the function of the brain in schizophrenia and its relation with anatomical, physiological, and genetic changes, in addition to identifying, psychosocial and family factors that can be determinant in the functionality of the patient. A review of national and international bibliography was conducted bearing in mind the following variables: functioning at the cerebral level; psychosocial functioning, familial functioning, disability, and functionality in persons with schizophrenia. Due to the variety of the issues included in this review, it can be concluded that schizophrenia is the product of a complex array of symptoms, deficits and disabilities. It was identified that there is a reciprocal confluence of diverse genetic, psychosocial, familial, environmental, educative, and social factors which affect the functionality of persons with this disorder. The latter makes it necessary to study the patient taking into consideration all of these components in an integral manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Valencia
- Department of Innovation and Global Health, Epidemiologic and Psychosocial Research Direction; National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rafael Medina
- Institute Jaliscience of Mental Health, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Eduardo Calixto
- Neurobiology Department, Neurosciences Direction, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramon de la Fuente, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Noemí Rodríguez
- Institute Jaliscience of Mental Health, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
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Involvement of Rare Mutations of SCN9A, DPP4, ABCA13, and SYT14 in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413189. [PMID: 34947986 PMCID: PMC8709054 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Rare mutations associated with schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) usually have high clinical penetrance; however, they are highly heterogeneous and personalized. Identifying rare mutations is instrumental in making the molecular diagnosis, understanding the pathogenesis, and providing genetic counseling for the affected individuals and families. We conducted whole-genome sequencing analysis in two multiplex families with the dominant inheritance of SZ and BD. We detected a G327E mutation of SCN9A and an A654V mutation of DPP4 cosegregating with SZ and BD in one three-generation multiplex family. We also identified three mutations cosegregating with SZ and BD in another two-generation multiplex family, including L711S of SCN9A, M4554I of ABCA13, and P159L of SYT14. These five missense mutations were rare and deleterious. Mutations of SCN9A have initially been reported to cause congenital insensitivity to pain and neuropathic pain syndromes. Further studies showed that rare mutations of SCN9A were associated with seizure and autism spectrum disorders. Our findings suggest that SZ and BD might also be part of the clinical phenotype spectra of SCN9A mutations. Our study also indicates the oligogenic involvement in SZ and BD and supports the multiple-hit model of SZ and BD.
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Adenosine modulators and calcium channel blockers as add-on treatment for schizophrenia. NPJ SCHIZOPHRENIA 2021; 7:1. [PMID: 33479257 PMCID: PMC7820462 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-020-00135-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Relapses remain common among individuals with schizophrenia indicating a need for improved treatments. Creating a completely new drug molecule is expensive and time consuming, and therefore drug repurposing should be considered. Aim of this study was to investigate the risk of psychiatric rehospitalization associated with use of adenosine modulators (AMs) and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) in schizophrenia. Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (N = 61,889) in inpatient care between 1972–2014 in Finland were included. The follow-up lasted from 1996 to 2017. Main exposures were use of AMs (allopurinol and dipyridamole) and CCBs (dihydropyridines, diltiazem, and verapamil). Thiazide diuretics were used as a negative control. Within-individual models in stratified Cox regression were used and adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) are reported. Use of AMs was associated with a reduced risk of psychiatric rehospitalization on drug class level (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.65–0.84, P < 0.0001), as well as on the level of individual drugs (allopurinol HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.70–0.97, P = 0.02; dipyridamole HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.55–0.77, P < 0.0001). Use of CCBs was associated with a reduced risk of psychiatric rehospitalization on drug class level (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.77–0.86, P < 0.0001). From the different CCBs, only exposure to dihydropyridines was associated with a reduced risk (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.74–0.84, P < 0.0001). No effect was observed for the negative control, thiazide diuretics (HR 0.96, 0.90–1.02, P = 0.20). The effects of dipyridamole and dihydropyridines were more pronounced among younger persons and combination of AMs, and CCBs was associated with a lower risk than either drug class as monotherapy. These results indicate a need for randomized controlled trials of these drugs.
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Reframing Psychiatry for Precision Medicine. J Pers Med 2020; 10:jpm10040144. [PMID: 32992686 PMCID: PMC7711577 DOI: 10.3390/jpm10040144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The art of observing and describing behaviors has driven diagnosis and informed basic science in psychiatry. In recent times, studies of mental illness are focused on understanding the brain's neurobiology but there is a paucity of information on the potential contributions from peripheral activity to mental health. In precision medicine, this common practice leaves a gap between bodily behaviors and genomics that we here propose to address with a new layer of inquiry that includes gene expression on tissues inclusive of brain, heart, muscle-skeletal and organs for vital bodily functions. We interrogate gene expression on human tissue as a function of disease-associated genes. By removing genes linked to disease from the typical human set, and recomputing gene expression on the tissues, we can compare the outcomes across mental illnesses, well-known neurological conditions, and non-neurological conditions. We find that major neuropsychiatric conditions that are behaviorally defined today (e.g., autism, schizophrenia, and depression) through DSM-observation criteria have strong convergence with well-known neurological conditions (e.g., ataxias and Parkinson's disease), but less overlap with non-neurological conditions. Surprisingly, tissues majorly involved in the central control, coordination, adaptation and learning of movements, emotion and memory are maximally affected in psychiatric diagnoses along with peripheral heart and muscle-skeletal tissues. Our results underscore the importance of considering both the brain-body connection and the contributions of the peripheral nervous systems to mental health.
