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Moradkhani A, Turki Jalil A, Mahmood Saleh M, Vanaki E, Daghagh H, Daghighazar B, Akbarpour Z, Ghahramani Almanghadim H. Correlation of rs35753505 polymorphism in Neuregulin 1 gene with psychopathology and intelligence of people with schizophrenia. Gene 2023; 867:147285. [PMID: 36905948 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Schizophrenia is one of the most severe psychiatric disorders. About 0.5 to 1% of the world's population suffers from this non-Mendelian disorder. Environmental and genetic factors seem to be involved in this disorder. In this article, we investigate the alleles and genotypic correlation of mononucleotide rs35753505 polymorphism of Neuregulin 1 (NRG1), one of the selected genes of schizophrenia, with psychopathology and intelligence. MATERIALS AND METHODS 102 independent and 98 healthy patients participated in this study. DNA was extracted by the salting out method and the polymorphism (rs35753505) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sanger sequencing was performed on PCR products. Allele frequency analysis was performed using COCAPHASE software, and genotype analysis was performed using Clump22 software. RESULTS According to our study's statistical findings, all case samples from the three categories of men, women, and overall participants significantly differed from the control group in terms of the prevalence of allele C and the CC risk genotype. The rs35753505 polymorphism significantly raised Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) test results, according to a correlation analysis between the two variables. However, this polymorphism led to a significant decrease in overall intelligence in case samples compared to control samples. CONCLUSION In this study, it seems that the rs35753505 polymorphism of NRG1 gene has a significant role in the sample of patients with schizophrenia in Iran and also in psychopathology and intelligence disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atefeh Moradkhani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Abduladheem Turki Jalil
- Medical Laboratories Techniques Department, Al-Mustaqbal University College, Babylon, Hilla 51001, Iraq
| | - Marwan Mahmood Saleh
- Department of Biophysics, College of Applied Sciences, University Of Anbar, Iraq; Medical Laboratory Technology Department, College of Medical Technology, The Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq
| | - Elmira Vanaki
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Daghagh
- Biochemistry Department of Biological Science, Kharazmi University Tehran, Iran
| | - Behrouz Daghighazar
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Zahra Akbarpour
- Department of Basic Science, Biotechnology Research Center, Tabriz Branch, Azad Islamic University, Tabriz, Iran
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Gruden MA, Davydova TV, Ratmirov AM, Sewell RDE. Cerebral Expression of the Neuregulin-1 Gene NRG1 during Induced Spatial Memory Impairment and Its Reversal in Aging Mice. Bull Exp Biol Med 2022; 174:18-21. [PMID: 36437318 DOI: 10.1007/s10517-022-05639-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We studied the effects of chronic intranasal administration of amyloidogenic fibrils of the proinflammatory protein S100A9 alone or in combination with glutamate antibodies on the expression of the neuregulin-1 gene (NRG1), a regulator of various physiological processes, in particular, regulation of neurogenesis and apoptosis, in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum of aging C57BL/6 mice under conditions of long-term memory disturbances. Under conditions of amnesia induced by S100A9 fibrils, pronounced (>90%) blockade of the expression of the NRG1 gene was found in all cerebral structures. Glutamate antibodies prevented/corrected disturbances in the cerebral expression of the NRG1 gene, thereby maintaining the activity of the NRG1/ErbB molecular signaling system, probably associated with the formation of spatial memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Gruden
- P. K. Anokhin Research Institute of Normal Physiology, Moscow, Russia.
| | - T V Davydova
- Research Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - A M Ratmirov
- P. K. Anokhin Research Institute of Normal Physiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - R D E Sewell
- Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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3
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Klein PC, Ettinger U, Schirner M, Ritter P, Rujescu D, Falkai P, Koutsouleris N, Kambeitz-Ilankovic L, Kambeitz J. Brain Network Simulations Indicate Effects of Neuregulin-1 Genotype on Excitation-Inhibition Balance in Cortical Dynamics. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2013-2025. [PMID: 33279967 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) represents an important factor for multiple processes including neurodevelopment, brain functioning or cognitive functions. Evidence from animal research suggests an effect of NRG1 on the excitation-inhibition (E/I) balance in cortical circuits. However, direct evidence for the importance of NRG1 in E/I balance in humans is still lacking. In this work, we demonstrate the application of computational, biophysical network models to advance our understanding of the interaction between cortical activity observed in neuroimaging and the underlying neurobiology. We employed a biophysical neuronal model to simulate large-scale brain dynamics and to investigate the role of polymorphisms in the NRG1 gene (rs35753505, rs3924999) in n = 96 healthy adults. Our results show that G/G-carriers (rs3924999) exhibit a significant difference in global coupling (P = 0.048) and multiple parameters determining E/I-balance such as excitatory synaptic coupling (P = 0.047), local excitatory recurrence (P = 0.032) and inhibitory synaptic coupling (P = 0.028). This indicates that NRG1 may be related to excitatory recurrence or excitatory synaptic coupling potentially resulting in altered E/I-balance. Moreover, we suggest that computational modeling is a suitable tool to investigate specific biological mechanisms in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Costa Klein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, 50937, Germany
| | - Ulrich Ettinger
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, 53111, Germany
| | - Michael Schirner
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Dept. of Neurology, 10117, Germany.,Bernstein Focus State Dependencies of Learning & Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin 10115, Germany
| | - Petra Ritter
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Dept. of Neurology, 10117, Germany.,Bernstein Focus State Dependencies of Learning & Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin 10115, Germany
| | - Dan Rujescu
- University Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic, Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg, 06112, Germany
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, 80336, Germany
| | | | - Lana Kambeitz-Ilankovic
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, 50937, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, 80336, Germany
| | - Joseph Kambeitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, 50937, Germany
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4
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Acosta H, Tuulari JJ, Kantojärvi K, Lewis JD, Hashempour N, Scheinin NM, Lehtola SJ, Fonov VS, Collins DL, Evans A, Parkkola R, Lähdesmäki T, Saunavaara J, Merisaari H, Karlsson L, Paunio T, Karlsson H. A variation in the infant oxytocin receptor gene modulates infant hippocampal volumes in association with sex and prenatal maternal anxiety. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2021; 307:111207. [PMID: 33168330 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2020.111207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Genetic variants in the oxytocin receptor (OTR) have been linked to distinct social phenotypes, psychiatric disorders and brain volume alterations in adults. However, to date, it is unknown how OTR genotype shapes prenatal brain development and whether it interacts with maternal prenatal environmental risk factors on infant brain volumes. In 105 Finnish mother-infant dyads (44 female, 11-54 days old), the association of offspring OTR genotype rs53576 and its interaction with prenatal maternal anxiety (revised Symptom Checklist 90, gestational weeks 14, 24, 34) on infant bilateral amygdalar, hippocampal and caudate volumes were probed. A sex-specific main effect of rs53576 on infant left hippocampal volumes was observed. In boys compared to girls, left hippocampal volumes were significantly larger in GG-homozygotes compared to A-allele carriers. Furthermore, genotype rs53576 and prenatal maternal anxiety significantly interacted on right hippocampal volumes irrespective of sex. Higher maternal anxiety was associated both with larger hippocampal volumes in A-allele carriers than GG-homozygotes, and, though statistically weak, also with smaller right caudate volumes in GG-homozygotes than A-allele carriers. Our study results suggest that OTR genotype enhances hippocampal neurogenesis in male GG-homozygotes. Further, prenatal maternal anxiety might induce brain alterations that render GG-homozygotes compared to A-allele carriers more vulnerable to depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Acosta
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University of Marburg, Germany.
