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Alhazmi S, Alharthi M, Alzahrani M, Alrofaidi A, Basingab F, Almuhammadi A, Alkhatabi H, Ashi A, Chaudhary A, Elaimi A. Copy number variations in autistic children. Biomed Rep 2024; 21:107. [PMID: 38868529 PMCID: PMC11168027 DOI: 10.3892/br.2024.1795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) manifests as a neurodevelopmental condition marked by challenges in social communication, interaction and the performing of repetitive behaviors. The prevalence of autism increases markedly on an annual basis; however, the etiology remains incompletely understood. Cytogenetically visible chromosomal abnormalities, including copy number variations (CNVs), have been shown to contribute to the pathogenesis of ASD. More than 1% of ASD conditions can be explained based on a known genetic locus, whereas CNVs account for 5-10% of cases. However, there are no studies on the Saudi Arabian population for the detection of CNVs linked to ASD, to the best of our knowledge. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the prevalence of CNVs in autistic Saudi Arabian children. Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of 14 autistic children along with four healthy control children and then array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) was used to detect CNVs. Bioinformatics analysis of the aCGH results showed the presence of recurrent and non-recurrent deletion/duplication CNVs in several regions of the genome of autistic children. The most frequent CNVs were 1q21.2, 3p26.3, 4q13.2, 6p25.3, 6q24.2, 7p21.1, 7q34, 7q11.1, 8p23.2, 13q32.3, 14q11.1-q11.2 and 15q11.1-q11.2. In the present study, CNVs in autistic Saudi Arabian children were identified to improve the understanding of the etiology of autism and facilitate its diagnosis. Additionally, the present study identified certain possible pathogenic genes in the CNV region associated with several developmental and neurogenetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safiah Alhazmi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Immunology Unit, King Fahad Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
- Neuroscience and Geroscience Research Unit, King Fahad Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
- Central Laboratory of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maram Alharthi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maryam Alzahrani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aisha Alrofaidi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fatemah Basingab
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Immunology Unit, King Fahad Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
| | - Asma Almuhammadi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Heba Alkhatabi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
- Center of Innovation in Personalized Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
- Hematology Research Unit, King Fahad Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abrar Ashi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
- Center of Innovation in Personalized Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adeel Chaudhary
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
- Center of Innovation in Personalized Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aisha Elaimi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
- Center of Innovation in Personalized Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia
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Right Place at the Right Time: How Changes in Protocadherins Affect Synaptic Connections Contributing to the Etiology of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Cells 2020; 9:cells9122711. [PMID: 33352832 PMCID: PMC7766791 DOI: 10.3390/cells9122711] [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: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During brain development, neurons need to form the correct connections with one another in order to give rise to a functional neuronal circuitry. Mistakes during this process, leading to the formation of improper neuronal connectivity, can result in a number of brain abnormalities and impairments collectively referred to as neurodevelopmental disorders. Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), present on the cell surface, take part in the neurodevelopmental process regulating migration and recognition of specific cells to form functional neuronal assemblies. Among CAMs, the members of the protocadherin (PCDH) group stand out because they are involved in cell adhesion, neurite initiation and outgrowth, axon pathfinding and fasciculation, and synapse formation and stabilization. Given the critical role of these macromolecules in the major neurodevelopmental processes, it is not surprising that clinical and basic research in the past two decades has identified several PCDH genes as responsible for a large fraction of neurodevelopmental disorders. In the present article, we review these findings with a focus on the non-clustered PCDH sub-group, discussing the proteins implicated in the main neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Array-CGH Analysis in a Cohort of Phenotypically Well-Characterized Individuals with "Essential" Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 48:442-449. [PMID: 29027068 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3329-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Copy-number variants (CNVs) are associated with susceptibility to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To detect the presence of CNVs, we conducted an array-comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) analysis in 133 children with "essential" ASD phenotype. Genetic analyses documented that 12 children had causative CNVs (C-CNVs), 29 children had non-causative CNVs (NC-CNVs) and 92 children without CNVs (W-CNVs). Results on clinical evaluation showed no differences in cognitive abilities among the three groups, and a higher number of ASD symptoms and of non-verbal children in the C-CNVs group compared to the W-CNVs and NC-CNVs groups. Our results highlighted the importance of the array-CGH analyses and showed that the presence of specific CNVs may differentiate clinical outputs in children with ASD.