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Waddington JL, Zhen X, O'Tuathaigh CMP. Developmental Genes and Regulatory Proteins, Domains of Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia Spectrum Psychosis and Implications for Antipsychotic Drug Discovery: The Example of Dysbindin-1 Isoforms and Beyond. Front Pharmacol 2020; 10:1638. [PMID: 32063853 PMCID: PMC7000454 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Alongside positive and negative symptomatology, deficits in working memory, attention, selective learning processes, and executive function have been widely documented in schizophrenia spectrum psychosis. These cognitive abnormalities are strongly associated with impairment across multiple function domains and are generally treatment-resistant. The DTNBP1 (dystrobrevin-binding protein-1) gene, encoding dysbindin, is considered a risk factor for schizophrenia and is associated with variation in cognitive function in both clinical and nonclinical samples. Downregulation of DTNBP1 expression in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and hippocampal formation of patients with schizophrenia has been suggested to serve as a primary pathophysiological process. Described as a "hub," dysbindin is an important regulatory protein that is linked with multiple complexes in the brain and is involved in a wide variety of functions implicated in neurodevelopment and neuroplasticity. The expression pattern of the various dysbindin isoforms (-1A, -1B, -1C) changes depending upon stage of brain development, tissue areas and subcellular localizations, and can involve interaction with different protein partners. We review evidence describing how sequence variation in DTNBP1 isoforms has been differentially associated with schizophrenia-associated symptoms. We discuss results linking these isoform proteins, and their interacting molecular partners, with cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia, including evidence from drosophila through to genetic mouse models of dysbindin function. Finally, we discuss preclinical evidence investigating the antipsychotic potential of molecules that influence dysbindin expression and functionality. These studies, and other recent work that has extended this approach to other developmental regulators, may facilitate identification of novel molecular pathways leading to improved antipsychotic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- John L Waddington
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Translational Research & Therapy for Neuro-Psychiatric Disorders and Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xuechu Zhen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Translational Research & Therapy for Neuro-Psychiatric Disorders and Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Colm M P O'Tuathaigh
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.,Medical Education Unit, School of Medicine, Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Li M, Shen L, Chen L, Huai C, Huang H, Wu X, Yang C, Ma J, Zhou W, Du H, Fan L, He L, Wan C, Qin S. Novel genetic susceptibility loci identified by family based whole exome sequencing in Han Chinese schizophrenia patients. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:5. [PMID: 32066673 PMCID: PMC7026419 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0708-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a highly heritable psychiatric disorder that affects approximately 1% of population around the world. However, early relevant studies did not reach clear conclusions of the genetic mechanisms of SCZ, suggesting that additional susceptibility loci that exert significant influence on SCZ are yet to be revealed. So, in order to identify novel susceptibility genes that account for the genetic risk of SCZ, we performed a systematic family-based study using whole exome sequencing (WES) in 65 Han Chinese families. The analysis of 51 SCZ trios with both unaffected parents identified 22 exonic and 1 splice-site de novo mutations (DNMs) on a total of 23 genes, and showed that 12 genes carried rare protein-altering compound heterozygous mutations in more than one trio. In addition, we identified 26 exonic or splice-site single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on 18 genes with nominal significance (P < 5 × 10-4) using a transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) in all the families. Moreover, TDT result confirmed a SCZ susceptibility locus on 3p21.1, encompassing the multigenetic region NEK4-ITIH1-ITIH3-ITIH4. Through several different strategies to predict the potential pathogenic genes in silico, we revealed 4 previous discovered susceptibility genes (TSNARE1, PBRM1, STAB1 and OLIG2) and 4 novel susceptibility loci (PSEN1, TLR5, MGAT5B and SSPO) in Han Chinese SCZ patients. In summary, we identified a list of putative candidate genes for SCZ using a family-based WES approach, thus improving our understanding of the pathology of SCZ and providing critical clues to future functional validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mo Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu Shen
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Luan Chen
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cong Huai
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hailiang Huang
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xi Wu
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Yang
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingsong Ma
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huihui Du
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lingzi Fan
- Psychiatric Hospital of Zhumadian City, Henan, China
| | - Lin He
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- The Third Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, China.
| | - Chunling Wan
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Shengying Qin
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- Collaborative Innovation Center, Jining Medical University, Shandong, China.