| | - J J Tuulari
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Turku Collegium for Science and Medicine, University of Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom (Sigrid Juselius Fellowship)
| | - K Kantojärvi
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Genomics and Biobank Unit, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Psychiatry and SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - J D Lewis
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - N Hashempour
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - N M Scheinin
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - S J Lehtola
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - V S Fonov
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - D L Collins
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - A Evans
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - R Parkkola
- Department of Radiology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - T Lähdesmäki
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - J Saunavaara
- Department of Medical Physics, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - H Merisaari
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Future Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Center of Computational Imaging and Personalized Diagnostics, Case Western Reserve University, OH, United States
| | - L Karlsson
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland
| | - T Paunio
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Genomics and Biobank Unit, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Psychiatry and SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - H Karlsson
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland
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5
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Abbasy S, Shahraki F, Haghighatfard A, Qazvini MG, Rafiei ST, Noshadirad E, Farhadi M, Rezvani Asl H, Shiryazdi AA, Ghamari R, Tabrizi Z, Mehrfard R, Esmaili Kakroudi F, Azarnoosh M, Younesi F, Parsamehr N, Garaei N, Abyari S, Salehi M, Gholami M, Zolfaghari P, Bagheri SM, Pourmehrabi M, Rastegarimogaddam E, Nobakht E, Nobakht E, Partovi R. Neuregulin1 types mRNA level changes in autism spectrum disorder, and is associated with deficit in executive functions. EBioMedicine 2018; 37:483-488. [PMID: 30415889 PMCID: PMC6284419 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pediatric heterogeneous psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorder with social and communication deficits, language impairment and ritualistic or repetitive behaviors. ASD has significant genetic bases but candidate genes and molecular mechanisms of disorder are not clarified. Neuregulin1 (NRG1) gene, located in 8p12 is involved in development of central nervous system and was indicated as candidate gene in schizophrenia. METHODS mRNA level of types I, II and III of NRG1 gene were studied in peripheral blood of 1540 ASD patients (IQ > 70) and 1490 control children by quantitative Real Time PCR. Also three domains of executive functions (working memory, response inhibition and vigilance) were examined in all subjects. FINDINGS All three types were significantly down regulated in ASD patients. Significant deficiencies in executive functions (EF) were found in ASD patients. EF deficiencies mostly were associated with down expression of mRNA level of types I and III. Also correlations were found between NRG1 expression with gender and severity of ASD symptoms. INTERPRETATIONS Findings primarily have been suggested involvement of NRG1 in etiology of ASD. Also correlation of NRG1 mRNA level with EF deficiencies could shed lights on EF mechanisms and may suggest targeted treatments to improve particular executive functions. FUND: Young researchers and elites club funded the project due to the annual grant of special talents of Club that gave to Arvin Haghighatfard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samane Abbasy
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran; Sarem Cell Research Center, Sarem Women's Hospital, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fazlollah Shahraki
- Department of Mind- Brain-Education, Institute for Cognitive Science Studies, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arvin Haghighatfard
- Department of Biology, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Genetic, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | | | - Sahel Towfigh Rafiei
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elnaz Noshadirad
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Farhadi
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | | | - Rana Ghamari
- Department of Genetic, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeinab Tabrizi
- Department of Medical Genetics, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
| | - Rashed Mehrfard
- Department of Microbiology, Damghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damghan, Iran
| | | | - Mahsima Azarnoosh
- Department of Genetic, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Faeghe Younesi
- Department of Genetic, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Narges Parsamehr
- Department of Genetic, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nooriyeh Garaei
- Department of Genetic, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soroush Abyari
- Department of Genetic, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maede Salehi
- Department of Genetic, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Gholami
- Department of Genetic, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Pardis Zolfaghari
- Department of Genetic, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyede Mahsa Bagheri
- Department of Genetic, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Melika Pourmehrabi
- Department of Genetic, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Elnaz Nobakht
- Department of Microbiology, Damghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damghan, Iran
| | - Elmira Nobakht
- Department of Biology, Damghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damghan, Iran
| | - Rayan Partovi
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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6
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Krug A, Dietsche B, Zöllner R, Yüksel D, Nöthen MM, Forstner AJ, Rietschel M, Dannlowski U, Baune BT, Maier R, Witt SH, Kircher T. Polygenic risk for schizophrenia affects working memory and its neural correlates in healthy subjects. Schizophr Res 2018; 197:315-320. [PMID: 29409757 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a disorder with a high heritability. Patients as well as their first degree relatives display lower levels of performance in a number of cognitive domains compared to subjects without genetic risk. Several studies could link these aberrations to single genetic variants, however, only recently, polygenic risk scores as proxies for genetic risk have been associated with cognitive domains and their neural correlates. In the present study, a sample of healthy subjects (n=137) performed a letter version of the n-back task while scanned with 3-T fMRI. All subjects were genotyped with the PsychChip and polygenic risk scores were calculated based on the PGC2 schizophrenia GWAS results. Polygenic risk for schizophrenia was associated with a lower degree of brain activation in prefrontal areas during the 3-back compared to the 0-back baseline condition. Furthermore, polygenic risk was associated with lower levels of brain activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus during the 3-back compared to a 2-back condition. Polygenic risk leads to a shift in the underlying activation pattern to the left side, thus resembling results reported in patients with schizophrenia. The data may point to polygenic risk for schizophrenia being associated with brain function in a cognitive task known to be impaired in patients and their relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Krug
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Bruno Dietsche
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Zöllner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
| | - Dilara Yüksel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
| | - Markus M Nöthen
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Department of Genomics, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Andreas J Forstner