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Hnoonual A, Thammachote W, Tim-Aroon T, Rojnueangnit K, Hansakunachai T, Sombuntham T, Roongpraiwan R, Worachotekamjorn J, Chuthapisith J, Fucharoen S, Wattanasirichaigoon D, Ruangdaraganon N, Limprasert P, Jinawath N. Chromosomal microarray analysis in a cohort of underrepresented population identifies SERINC2 as a novel candidate gene for autism spectrum disorder. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12096. [PMID: 28935972 PMCID: PMC5608768 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12317-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal microarray (CMA) is now recognized as the first-tier genetic test for detection of copy number variations (CNVs) in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aims of this study were to identify known and novel ASD associated-CNVs and to evaluate the diagnostic yield of CMA in Thai patients with ASD. The Infinium CytoSNP-850K BeadChip was used to detect CNVs in 114 Thai patients comprised of 68 retrospective ASD patients (group 1) with the use of CMA as a second line test and 46 prospective ASD and developmental delay patients (group 2) with the use of CMA as the first-tier test. We identified 7 (6.1%) pathogenic CNVs and 22 (19.3%) variants of uncertain clinical significance (VOUS). A total of 29 patients with pathogenic CNVs and VOUS were found in 22% (15/68) and 30.4% (14/46) of the patients in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The difference in detected CNV frequencies between the 2 groups was not statistically significant (Chi square = 1.02, df = 1, P = 0.31). In addition, we propose one novel ASD candidate gene, SERINC2, which warrants further investigation. Our findings provide supportive evidence that CMA studies using population-specific reference databases in underrepresented populations are useful for identification of novel candidate genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areerat Hnoonual
- Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Weerin Thammachote
- Program in Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Thipwimol Tim-Aroon
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kitiwan Rojnueangnit
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasart University, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Tippawan Hansakunachai
- Division of Child Development, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasart University, Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Tasanawat Sombuntham
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rawiwan Roongpraiwan
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Juthamas Worachotekamjorn
- Division of Child Development, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Jariya Chuthapisith
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Suthat Fucharoen
- Thalassemia Research Center, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Duangrurdee Wattanasirichaigoon
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nichara Ruangdaraganon
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pornprot Limprasert
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand.
| | - Natini Jinawath
- Program in Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. .,Integrative Computational Bioscience Center, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
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Altinoz MA, Ince B. Hemoglobins emerging roles in mental disorders. Metabolical, genetical and immunological aspects. Int J Dev Neurosci 2017; 61:73-85. [PMID: 28694195 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemoglobin (Hb) expression in the central nervous system is recently shown. Cooccurences of mental disorders (mainly bipolar disorder (BD) and tic disorders) with β- or α-thalassemia trait or erythrocytosis were witnessed, which may be due to peripheral or central hypoxia/hyperoxia or haplotypal gene interactions. β-Globin genes reside at 11p15.5 close to tyrosine hydroxylase, dopamine receptor DRD4 and Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, which involve in psychiatric diseases. α-Globin genes reside at 16p13.3 which associates with BD, tic disorders, ATR-16 Syndrome and Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome (RTS). CREB-Binding Protein (CEBBP)-gene is mutated in RTS, which commonly associates with mood disorders. 16p13.3 region also contains GRIN2A gene encoding N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor-2A and SSTR5 (Somatostatin Receptor-5), again involving in mental disorders. We demonstrated a protective role of minor HbA2 against post-partum episodes in BD and association of higher minor HbF (fetal hemoglobin) levels with family history of psychosis in a BD-patient cohort. HbA2 increases in cardiac ischemia and in mountain dwellers indicating its likely protection against ischemia/hypoxia. HMGIY, a repressive transcription factor of δ-globin chain of HbA2 is increased in lymphocytes of schizophrenics. In autism, deletional mutations were found in BCL11A gene, which cause persistence of HbF at high levels in adulthood. Also, certain polymorphisms in BCL11A strongly associate with schizophrenia. Further, many drugs from anabolic steroids to antimalarial agents elevate HbF and may cause mania. We ascribe a protective role to HbA2 and a maladaptive detrimental role to HbF in psychopathology. We believe that future studies on hemoglobins may pave to discover novel pathogenesis mechanisms in mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bahri Ince