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Abstract
Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is an extremely rare skin disorder which occurs in 0.005% of the world population, whereas schizophrenia is a rare mental illness which affects 1% of the world population. Researchers have spent much time searching for the causes of schizophrenia, as they are still largely unknown. It was previously hypothesized that schizophrenia could be caused by a defect in melatonin metabolism, leading to increased melanin production and the production of hallucinogenic agent. However, this implies that albinos would be protected against schizophrenia (since they have little to no melanin production), and although rare, there have been several case reports of albinos with schizophrenia, refuting this hypothesis. Following their discovery of schizophrenic albinos, several researchers have instead wondered whether schizophrenia and albinism could actually be genetically linked. To further this discussion, we present a case report of a 25-year-old African-American male with OCA2 and schizophrenia. He was hospitalized after his mother discovered the existence of a BB that was lodged in his forehead from a failed suicide attempt in response to command auditory hallucinations. The BB was removed during his hospitalization, and he was psychiatrically stabilized on a combination of risperidone, lithium, and escitalopram.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia L Tsai
- Psychology, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, USA
| | - Davin Agustines
- Psychiatry, Olive View-University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, USA
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Zhang HL, Long JW, Han W, Wang J, Song W, Lin GN, Yin DM. Comparative analysis of cellular expression pattern of schizophrenia risk genes in human versus mouse cortex. Cell Biosci 2019; 9:89. [PMID: 31700606 PMCID: PMC6829839 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-019-0352-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Schizophrenia is a common psychiatric disease with high hereditary. The identification of schizophrenia risk genes (SRG) has shed light on its pathophysiological mechanisms. Mouse genetic models have been widely used to study the function of SRG in the brain with a cell type specific fashion. However, whether the cellular expression pattern of SRG is conserved between human and mouse brain is not thoroughly studied. Results We analyzed the single-cell transcription of 180 SRG from human and mouse primary visual cortex (V1). We compared the percentage of glutamatergic, GABAergic and non-neuronal cells that express each SRG between mouse and human V1 cortex. Thirty percent (54/180) of SRG had significantly different expression rate in glutamatergic neurons between mouse and human V1 cortex. By contrast, only 5.6% (10/180) of SRG showed significantly different expression in GABAergic neurons, which is similar with the ratio of SRG (15/180) with species difference in total cell populations. Strikingly, the percentage of non-neuronal cells expressing all SRG are indistinguishable between human and mouse V1 cortex. We further analyzed the biological significance of differentially expressed SRG by gene ontology. The species-different SRG in glutamatergic neurons are highly expressed in dendrite and axon. They are enriched in the biological process of response to stimulus. However, the differentially expressed SRG in GABAergic neurons are enriched in the regulation of organelle organization. Conclusion GABAergic neurons are more conserved in the expression of SRG than glutamatergic neurons while the non-neuronal cells show the species conservation for the expression of all SRG. It should be cautious to use mouse models to study those SRG which show different cellular expression pattern between human and mouse cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Long Zhang
- 1Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education and Shanghai, School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062 China
| | - Jia-Wen Long
- 1Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education and Shanghai, School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062 China
| | - Wei Han
- 1Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education and Shanghai, School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062 China
| | - Jiuzhou Wang
- 2Department of Mathematics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Weichen Song
- 3Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guan Ning Lin
- 4School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dong-Min Yin
- 1Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education and Shanghai, School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062 China
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Toulopoulou T, Zhang X, Cherny S, Dickinson D, Berman KF, Straub RE, Sham P, Weinberger DR. Polygenic risk score increases schizophrenia liability through cognition-relevant pathways. Brain 2019; 142:471-485. [PMID: 30535067 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awy279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive deficit is thought to represent, at least in part, genetic mechanisms of risk for schizophrenia, with recent evidence from statistical modelling of twin data suggesting direct causality from the former to the latter. However, earlier evidence was based on inferences from twin not molecular genetic data and it is unclear how much genetic influence 'passes through' cognition on the way to diagnosis. Thus, we included direct measurements of genetic risk (e.g. schizophrenia polygenic risk scores) in causation models to assess the extent to which cognitive deficit mediates some of the effect of polygenic risk scores on the disorder. Causal models of family data tested relationships among key variables and allowed parsing of genetic variance components. Polygenic risk scores were calculated from summary statistics from the current largest genome-wide association study of schizophrenia and were represented as a latent trait. Cognition was also modelled as a latent trait. Participants were 1313 members of 1078 families: 416 patients with schizophrenia, 290 unaffected siblings, and 607 controls. Modelling supported earlier findings that cognitive deficit has a putatively causal role in schizophrenia. In total, polygenic risk score explained 8.07% [confidence interval (CI) 5.45-10.74%] of schizophrenia risk in our sample. Of this, more than a third (2.71%, CI 2.41-3.85%) of the polygenic risk score influence was mediated through cognition paths, exceeding the direct influence of polygenic risk score on schizophrenia risk (1.43%, CI 0.46-3.08%). The remainder of the polygenic risk score influence (3.93%, CI 2.37-4.48%) reflected reciprocal causation between schizophrenia liability and cognition (e.g. mutual influences in a cyclical manner). Analysis of genetic variance components of schizophrenia liability indicated that 26.87% (CI 21.45-32.57%) was associated with cognition-related pathways not captured by polygenic risk score. The remaining variance in schizophrenia was through pathways other than cognition-related and polygenic risk score. Although our results are based on inference through statistical modelling and do not provide an absolute proof of causality, we find that cognition pathways mediate a significant part of the influence of cumulative genetic risk on schizophrenia. We estimate from our model that 33.51% (CI 27.34-43.82%) of overall genetic risk is mediated through influences on cognition, but this requires further studies and analyses as the genetics of schizophrenia becomes better characterized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothea Toulopoulou
- Department of Psychology, Bilkent University, Bilkent, Ankara, Turkey.,The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Department of Psychology, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.,Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London, London, UK
| | - Xiaowei Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Stacey Cherny
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London, London, UK.,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Dwight Dickinson
- Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, USA
| | - Karen F Berman
- Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, USA
| | - Richard E Straub
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Pak Sham
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London, London, UK.,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Daniel R Weinberger
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins University, USA.,Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Neuroscience, The McKusick Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, USA
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Romain K, Eriksson A, Onyon R, Kumar M. The psychosis risk timeline: can we improve our preventive strategies? Part 1: early life. BJPSYCH ADVANCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1192/bja.2018.66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
SUMMARYPsychosis is a complex presentation with a wide range of factors contributing to its development, biological and environmental. Psychosis is a feature present in a variety of psychiatric disorders. It is important for clinicians to keep up to date with evidence regarding current understanding of the reasons psychosis may occur. Furthermore, it is necessary to find clinical utility from this knowledge so that effective primary, secondary and tertiary preventative strategies can be considered. This article is the first of a three-part series that examines contemporary knowledge of risk factors for psychosis and presents an overview of current explanations. The articles focus on the psychosis risk timeline, which gives a structure within which to consider key aspects of risk likely to affect people at different stages of life. In this first article, early life is discussed. It covers elements that contribute in the prenatal and early childhood period and includes genetic, nutritional and infective risk factors.LEARNING OBJECTIVESAfter reading this article you will be able to:
•give an up-to-date overview of psychosis risk factors that can affect early life•describe some important genetic risk factors•understand more about the role of environmental factors such as nutrition and infection.DECLARATION OF INTERESTNone.