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Department of Genomics, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Switzerland; Division of Medical Genetics and Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Bernhard T Baune
- Discipline of Psychiatry, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Robert Maier
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Stephanie H Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany
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O’Tuathaigh CMP, Mathur N, O’Callaghan MJ, MacIntyre L, Harvey R, Lai D, Waddington JL, Pickard BS, Watson DG, Moran PM. Specialized Information Processing Deficits and Distinct Metabolomic Profiles Following TM-Domain Disruption of Nrg1. Schizophr Bull 2017; 43:1100-1113. [PMID: 28338897 PMCID: PMC5581893 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbw189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Although there is considerable genetic and pathologic evidence for an association between neuregulin 1 (NRG1) dysregulation and schizophrenia, the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms remain unclear. Mutant mice containing disruption of the transmembrane (TM) domain of the NRG1 gene constitute a heuristic model for dysregulation of NRG1-ErbB4 signaling in schizophrenia. The present study focused on hitherto uncharacterized information processing phenotypes in this mutant line. Using a mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach, we also quantified levels of unique metabolites in brain. Across 2 different sites and protocols, Nrg1 mutants demonstrated deficits in prepulse inhibition, a measure of sensorimotor gating, that is, disrupted in schizophrenia; these deficits were partially reversed by acute treatment with second, but not first-, generation antipsychotic drugs. However, Nrg1 mutants did not show a specific deficit in latent inhibition, a measure of selective attention that is also disrupted in schizophrenia. In contrast, in a "what-where-when" object recognition memory task, Nrg1 mutants displayed sex-specific (males only) disruption of "what-when" performance, indicative of impaired temporal aspects of episodic memory. Differential metabolomic profiling revealed that these behavioral phenotypes were accompanied, most prominently, by alterations in lipid metabolism pathways. This study is the first to associate these novel physiological mechanisms, previously independently identified as being abnormal in schizophrenia, with disruption of NRG1 function. These data suggest novel mechanisms by which compromised neuregulin function from birth might lead to schizophrenia-relevant behavioral changes in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Naina Mathur
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | | | - Lynsey MacIntyre
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Richard Harvey
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - Donna Lai
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - John L Waddington
- Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, 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
| | - Benjamin S Pickard
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - David G Watson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Paula M Moran
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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8
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Mostaid MS, Lloyd D, Liberg B, Sundram S, Pereira A, Pantelis C, Karl T, Weickert CS, Everall IP, Bousman CA. Neuregulin-1 and schizophrenia in the genome-wide association study era. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 68:387-409. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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9
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Raz G, Shpigelman L, Jacob Y, Gonen T, Benjamini Y, Hendler T. Psychophysiological whole-brain network clustering based on connectivity dynamics analysis in naturalistic conditions. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:4654-4672. [PMID: 27477592 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 07/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
We introduce a novel method for delineating context-dependent functional brain networks whose connectivity dynamics are synchronized with the occurrence of a specific psychophysiological process of interest. In this method of context-related network dynamics analysis (CRNDA), a continuous psychophysiological index serves as a reference for clustering the whole-brain into functional networks. We applied CRNDA to fMRI data recorded during the viewing of a sadness-inducing film clip. The method reliably demarcated networks in which temporal patterns of connectivity related to the time series of reported emotional intensity. Our work successfully replicated the link between network connectivity and emotion rating in an independent sample group for seven of the networks. The demarcated networks have clear common functional denominators. Three of these networks overlap with distinct empathy-related networks, previously identified in distinct sets of studies. The other networks are related to sensorimotor processing, language, attention, and working memory. The results indicate that CRNDA, a data-driven method for network clustering that is sensitive to transient connectivity patterns, can productively and reliably demarcate networks that follow psychologically meaningful processes. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4654-4672, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gal Raz
- Tel Aviv Center For Brain Functions, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,The Steve Tisch School of Film and Television, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,IBM Research, Haifa, Israel
| | | | - Yael Jacob
- Tel Aviv Center For Brain Functions, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tal Gonen
- Tel Aviv Center For Brain Functions, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yoav Benjamini
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Talma Hendler
- Tel Aviv Center For Brain Functions, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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10
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Schneider-Hassloff H, Straube B, Jansen A, Nuscheler B, Wemken G, Witt SH, Rietschel M, Kircher T. Oxytocin receptor polymorphism and childhood social experiences shape adult personality, brain structure and neural correlates of mentalizing. Neuroimage 2016; 134:671-684. [PMID: 27109357 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Revised: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The oxytocin system is involved in human social behavior and social cognition such as attachment, emotion recognition and mentalizing (i.e. the ability to represent mental states of oneself and others). It is shaped by social experiences in early life, especially by parent-infant interactions. The single nucleotid polymorphism rs53576 in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene has been linked to social behavioral phenotypes. METHOD In 195 adult healthy subjects we investigated the interaction of OXTR rs53576 and childhood attachment security (CAS) on the personality traits "adult attachment style" and "alexithymia" (i.e. emotional self-awareness), on brain structure (voxel-based morphometry) and neural activation (fMRI) during an interactive mentalizing paradigm (prisoner's dilemma game; subgroup: n=163). RESULTS We found that in GG-homozygotes, but not in A-allele carriers, insecure childhood attachment is - in adulthood - associated with a) higher attachment-related anxiety and alexithymia, b) higher brain gray matter volume of left amygdala and lower volumes in right superior parietal lobule (SPL), left temporal pole (TP), and bilateral frontal regions, and c) higher mentalizing-related neural activity in bilateral TP and precunei, and right middle and superior frontal gyri. Interaction effects of genotype and CAS on brain volume and/or function were associated with individual differences in alexithymia and attachment-related anxiety. Interactive effects were in part sexually dimorphic. CONCLUSION The interaction of OXTR genotype and CAS modulates adult personality as well as brain structure and function of areas implicated in salience processing and mentalizing. Rs53576 GG-homozygotes are partially more susceptible to childhood attachment experiences than A-allele carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Schneider-Hassloff
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Germany.