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12
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Posey JE, O'Donnell-Luria AH, Chong JX, Harel T, Jhangiani SN, Coban Akdemir ZH, Buyske S, Pehlivan D, Carvalho CMB, Baxter S, Sobreira N, Liu P, Wu N, Rosenfeld JA, Kumar S, Avramopoulos D, White JJ, Doheny KF, Witmer PD, Boehm C, Sutton VR, Muzny DM, Boerwinkle E, Günel M, Nickerson DA, Mane S, MacArthur DG, Gibbs RA, Hamosh A, Lifton RP, Matise TC, Rehm HL, Gerstein M, Bamshad MJ, Valle D, Lupski JR. Insights into genetics, human biology and disease gleaned from family based genomic studies. Genet Med 2019; 21:798-812. [PMID: 30655598 PMCID: PMC6691975 DOI: 10.1038/s41436-018-0408-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying genes and variants contributing to rare disease phenotypes and Mendelian conditions informs biology and medicine, yet potential phenotypic consequences for variation of >75% of the ~20,000 annotated genes in the human genome are lacking. Technical advances to assess rare variation genome-wide, particularly exome sequencing (ES), enabled establishment in the United States of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported Centers for Mendelian Genomics (CMGs) and have facilitated collaborative studies resulting in novel "disease gene" discoveries. Pedigree-based genomic studies and rare variant analyses in families with suspected Mendelian conditions have led to the elucidation of hundreds of novel disease genes and highlighted the impact of de novo mutational events, somatic variation underlying nononcologic traits, incompletely penetrant alleles, phenotypes with high locus heterogeneity, and multilocus pathogenic variation. Herein, we highlight CMG collaborative discoveries that have contributed to understanding both rare and common diseases and discuss opportunities for future discovery in single-locus Mendelian disorder genomics. Phenotypic annotation of all human genes; development of bioinformatic tools and analytic methods; exploration of non-Mendelian modes of inheritance including reduced penetrance, multilocus variation, and oligogenic inheritance; construction of allelic series at a locus; enhanced data sharing worldwide; and integration with clinical genomics are explored. Realizing the full contribution of rare disease research to functional annotation of the human genome, and further illuminating human biology and health, will lay the foundation for the Precision Medicine Initiative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Posey
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Anne H O'Donnell-Luria
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jessica X Chong
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tamar Harel
- Department of Genetic and Metabolic Diseases, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shalini N Jhangiani
- The Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zeynep H Coban Akdemir
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Steven Buyske
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Department of Statistics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Davut Pehlivan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Claudia M B Carvalho
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Samantha Baxter
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nara Sobreira
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Pengfei Liu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Baylor Genetics Laboratory, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nan Wu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jill A Rosenfeld
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sushant Kumar
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Program, Yale University Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dimitri Avramopoulos
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Janson J White
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kimberly F Doheny
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Center for Inherited Disease Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - P Dane Witmer
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Center for Inherited Disease Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Corinne Boehm
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - V Reid Sutton
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Donna M Muzny
- The Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Eric Boerwinkle
- The Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Human Genetics Center, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Murat Günel
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Shrikant Mane
- Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Daniel G MacArthur
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- The Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ada Hamosh
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Richard P Lifton
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Laboratory of Human Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tara C Matise
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Heidi L Rehm
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mark Gerstein
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Program, Yale University Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael J Bamshad
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - David Valle
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James R Lupski
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- The Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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13
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Abstract
Tourette syndrome (TS) is a complex disorder characterized by repetitive, sudden, and involuntary movements or vocalizations, called tics. Tics usually appear in childhood, and their severity varies over time. In addition to frequent tics, people with TS are at risk for associated problems including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, depression, and problems with sleep. TS occurs in most populations and ethnic groups worldwide, and it is more common in males than in females. Previous family and twin studies have shown that the majority of cases of TS are inherited. TS was previously thought to have an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. However, several decades of research have shown that this is unlikely the case. Instead, TS most likely results from a variety of genetic and environmental factors, not changes in a single gene. In the past decade, there has been a rapid development of innovative genetic technologies and methodologies, as well as significant progress in genetic studies of psychiatric disorders. In this review, we will briefly summarize previous genetic epidemiological studies of TS and related disorders. We will also review previous genetic studies based on genome-wide linkage analyses and candidate gene association studies to comment on problems of previous methodological and strategic issues. Our main purpose for this review will be to summarize the new genetic discoveries of TS based on novel genetic methods and strategies, such as genome-wide association studies (GWASs), whole exome sequencing (WES), and whole genome sequencing (WGS). We will also compare the new genetic discoveries of TS with other major psychiatric disorders in order to understand the current status of TS genetics and its relationship with other psychiatric disorders.