| | - B Straube
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Germany
| | - A Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Germany
| | - B Nuscheler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Germany
| | - G Wemken
- Institute of Psychology, Social Psychology, Philipps University Marburg, Germany
| | - S H Witt
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - M Rietschel
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - T Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Germany
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11
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Huang CH, Pei JC, Luo DZ, Chen C, Chen YW, Lai WS. Investigation of gene effects and epistatic interactions between Akt1 and neuregulin 1 in the regulation of behavioral phenotypes and social functions in genetic mouse models of schizophrenia. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 8:455. [PMID: 25688191 PMCID: PMC4310298 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2014] [Accepted: 12/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence from human genetic studies has suggested several functional candidate genes that might contribute to susceptibility to schizophrenia, including AKT1 and neuregulin 1 (NRG1). Recent findings also revealed that NRG1 stimulates the PI3-kinase/AKT signaling pathway, which might be involved in the functional outcomes of some schizophrenic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Akt1-deficiency and Nrg1-deficiency alone or in combination in the regulation of behavioral phenotypes, cognition, and social functions using genetically modified mice as a model. Male Akt1+/−, Nrg1+/−, and double mutant mice were bred and compared with their wild-type (WT) littermate controls. In Experiment 1, general physical examination revealed that all mutant mice displayed a normal profile of body weight during development and a normal brain activity with microPET scan. In Experiment 2, no significant genotypic differences were found in our basic behavioral phenotyping, including locomotion, anxiety-like behavior, and sensorimotor gating function. However, both Nrg1+/− and double mutant mice exhibited impaired episodic-like memory. Double mutant mice also had impaired sociability. In Experiment 3, a synergistic epistasis between Akt1 and Nrg1 was further confirmed in double mutant mice in that they had impaired social interaction compared to the other 3 groups, especially encountering with a novel male or an ovariectomized female. Double mutant and Nrg1+/− mice also emitted fewer female urine-induced ultrasonic vocalization calls. Collectively, our results indicate that double deficiency of Akt1 and Nrg1 can result in the impairment of social cognitive functions, which might be pertinent to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia-related social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Hsun Huang
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ju-Chun Pei
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Da-Zhong Luo
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching Chen
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Wen Chen
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Sung Lai
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan ; Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan ; Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan
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12
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Mei L, Nave KA. Neuregulin-ERBB signaling in the nervous system and neuropsychiatric diseases. Neuron 2014; 83:27-49. [PMID: 24991953 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 411] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neuregulins (NRGs) comprise a large family of growth factors that stimulate ERBB receptor tyrosine kinases. NRGs and their receptors, ERBBs, have been identified as susceptibility genes for diseases such as schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder. Recent studies have revealed complex Nrg/Erbb signaling networks that regulate the assembly of neural circuitry, myelination, neurotransmission, and synaptic plasticity. Evidence indicates there is an optimal level of NRG/ERBB signaling in the brain and deviation from it impairs brain functions. NRGs/ERBBs and downstream signaling pathways may provide therapeutic targets for specific neuropsychiatric symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Mei
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; Department of Neurology, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA; Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 30904, USA.
| | - Klaus-Armin Nave
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Goettingen, Germany.
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13
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Pei JC, Liu CM, Lai WS. Distinct phenotypes of new transmembrane-domain neuregulin 1 mutant mice and the rescue effects of valproate on the observed schizophrenia-related cognitive deficits. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:126. [PMID: 24782733 PMCID: PMC3995064 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that neuregulin 1 (NRG1) might be involved in the neurodevelopment, neural plasticity, GABAergic neurotransmission, and pathogenesis of schizophrenia. NRG1 is abundantly expressed in the hippocampus, and emerging studies have begun to reveal the link between NRG1 signaling and cognitive deficits in schizophrenic patients. Because the transmembrane domain of NRG1 is vital for both forward and reverse signaling cascades, new Nrg1-deficient mice that carry a truncation of the transmembrane domain of the Nrg1 gene were characterized and used in this study to test a NRG1 loss-of-function hypothesis for schizophrenia. Both male and female Nrg1 heterozygous mutant mice and their wild-type littermates were used in a series of 4 experiments to characterize the impact of Nrg1 on behavioral phenotypes and to determine the importance of Nrg1 in the regulation of hippocampal neuromorphology and local GABAergic interneurons. First, a comprehensive battery of behavioral tasks indicated that male Nrg1-deficient mice exhibited significant impairments in cognitive functions. Second, pharmacological challenges were conducted and revealed that Nrg1 haploinsufficiency altered GABAergic activity in males. Third, although no genotype-specific neuromorphological alterations were found in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, significant reductions in the hippocampal expressions of GAD67 and parvalbumin were revealed in the Nrg1-deficient males. Fourth, chronic treatment with valproate rescued the observed behavioral deficits and hippocampal GAD67 reduction in Nrg1-deficient males. Collectively, these results indicate the potential therapeutic effect of valproate and the importance of Nrg1 in the regulation of cognitive functions and hippocampal GABAergic interneurons, especially in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju-Chun Pei
- Laboratory of Integrated Neuroscience and Ethology, Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Min Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Sung Lai
- Laboratory of Integrated Neuroscience and Ethology, Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan ; Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan ; Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan
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14
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Dietsche B, Backes H, Stratmann M, Konrad C, Kircher T, Krug A. Altered neural function during episodic memory encoding and retrieval in major depression. Hum Brain Mapp 2014; 35:4293-302. [PMID: 24639328 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Revised: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory impairments are common in major depression. Neural processing during non-emotional episodic memory in depressed patients has only sparsely been investigated, since the majority of studies have focused on emotional stimuli. The aim of this study was to explore neural correlates of episodic memory in depressive patients and to assess brain regions related to subsequent memory performance. Forty-six participants (23 depressed patients) performed a non-emotional episodic memory encoding and retrieval task while brain activation was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Patients with depression showed decreased activation in the right prefrontal cortex and right cingulate cortex during memory encoding, but increased activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) during recognition memory. While a strong association between hippocampal and parahippocampal activation during memory encoding with subsequent memory performance became evident in healthy controls, this relationship was absent in patients with depression. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that memory related brain regions are affected in their appropriate functioning during memory encoding in depressed patients. Therefore, patients with depression may rely to a greater degree on other brain regions such as the IFG during episodic memory retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Dietsche
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
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15
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A genome-wide supported variant in CACNA1C influences hippocampal activation during episodic memory encoding and retrieval. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2014; 264:103-10. [PMID: 23860750 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-013-0428-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 07/08/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The alpha 1C subunit of the L-type voltage-gated calcium channel (CACNA1C) gene is one of the best replicated susceptibility loci for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and major depression. It is involved in learning, memory and brain plasticity. Genetic studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) reported evidence of association with the CACNA1C single nucleotide polymorphism rs1006737 with functional correlates of episodic memory encoding and retrieval, especially activations in the hippocampus. These results, however, are inconsistent with regard to the magnitude and directionality of effect. In the present study, brain activation was measured with fMRI during an episodic memory encoding and retrieval task using neutral faces in two independent samples of 94 and 111 healthy subjects, respectively. Within whole brain analyses, a main effect of genotype emerged mainly in the right hippocampus during encoding as well as retrieval within the first sample: Carriers of the minor allele (A) exhibited lower activations compared to G/G allele carriers. This effect could be replicated within the second sample, however, only for the retrieval condition. The results strengthen findings that rs1006737 is associated with neural systems related to memory processes in hippocampal regions which are detectable in healthy subjects.
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16
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Nickl-Jockschat T, Stöcker T, Krug A, Markov V, Huang R, Schneider F, Habel U, Eickhoff SB, Zerres K, Nöthen MM, Treutlein J, Rietschel M, Shah NJ, Kircher T. A Neuregulin-1 schizophrenia susceptibility variant causes perihippocampal fiber tract anomalies in healthy young subjects. Brain Behav 2014; 4:215-26. [PMID: 24683514 PMCID: PMC3967537 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2013] [Revised: 11/05/2013] [Accepted: 11/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Changes in fiber tract architecture have gained attention as a potentially important aspect of schizophrenia neuropathology. Although the exact pathogenesis of these abnormalities yet remains to be elucidated, a genetic component is highly likely. Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) is one of the best-validated schizophrenia susceptibility genes. We here report the impact of the Neuregulin-1 rs35753505 variant on white matter structure in healthy young individuals with no family history of psychosis. METHODS We compared fractional anisotropy in 54 subjects that were either homozygous for the risk C allele carriers (n = 31) for rs35753505 or homozygous for the T allele (n = 23) using diffusion tensor imaging with 3T. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS), a method especially developed for diffusion data analysis, was used to improve white matter registration and to focus the statistical analysis to major fiber tracts. RESULTS Statistical analysis showed that homozygous risk C allele carriers featured elevated fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right perihippocampal region and the white matter proximate to the left area 4p as well as the right hemisphere of the cerebellum. We found three clusters of reduced FA values in homozygous C allele carriers: in the left superior parietal region, the right prefrontal white matter and in the deep white matter of the left frontal lobe. CONCLUSION Our results highlight the importance of Neuregulin-1 for structural connectivity of the right medial temporal lobe. This finding is in line with well known neuropathological findings in this region in patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Nickl-Jockschat
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