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14
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Morphometric analysis and neuroanatomical mapping of the zebrafish brain. Methods 2018; 150:49-62. [PMID: 29936090 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2018.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Large-scale genomic studies have recently identified genetic variants causative for major neurodevelopmental disorders, such as intellectual disability and autism. However, determining how underlying developmental processes are affected by these mutations remains a significant challenge in the field. Zebrafish is an established model system in developmental neurogenetics that may be useful in uncovering the mechanisms of these mutations. Here we describe the use of voxel-intensity, deformation field, and volume-based morphometric techniques for the systematic and unbiased analysis of gene knock-down and environmental exposure-induced phenotypes in zebrafish. We first present a computational method for brain segmentation based on transgene expression patterns to create a comprehensive neuroanatomical map. This map allowed us to disclose statistically significant changes in brain microstructure and composition in neurodevelopmental models. We demonstrate the effectiveness of morphometric techniques in measuring changes in the relative size of neuroanatomical subdivisions in atoh7 morphant larvae and in identifying phenotypes in larvae treated with valproic acid, a chemical demonstrated to increase the risk of autism in humans. These tools enable rigorous evaluation of the effects of gene mutations and environmental exposures on neural development, providing an entry point for cellular and molecular analysis of basic developmental processes as well as neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
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15
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Igolkina AA, Armoskus C, Newman JRB, Evgrafov OV, McIntyre LM, Nuzhdin SV, Samsonova MG. Analysis of Gene Expression Variance in Schizophrenia Using Structural Equation Modeling. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:192. [PMID: 29942251 PMCID: PMC6004421 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a psychiatric disorder of unknown etiology. There is evidence suggesting that aberrations in neurodevelopment are a significant attribute of schizophrenia pathogenesis and progression. To identify biologically relevant molecular abnormalities affecting neurodevelopment in SCZ we used cultured neural progenitor cells derived from olfactory neuroepithelium (CNON cells). Here, we tested the hypothesis that variance in gene expression differs between individuals from SCZ and control groups. In CNON cells, variance in gene expression was significantly higher in SCZ samples in comparison with control samples. Variance in gene expression was enriched in five molecular pathways: serine biosynthesis, PI3K-Akt, MAPK, neurotrophin and focal adhesion. More than 14% of variance in disease status was explained within the logistic regression model (C-value = 0.70) by predictors accounting for gene expression in 69 genes from these five pathways. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to explore how the structure of these five pathways was altered between SCZ patients and controls. Four out of five pathways showed differences in the estimated relationships among genes: between KRAS and NF1, and KRAS and SOS1 in the MAPK pathway; between PSPH and SHMT2 in serine biosynthesis; between AKT3 and TSC2 in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway; and between CRK and RAPGEF1 in the focal adhesion pathway. Our analysis provides evidence that variance in gene expression is an important characteristic of SCZ, and SEM is a promising method for uncovering altered relationships between specific genes thus suggesting affected gene regulation associated with the disease. We identified altered gene-gene interactions in pathways enriched for genes with increased variance in expression in SCZ. These pathways and loci were previously implicated in SCZ, providing further support for the hypothesis that gene expression variance plays important role in the etiology of SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Igolkina
- Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Chris Armoskus
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jeremy R B Newman
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Oleg V Evgrafov
- Department of Cell Biology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, United States
| | - Lauren M McIntyre
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Sergey V Nuzhdin
- Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Molecular and Computation Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Maria G Samsonova
- Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
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16
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Misiak B, Stramecki F, Gawęda Ł, Prochwicz K, Sąsiadek MM, Moustafa AA, Frydecka D. Interactions Between Variation in Candidate Genes and Environmental Factors in the Etiology of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: a Systematic Review. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:5075-5100. [PMID: 28822116 PMCID: PMC5948257 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0708-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (BD) are complex and multidimensional disorders with high heritability rates. The contribution of genetic factors to the etiology of these disorders is increasingly being recognized as the action of multiple risk variants with small effect sizes, which might explain only a minor part of susceptibility. On the other site, numerous environmental factors have been found to play an important role in their causality. Therefore, in recent years, several studies focused on gene × environment interactions that are believed to bridge the gap between genetic underpinnings and environmental insults. In this article, we performed a systematic review of studies investigating gene × environment interactions in BD and schizophrenia spectrum phenotypes. In the majority of studies from this field, interacting effects of variation in genes encoding catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and FK506-binding protein 5 (FKBP5) have been explored. Almost consistently, these studies revealed that polymorphisms in COMT, BDNF, and FKBP5 genes might interact with early life stress and cannabis abuse or dependence, influencing various outcomes of schizophrenia spectrum disorders and BD. Other interactions still require further replication in larger clinical and non-clinical samples. In addition, future studies should address the direction of causality and potential mechanisms of the relationship between gene × environment interactions and various categories of outcomes in schizophrenia and BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Błażej Misiak
- Department of Genetics, Wroclaw Medical University, 1 Marcinkowski Street, 50-368, Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Filip Stramecki
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, 10 Pasteur Street, 50-367, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Łukasz Gawęda
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- II Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Maria M Sąsiadek
- Department of Genetics, Wroclaw Medical University, 1 Marcinkowski Street, 50-368, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Ahmed A Moustafa
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Marcs Institute of Brain and Behaviour, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Dorota Frydecka
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, 10 Pasteur Street, 50-367, Wroclaw, Poland
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17
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Goldsmith DR, Crooks CL, Walker EF, Cotes RO. An Update on Promising Biomarkers in Schizophrenia. FOCUS: JOURNAL OF LIFE LONG LEARNING IN PSYCHIATRY 2018; 16:153-163. [PMID: 31975910 DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.20170046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Given the heterogeneity of symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and current treatment limitations, biomarkers may play an important role in diagnosis, subtype stratification, and the assessment of treatment response. Though many potential biomarkers have been studied, we have chosen to focus on some of the most promising and potentially clinically relevant biomarkers to review herein. These include markers of inflammation, neuroimaging biomarkers, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, genetic/epigenetic markers, and speech analysis. This will provide a broad overview of putative biomarkers that could become clinically relevant in the future, though none currently appear ready to assist the clinician in identifying cases of schizophrenia, subtypes of the disorder, treatment choice, or response. Nonetheless, some biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), may be useful at identifying individuals who may be more highly inflamed, which could drive treatment choice. Though checking CRP is not a standard of practice, this is one example of how biomarkers may drive treatment decisions in the future, supporting precision medicine. Similarly, technological advances may one day allow clinicians to detect changes in speech patterns, which could represent a noninvasive, clinically useful tool in the future. We conclude the review by highlighting two important potential clinical uses for biomarkers in schizophrenia: the identification of individuals who may convert from clinical high risk and the stratification of patients via different biomarkers that may supersede clinical diagnosis. Given the enormous burden of illness of schizophrenia, the search for clinically relevant biomarkers is of great importance to improve the lives of patients with the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Goldsmith
- Dr. Goldsmith, Dr. Crooks, and Dr. Cotes are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Crooks is also with the Electronic Systems Laboratory, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta. Dr. Walker is with the Department of Psychology, Emory University
| | - Courtney L Crooks
- Dr. Goldsmith, Dr. Crooks, and Dr. Cotes are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Crooks is also with the Electronic Systems Laboratory, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta. Dr. Walker is with the Department of Psychology, Emory University
| | - Elaine F Walker
- Dr. Goldsmith, Dr. Crooks, and Dr. Cotes are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Crooks is also with the Electronic Systems Laboratory, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta. Dr. Walker is with the Department of Psychology, Emory University
| | - Robert O Cotes
- Dr. Goldsmith, Dr. Crooks, and Dr. Cotes are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Crooks is also with the Electronic Systems Laboratory, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta. Dr. Walker is with the Department of Psychology, Emory University
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18
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Calabrò M, Porcelli S, Crisafulli C, Wang SM, Lee SJ, Han C, Patkar AA, Masand PS, Albani D, Raimondi I, Forloni G, Bin S, Cristalli C, Mantovani V, Pae CU, Serretti A. Genetic Variants Within Molecular Targets of Antipsychotic Treatment: Effects on Treatment Response, Schizophrenia Risk, and Psychopathological Features. J Mol Neurosci 2018; 64:62-74. [PMID: 29164477 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-017-1002-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a common and severe mental disorder. Genetic factors likely play a role in its pathophysiology as well as in treatment response. In the present study, we investigated the effects of several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within 9 genes involved with antipsychotic (AP) mechanisms of action. Two independent samples were recruited. The Korean sample included 176 subjects diagnosed with SCZ and 326 healthy controls, while the Italian sample included 83 subjects and 194 controls. AP response as measured by the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) was the primary outcome, while the secondary outcome was the SCZ risk. Exploratory analyses were performed on (1) symptom clusters response (as measured by PANSS subscales); (2) age of onset; (3) family history; and (4) suicide history. Associations evidenced in the primary analyses did not survive to the FDR correction. Concerning SCZ risk, we partially confirmed the associations among COMT and MAPK1 genetic variants and SCZ. Finally, our exploratory analysis suggested that CHRNA7 and HTR2A genes may modulate both positive and negative symptoms responses, while PLA2G4A and SIGMAR1 may modulate respectively positive and negative symptoms responses. Moreover, GSK3B, HTR2A, PLA2G4A, and S100B variants may determine an anticipation of SCZ age of onset. Our results did not support a primary role for the genes investigated in AP response as a whole. However, our exploratory findings suggested that these genes may be involved in symptom clusters response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Calabrò
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Images, Division of Medical Biotechnologies and Preventive Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Stefano Porcelli
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Concetta Crisafulli
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Images, Division of Medical Biotechnologies and Preventive Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Sheng-Min Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo-Jung Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Changsu Han
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ashwin A Patkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Prakash S Masand
- Global Medical Education, New York, NY, USA
- Academic Medicine Education Institute, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Diego Albani
- Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Raimondi
- Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Forloni
- Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Sofia Bin
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research (CRBA, St. Orsola University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | - Carlotta Cristalli
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research (CRBA, St. Orsola University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | - Vilma Mantovani
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research (CRBA, St. Orsola University Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | - Chi-Un Pae
- Department of Psychiatry, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, 2 Sosa-Dong, Wonmi-Gu, Bucheon, Kyeonggi-Do, 420-717, Republic of Korea.