- Juelich Aachen Research Alliance – Translational Brain MedicineJuelich/Aachen, Germany
- Correspondence Thomas Nickl-Jockschat, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse-30-, D-52074 Aachen, Germany. Tel: 0049-241/80-36413;, Fax: 0049-241/80-82401;, E-mail:
| | - Tony Stöcker
- Juelich Aachen Research Alliance – Translational Brain MedicineJuelich/Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine-4, Juelich Research CenterJuelich, Germany
| | - Axel Krug
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of MarburgMarburg, Germany
| | - Valentin Markov
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
| | - Ruiwang Huang
- Juelich Aachen Research Alliance – Translational Brain MedicineJuelich/Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine-4, Juelich Research CenterJuelich, Germany
| | - Frank Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
- Juelich Aachen Research Alliance – Translational Brain MedicineJuelich/Aachen, Germany
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
- Juelich Aachen Research Alliance – Translational Brain MedicineJuelich/Aachen, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Heinrich Heine UniversityDüsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience und Medicine, INM-1, Research Center JülichJülich, Germany
| | - Klaus Zerres
- Institute of Human Genetics, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
| | - Markus M Nöthen
- Department of Genomics, Life and Brain Center, University of BonnBonn, Germany
| | - Jens Treutlein
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental HealthMannheim, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental HealthMannheim, Germany
| | - Nadim Jon Shah
- Juelich Aachen Research Alliance – Translational Brain MedicineJuelich/Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine-4, Juelich Research CenterJuelich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of MarburgMarburg, Germany
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17
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Díez A, Cieza-Borrella C, Suazo V, González-Sarmiento R, Papiol S, Molina V. Cognitive outcome and gamma noise power unrelated to neuregulin 1 and 3 variation in schizophrenia. Ann Gen Psychiatry 2014; 13:18. [PMID: 24976857 PMCID: PMC4065086 DOI: 10.1186/1744-859x-13-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2013] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuregulins are a family of signalling proteins that orchestrate a broad range of cellular responses. Four genes encoding Neuregulins 1-4 have been identified so far in vertebrates. Among them, Neuregulin 1 and Neuregulin 3 have been reported to contribute to an increased risk for developing schizophrenia. We hypothesized that three specific variants of these genes (rs6994992 and rs3924999 for Neuregulin 1 and rs10748842 for Neuregulin 3) that have been related to this illness may modify information processing capacity in the cortex, which would be reflected in electrophysiological parameters (P3b amplitude or gamma noise power) and/or cognitive performance. METHODS We obtained DNA from 31 patients with schizophrenia and 23 healthy controls and analyzed NRG1 rs6994992, NRG1 rs3924999 and NRG3 rs10748842 promoter polymorphisms by allelic discrimination with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We compared cognitive outcome, P300 amplitude parameters and an electroencephalographic measure of noise power in the gamma band between the groups dichotomized according to genotype. RESULTS Contrary to our hypothesis, we could not detect any significant influence of variation in Neuregulin 1/Neuregulin 3 polymorphisms on cognitive performance or electrophysiological parameters of patients with schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS Despite our findings, we cannot discard that other genetic variants and, more likely, interactions between those variants and with genetic variation related to different pathways may still influence cerebral processing in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Díez
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London W1W 7EJ, UK
| | - Clara Cieza-Borrella
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca 37007, Spain ; Molecular Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine and Institute of Molecular and Cellular Cancer Biology (IBMCC), University of Salamanca & CSIC, Salamanca 37007, Spain
| | - Vanessa Suazo
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca 37007, Spain ; Neuroscience Institute of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca 37007, Spain
| | - Rogelio González-Sarmiento
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca 37007, Spain ; Molecular Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine and Institute of Molecular and Cellular Cancer Biology (IBMCC), University of Salamanca & CSIC, Salamanca 37007, Spain
| | - Sergi Papiol
- Anthropology Unit, Animal Biology Department, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08028, Spain ; Clinical Neuroscience Section, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen 37075, Germany
| | - Vicente Molina
- Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca 37007, Spain ; Neuroscience Institute of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca 37007, Spain ; Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Valladolid 47005, Spain ; Psychiatry Service, University Hospital of Valladolid, Avenida Ramón y Cajal, 7, Valladolid 47005, Spain
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Di Giorgio A, Gelao B, Caforio G, Romano R, Andriola I, D'Ambrosio E, Papazacharias A, Elifani F, Bianco LL, Taurisano P, Fazio L, Popolizio T, Blasi G, Bertolino A. Evidence that hippocampal-parahippocampal dysfunction is related to genetic risk for schizophrenia. Psychol Med 2013; 43:1661-1671. [PMID: 23111173 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291712002413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormalities in hippocampal-parahippocampal (H-PH) function are prominent features of schizophrenia and have been associated with deficits in episodic memory. However, it remains unclear whether these abnormalities represent a phenotype related to genetic risk for schizophrenia or whether they are related to disease state. METHOD We investigated H-PH-mediated behavior and physiology, using blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD fMRI), during episodic memory in a sample of patients with schizophrenia, clinically unaffected siblings and healthy subjects. RESULTS Patients with schizophrenia and unaffected siblings displayed abnormalities in episodic memory performance. During an fMRI memory encoding task, both patients and siblings demonstrated a similar pattern of reduced H-PH engagement compared with healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the pathophysiological mechanism underlying the inability of patients with schizophrenia to properly engage the H-PH during episodic memory is related to genetic risk for the disorder. Therefore, H-PH dysfunction can be assumed as a schizophrenia susceptibility-related phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Di Giorgio
- IRCCS 'Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza', San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
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Memory deficits in schizophrenia: a selective review of functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) studies. Behav Sci (Basel) 2013; 3:330-347. [PMID: 25379242 PMCID: PMC4217593 DOI: 10.3390/bs3030330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2013] [Revised: 06/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex chronic mental illness that is characterized by positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. Cognitive deficits are most predictive of long-term outcomes, with abnormalities in memory being the most robust finding. The advent of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has allowed exploring neural correlates of memory deficits in vivo. In this article, we will give a selective review of fMRI studies probing brain regions and functional networks that are thought to be related to abnormal memory performance in two memory systems prominently affected in schizophrenia; working memory and episodic memory. We revisit the classic "hypofrontality" hypothesis of working memory deficits and explore evidence for frontotemporal dysconnectivity underlying episodic memory abnormalities. We conclude that fMRI studies of memory deficits in schizophrenia are far from universal. However, the current literature does suggest that alterations are not isolated to a few brain regions, but are characterized by abnormalities within large-scale brain networks.