- Cell Death Disease Research Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Alessandro Serretti
- Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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19
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Qi Y, Zheng Y, Li Z, Xiong L. Progress in Genetic Studies of Tourette's Syndrome. Brain Sci 2017; 7:E134. [PMID: 29053637 PMCID: PMC5664061 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7100134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Tourette's Syndrome (TS) is a complex disorder characterized by repetitive, sudden, and involuntary movements or vocalizations, called tics. Tics usually appear in childhood, and their severity varies over time. In addition to frequent tics, people with TS are at risk for associated problems including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, depression, and problems with sleep. TS occurs in most populations and ethnic groups worldwide, and it is more common in males than in females. Previous family and twin studies have shown that the majority of cases of TS are inherited. TS was previously thought to have an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. However, several decades of research have shown that this is unlikely the case. Instead TS most likely results from a variety of genetic and environmental factors, not changes in a single gene. In the past decade, there has been a rapid development of innovative genetic technologies and methodologies, as well as significant progresses in genetic studies of psychiatric disorders. In this review, we will briefly summarize previous genetic epidemiological studies of TS and related disorders. We will also review previous genetic studies based on genome-wide linkage analyses and candidate gene association studies to comment on problems of previous methodological and strategic issues. Our main purpose for this review will be to summarize the new genetic discoveries of TS based on novel genetic methods and strategies, such as genome-wide association studies (GWASs), whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS). We will also compare the new genetic discoveries of TS with other major psychiatric disorders in order to understand the current status of TS genetics and its relationship with other psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Qi
- Laboratoire de Neurogénétique, Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada.
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China.
| | - Yi Zheng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China.
- Center of Schizophrenia, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing 100088, China.
| | - Zhanjiang Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China.
- Center of Schizophrenia, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing 100088, China.
| | - Lan Xiong
- Laboratoire de Neurogénétique, Centre de Recherche, Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada.
- Département de Psychiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.
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20
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Bustamante ML, Herrera L, Gaspar PA, Nieto R, Maturana A, Villar MJ, Salinas V, Silva H. Shifting the focus toward rare variants in schizophrenia to close the gap from genotype to phenotype. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2017; 174:663-670. [PMID: 28901686 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a disorder with a high heritability and a complex architecture. Several dozen genetic variants have been identified as risk factors through genome-wide association studies including large population-based samples. However, the bulk of the risk cannot be accounted for by the genes associated to date. Rare mutations have been historically seen as relevant only for some infrequent, Mendelian forms of psychosis. Recent findings, however, show that the subset of patients that present a mutation with major effect is larger than expected. We discuss some of the molecular findings of these studies. SZ is clinically and genetically heterogeneous. To identify the genetic variation underlying the disorder, research should be focused on features that are more likely a product of genetic heterogeneity. Based on the phenotypical correlations with rare variants, cognition emerges as a relevant domain to study. Cognitive disturbances could be useful in selecting cases that have a higher probability of carrying deleterious mutations, as well as on the correct ascertainment of sporadic cases for the identification of de novo variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Leonor Bustamante
- Faculty of Medicine, Program of Human Genetics, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile.,Clínica Psiquiátrica Universitaria, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Luisa Herrera
- Faculty of Medicine, Program of Human Genetics, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Pablo A Gaspar
- Clínica Psiquiátrica Universitaria, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile.,Biomedical Neurosciences Institute, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Nieto
- Clínica Psiquiátrica Universitaria, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Alejandro Maturana
- Clínica Psiquiátrica Universitaria, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - María José Villar
- Clínica Psiquiátrica Universitaria, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Valeria Salinas
- Faculty of Medicine, Program of Human Genetics, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Hernán Silva
- Clínica Psiquiátrica Universitaria, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile.,Biomedical Neurosciences Institute, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
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21
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Łaba-Stefanek A, Dziwota E, Olajossy M. Genetic and environmental factors in the etiology of schizophrenia - towards mainstreaming. CURRENT PROBLEMS OF PSYCHIATRY 2017. [DOI: 10.1515/cpp-2016-0023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The prevalence of schizophrenia in a population is about 1%. Many efforts are constantly made to find the cause of this mental illness. Authors of this article provide groups of factors influencing the development of the disease. Among these factors, genetics seems to be an interesting and reasonable trend of exploration. GWAS research studies allow not only determining the point mutations in the genome, but also try to give an answer to the question about the biological mechanisms of disease. A microRNA MIR137, which is involved in neurogenesis and maturation of neurons may be an example. However, the genetic component may not always be sufficient to trigger symptoms. Definitely, a large group of environmental factors has an important role. Schizophrenia is a complex disease in which many genes interact with the environment. This article is a presentation of genes and the impact of various external environmental factors, leading to the onset of schizophrenia. Interrelationship between polygenic determinant of disease and the impact of both environmental and social factors in future will certainly become the field of interest for research concerning the etiology and course of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ewelina Dziwota
- II Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Medical University of Lublin
| | - Marcin Olajossy
- II Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Medical University of Lublin
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22
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Alural B, Genc S, Haggarty SJ. Diagnostic and therapeutic potential of microRNAs in neuropsychiatric disorders: Past, present, and future. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 73:87-103. [PMID: 27072377 PMCID: PMC5292013 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2016.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 03/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders are common health problems affecting approximately 1% of the population. Twin, adoption, and family studies have displayed a strong genetic component for many of these disorders; however, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and neural substrates remain largely unknown. Given the critical need for new diagnostic markers and disease-modifying treatments, expanding the focus of genomic studies of neuropsychiatric disorders to include the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) is of growing interest. Of known types of ncRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) are 20-25-nucleotide, single-stranded, molecules that regulate gene expression through post-transcriptional mechanisms and have the potential to coordinately regulate complex regulatory networks. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on miRNA alteration/dysregulation in neuropsychiatric disorders, with a special emphasis on schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). With an eye toward the future, we also discuss the diagnostic and prognostic potential of miRNAs for neuropsychiatric disorders in the context of personalized treatments and network medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Begum Alural