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20
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Kukshal P, Bhatia T, Bhagwat AM, Gur RE, Gur RC, Deshpande SN, Nimgaonkar VL, Thelma BK. Association study of neuregulin-1 gene polymorphisms in a North Indian schizophrenia sample. Schizophr Res 2013; 144:24-30. [PMID: 23360725 PMCID: PMC4040109 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2012.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2012] [Revised: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) gene polymorphisms have been proposed as risk factors for several common disorders. Associations with cognitive variation have also been tested. With regard to schizophrenia (SZ) risk, studies of Caucasian ancestry samples indicate associations more consistently than East Asian samples, suggesting heterogeneity. To exploit the differences in linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure across ethnic groups, we conducted a SZ case-control study (that included cognitive evaluations) in a sample from the north Indian population. METHODS NRG1 variants (n=35 SNPs, three microsatellite markers) were initially analyzed among cases (DSM IV criteria, n=1007) and controls (n=1019, drawn from two groups) who were drawn from the same geographical region in North India. Nominally significant associations with SZ were next analyzed in relation to neurocognitive measures estimated with a computerized neurocognitive battery in a subset of the sample (n=116 cases, n=170 controls). RESULTS Three variants and one microsatellite showed allelic association with SZ (rs35753505, rs4733263, rs6994992, and microsatellite 420M9-1395, p≤0.05 uncorrected for multiple comparisons). A six marker haplotype 221121 (rs35753505-rs6994992-rs1354336-rs10093107-rs3924999-rs11780123) showed (p=0.0004) association after Bonferroni corrections. Regression analyses with the neurocognitive measures showed nominal (uncorrected) associations with emotion processing and attention at rs35753505 and rs6994992, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Suggestive associations with SZ and SZ-related neurocognitive measures were detected with two SNPs from the NRG1 promoter region in a north Indian cohort. The functional role of the alleles merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prachi Kukshal
- Department of Genetics, University of Delhi South campus, Benito
Juarez Road, New Delhi – 110 021, India
- C.B. Patel Research Centre, Vile Parle (West), Mumbai, India
| | - Triptish Bhatia
- Department of Psychiatry, Dr. RML Hospital, New Delhi – 110
001, India
| | - A. M. Bhagwat
- C.B. Patel Research Centre, Vile Parle (West), Mumbai, India
| | - Raquel E. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, University of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ruben C. Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychiatry Section, University of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Vishwajit L. Nimgaonkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Genetics, Western Psychiatric
Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Graduate
School of Public Health, 3811 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - B. K. Thelma
- Department of Genetics, University of Delhi South campus, Benito
Juarez Road, New Delhi – 110 021, India
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21
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Bearden CE, Karlsgodt KH, Bachman P, van Erp TGM, Winkler AM, Glahn DC. Genetic architecture of declarative memory: implications for complex illnesses. Neuroscientist 2012; 18:516-32. [PMID: 21832260 PMCID: PMC3545476 DOI: 10.1177/1073858411415113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Why do memory abilities vary so greatly across individuals and cognitive domains? Although memory functions are highly heritable, what exactly is being genetically transmitted? Here we review evidence for the contribution of both common and partially independent inheritance of distinct aspects of memory function. We begin by discussing the assessment of long-term memory and its underlying neural and molecular basis. We then consider evidence for both specialist and generalist genes underlying individual variability in memory, indicating that carving memory into distinct subcomponents may yield important information regarding its genetic architecture. And finally we review evidence from both complex and single-gene disorders, which provide insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the genetic basis of human memory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie E Bearden
- Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Psychology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Schizophrenia-associated HapICE haplotype is associated with increased NRG1 type III expression and high nucleotide diversity. Transl Psychiatry 2012; 2:e104. [PMID: 22832904 PMCID: PMC3337073 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2012.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Excitement and controversy have followed neuregulin (NRG1) since its discovery as a putative schizophrenia susceptibility gene; however, the mechanism of action of the associated risk haplotype (HapICE) has not been identified, and specific genetic variations, which may increase risk to schizophrenia have remained elusive. Using a postmortem brain cohort from 37 schizophrenia cases and 37 controls, we resequenced upstream of the type I-IV promoters, and the HapICE repeat regions in intron 1. Relative abundance of seven NRG1 mRNA transcripts in the prefrontal cortex were determined and compared across diagnostic and genotypic groups. We identified 26 novel DNA variants and showed an increased novel variant load in cases compared with controls (χ(2)=7.815; P=0.05). The average nucleotide diversity (θ = 10.0 × 10(-4)) was approximately twofold higher than that previously reported for BDNF, indicating that NRG1 may be particularly prone to genetic change. A greater nucleotide diversity was observed in the HapICE linkage disequilibrium block in schizophrenia cases (θ((case)) = 13.2 × 10(-4); θ((control)) = 10.0 × 10(-4)). The specific HapICE risk haplotype was associated with increased type III mRNA (F = 3.76, P = 0.028), which in turn, was correlated with an earlier age of onset (r = -0.343, P = 0.038). We found a novel intronic five-SNP haplotype ~730 kb upstream of the type I promoter and determined that this region functions as transcriptional enhancer that is suppressed by SRY. We propose that the HapICE risk haplotype increases expression of the most brain-abundant form of NRG1, which in turn, elicits an earlier clinical presentation, thus providing a novel mechanism through which this genetic association may increase risk of schizophrenia.
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Vyas NS, Shamsi SA, Malhotra AK, Aitchison KJ, Kumari V. Can genetics inform the management of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia? J Psychopharmacol 2012; 26:334-48. [PMID: 22328662 DOI: 10.1177/0269881111434623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
There is no doubt that schizophrenia has a significant genetic component and a number of candidate genes have been identified for this debilitating disorder. Of note, several of these are implicated in cognition. Cognitive deficits constitute core symptoms of schizophrenia, and while current antipsychotic treatment strategies aim to help psychosis-related symptomatology, the cognitive symptom domain is largely inadequately treated. A number of other pharmacological approaches (e.g. using drugs that target specific neurotransmitter systems) have also been attempted for the amelioration of cognitive deficits in this population; however, these too have had limited success so far. Psychological interventions appear promising, though there has been speculation regarding whether or not these produce long-term functional improvements. Pharmacogenetic studies of the cognitive effects of currently available antipsychotics, although in relatively early stages, suggest that the treatment of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia may be advanced by focusing on genetic variants associated with specific cognitive dysfunctions in the general population and using this to match the most relevant pharmacological and/or psychological interventions with the genetic and cognitive profiles of the target population. Such a strategy would encourage bottom-up advances in drug development and provide a platform for individualised treatment of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora S Vyas
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, MRC SGDP Centre, London, UK.
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Paulus FM, Krach S, Bedenbender J, Pyka M, Sommer J, Krug A, Knake S, Nöthen MM, Witt SH, Rietschel M, Kircher T, Jansen A. Partial support for ZNF804A genotype-dependent alterations in prefrontal connectivity. Hum Brain Mapp 2011; 34:304-13. [PMID: 22042765 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.21434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2011] [Revised: 07/13/2011] [Accepted: 07/25/2011] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies identified the single nucleotide polymorphism rs1344706 in ZNF804A as a common risk-variant for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Whereas the molecular function of ZNF804A is yet unclear, recent imaging genetics studies have started to characterize the neural systems architecture linking rs1344706 genotype to psychosis. Carring rs1344706 risk-alleles was associated with a decrease in functional connectivity within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (DLPFCs) as well as an increase in connectivity between the DLPFC and the hippocampal formation (HF) in the context of a working memory task. The present study aimed at replicating these findings in an independent sample of 94 healthy subjects. Subjects were genotyped for rs1344706 and performed a working memory task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results indicate no support for a decrease of functional coupling between the bilateral DLPFCs at higher ZNF804A risk status. However, the current data show the previously described alteration in functional coupling between the right DLPFC and the HFs, albeit with weaker effects. Decoupled by default, the functional connectivity between the right DLPFC and anterior HFs increased with the number of rs1344706 risk alleles. The present data support fronto-hippocampal dysconnectivity as intermediate phenotype linking rs1344706 genotype to psychosis. We discuss the issues in replicating the interhemispheric DLPFC coupling in light of the effect sizes rs1344706 genotype has on brain function, concluding that further independent replication studies are fundamentally needed to ascertain the role of rs1344706 in the functional integration of neural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frieder M Paulus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
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Barnes A, Isohanni M, Barnett JH, Pietiläinen O, Veijola J, Miettunen J, Paunio T, Tanskanen P, Ridler K, Suckling J, Bullmore ET, Jones PB, Murray GK. Neuregulin-1 genotype is associated with structural differences in the normal human brain. Neuroimage 2011; 59:2057-61. [PMID: 22019858 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2011] [Revised: 10/03/2011] [Accepted: 10/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The human neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) gene is highly expressed in the brain, is implicated in numerous functions associated with neuronal development, and is a leading candidate gene for schizophrenia. The T allele of SNP8NRG243177, part of a risk haplotype for schizophrenia, has been previously associated with decreases in white matter in the right anterior internal capsule and the left anterior thalamic radiation. To our knowledge no studies have described the effects of SNP8NRG243177 on grey matter volume at a voxelwise level. We assessed associations between this SNP and brain structure in 79 general population volunteers from the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort (NFBC 1966). We show, for the first time, that genetic variation in SNP8NRG243177 is associated with variation in frontal brain structure in both grey and white matter. T allele carriers showed decreased grey matter volume in several frontal gyri, including inferior, middle and superior frontal gyri and the anterior cingulate gyrus, as well as decreased white matter volume in the regions of the genu and body of the corpus callosum, anterior and superior corona radiata, anterior limb of the internal capsule and external capsule regions traversed by major white matter tracts of the anterior thalamic radiation, and the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. These results suggest that this genetic variant may mediate risk for schizophrenia, in part, through its effect on brain structure in these regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Barnes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Box 189 Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK.
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Papassotiropoulos A, de Quervain DJF. Genetics of human episodic memory: dealing with complexity. Trends Cogn Sci 2011; 15:381-7. [PMID: 21835680 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2011.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2011] [Revised: 07/15/2011] [Accepted: 07/15/2011] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Episodic memory is a polygenic behavioral trait with substantial heritability estimates. Despite its complexity, recent empirical evidence supports the notion that behavioral genetic studies of episodic memory might successfully identify trait-associated molecules and pathways. The development of high-throughput genotyping methods, of elaborated statistical analyses and of phenotypic assessment methods at the neural systems level will facilitate the reliable identification of novel memory-related genes. Importantly, a necessary crosstalk between behavioral genetic studies and investigation of causality by molecular genetic studies will ultimately pave the way towards the identification of biologically important, and hopefully druggable, genes and molecular pathways related to human episodic memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Papassotiropoulos
- Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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Rasetti R, Weinberger DR. Intermediate phenotypes in psychiatric disorders. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2011; 21:340-8. [PMID: 21376566 PMCID: PMC3138621 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2011.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2010] [Accepted: 02/04/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The small effect size of most individual risk factors for psychiatric disorders likely reflects biological heterogeneity and diagnostic imprecision, which has encouraged genetic studies of intermediate biological phenotypes that are closer to the molecular effects of risk genes than are the clinical symptoms. Neuroimaging-based intermediate phenotypes have emerged as particularly promising because they map risk associated gene effects onto physiological processes in brain that are altered in patients and in their healthy relatives. Recent evidence using this approach has elucidated discrete, dissociable biological mechanisms of risk genes at the level of neural circuitries, and their related cognitive functions. This approach may greatly contribute to our understanding of the genetics and pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Rasetti
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch: Genes, Cognition, and Psychosis Program, NIMH, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Daniel R. Weinberger
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch: Genes, Cognition, and Psychosis Program, NIMH, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
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