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey; Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Sermin Genc
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey; Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Stephen J Haggarty
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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23
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Li WX, Dai SX, Liu JQ, Wang Q, Li GH, Huang JF. Integrated Analysis of Alzheimer's Disease and Schizophrenia Dataset Revealed Different Expression Pattern in Learning and Memory. J Alzheimers Dis 2016; 51:417-25. [PMID: 26890750 DOI: 10.3233/jad-150807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and schizophrenia (SZ) are both accompanied by impaired learning and memory functions. This study aims to explore the expression profiles of learning or memory genes between AD and SZ. We downloaded 10 AD and 10 SZ datasets from GEO-NCBI for integrated analysis. These datasets were processed using RMA algorithm and a global renormalization for all studies. Then Empirical Bayes algorithm was used to find the differentially expressed genes between patients and controls. The results showed that most of the differentially expressed genes were related to AD whereas the gene expression profile was little affected in the SZ. Furthermore, in the aspects of the number of differentially expressed genes, the fold change and the brain region, there was a great difference in the expression of learning or memory related genes between AD and SZ. In AD, the CALB1, GABRA5, and TAC1 were significantly downregulated in whole brain, frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and hippocampus. However, in SZ, only two genes CRHBP and CX3CR1 were downregulated in hippocampus, and other brain regions were not affected. The effect of these genes on learning or memory impairment has been widely studied. It was suggested that these genes may play a crucial role in AD or SZ pathogenesis. The different gene expression patterns between AD and SZ on learning and memory functions in different brain regions revealed in our study may help to understand the different mechanism between two diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Xing Li
- Institute of Health Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, China.,State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Shao-Xing Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jia-Qian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Qian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Gong-Hua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jing-Fei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Models and Drug Development, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Natural Products and Biological Drugs of Yunnan, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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24
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Rutkowski TP, Schroeder JP, Gafford GM, Warren ST, Weinshenker D, Caspary T, Mulle JG. Unraveling the genetic architecture of copy number variants associated with schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders. J Neurosci Res 2016; 95:1144-1160. [PMID: 27859486 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies show that the complex genetic architecture of schizophrenia (SZ) is driven in part by polygenic components, or the cumulative effect of variants of small effect in many genes, as well as rare single-locus variants with large effect sizes. Here we discuss genetic aberrations known as copy number variants (CNVs), which fall in the latter category and are associated with a high risk for SZ and other neuropsychiatric disorders. We briefly review recurrent CNVs associated with SZ, and then highlight one CNV in particular, a recurrent 1.6-Mb deletion on chromosome 3q29, which is estimated to confer a 40-fold increased risk for SZ. Additionally, we describe the use of genetic mouse models, behavioral tools, and patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells as a means to study CNVs in the hope of gaining mechanistic insight into their respective disorders. Taken together, the genomic data connecting CNVs with a multitude of human neuropsychiatric disease, our current technical ability to model such chromosomal anomalies in mouse, and the existence of precise behavioral measures of endophenotypes argue that the time is ripe for systematic dissection of the genetic mechanisms underlying such disease. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy P Rutkowski
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jason P Schroeder
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Georgette M Gafford
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Stephen T Warren
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - David Weinshenker
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Tamara Caspary
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jennifer G Mulle
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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25
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Yeh E, Weiss LA. If genetic variation could talk: What genomic data may teach us about the importance of gene expression regulation in the genetics of autism. Mol Cell Probes 2016; 30:346-356. [PMID: 27751841 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2016.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 10/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been long known to have substantial genetic etiology. Much research has attempted to identify specific genes contributing to ASD risk with the goal of tying gene function to a molecular pathological explanation for ASD. A unifying molecular pathology would potentially increase understanding of what is going wrong during development, and could lead to diagnostic biomarkers or targeted preventative or therapeutic directions. We review past and current genetic mapping approaches and discuss major results, leading to the hypothesis that global dysregulation of gene or protein expression may be implicated in ASD rather than disturbance of brain-specific functions. If substantiated, this hypothesis might indicate the need for novel experimental and analytical approaches in order to understand this neurodevelopmental disorder, develop biomarkers, or consider treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Yeh
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Lauren A Weiss
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA; Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
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26
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Integrated Post-GWAS Analysis Sheds New Light on the Disease Mechanisms of Schizophrenia. Genetics 2016; 204:1587-1600. [PMID: 27754856 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.187195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder with a large genetic component. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many schizophrenia-associated common variants. For most of the reported associations, however, the underlying biological mechanisms are not clear. The critical first step for their elucidation is to identify the most likely disease genes as the source of the association signals. Here, we describe a general computational framework of post-GWAS analysis for complex disease gene prioritization. We identify 132 putative schizophrenia risk genes in 76 risk regions spanning 120 schizophrenia-associated common variants, 78 of which have not been recognized as schizophrenia disease genes by previous GWAS. Even more significantly, 29 of them are outside the risk regions, likely under regulation of transcriptional regulatory elements contained therein. These putative schizophrenia risk genes are transcriptionally active in both brain and the immune system, and highly enriched among cellular pathways, consistent with leading pathophysiological hypotheses about the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. With their involvement in distinct biological processes, these putative schizophrenia risk genes, with different association strengths, show distinctive temporal expression patterns, and play specific biological roles during brain development.
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