- Department of Psychiatry, Bakirkoy Education and Research Hospital for Psychiatry, Turkey
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Use of clinical chromosomal microarray in Chinese patients with autism spectrum disorder-implications of a copy number variation involving DPP10. Mol Autism 2017; 8:31. [PMID: 28670437 PMCID: PMC5485587 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-017-0136-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 04/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) is recommended as a first-tier genetic test for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, interpretation of results can often be challenging partly due to the fact that copy number variants (CNVs) in non-European ASD patients are not well studied. To address this literature gap, we report the CNV findings in a cohort of Chinese children with ASD. Methods DNA samples were obtained from 258 Chinese ASD patients recruited from a child assessment center between January 2011 and August 2014. aCGH was performed using NimbleGen-CGX-135k or Agilent-CGX 60k oligonucleotide array. Results were classified based on existing guidelines and literature. Results Ten pathogenic CNVs and one likely pathogenic CNV were found in nine patients, with an overall diagnostic yield of 3.5%. A 138 kb duplication involving 3′ exons of DPP10 (arr[GRCh37] 2q14.1(116534689_116672358)x3), reported to be associated with ASD, was identified in one patient (0.39%). The same CNV was reported as variant of uncertain significance (VUS) in DECIPHER database. Multiple individuals of typical development carrying a similar duplication were identified among our ancestry-matched control with a frequency of 6/653 (0.92%) as well as from literature and genomic databases. Conclusions The DPP10 duplication is likely a benign CNV polymorphism enriched in Southern Chinese with a population frequency of ~1%. This highlights the importance of using ancestry-matched controls in interpretation of aCGH findings. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13229-017-0136-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Ishizuka K, Kimura H, Wang C, Xing J, Kushima I, Arioka Y, Oya-Ito T, Uno Y, Okada T, Mori D, Aleksic B, Ozaki N. Investigation of Rare Single-Nucleotide PCDH15 Variants in Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorders. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153224. [PMID: 27058588 PMCID: PMC4825995 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Both schizophrenia (SCZ) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neuropsychiatric disorders with overlapping genetic etiology. Protocadherin 15 (PCDH15), which encodes a member of the cadherin super family that contributes to neural development and function, has been cited as a risk gene for neuropsychiatric disorders. Recently, rare variants of large effect have been paid attention to understand the etiopathology of these complex disorders. Thus, we evaluated the impacts of rare, single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in PCDH15 on SCZ or ASD. First, we conducted coding exon-targeted resequencing of PCDH15 with next-generation sequencing technology in 562 Japanese patients (370 SCZ and 192 ASD) and detected 16 heterozygous SNVs. We then performed association analyses on 2,096 cases (1,714 SCZ and 382 ASD) and 1,917 controls with six novel variants of these 16 SNVs. Of these six variants, four (p.R219K, p.T281A, p.D642N, c.3010-1G>C) were ultra-rare variants (minor allele frequency < 0.0005) that may increase disease susceptibility. Finally, no statistically significant association between any of these rare, heterozygous PCDH15 point variants and SCZ or ASD was found. Our results suggest that a larger sample size of resequencing subjects is necessary to detect associations between rare PCDH15 variants and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanako Ishizuka
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kimura
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Chenyao Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Jingrui Xing
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Itaru Kushima
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yuko Arioka
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Tomoko Oya-Ito
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yota Uno
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Takashi Okada
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Daisuke Mori
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Branko Aleksic
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Norio Ozaki
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
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Blair LM, Pickler RH, Anderson C. Integrative Review of Genetic Factors Influencing Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Preterm Infants. Biol Res Nurs 2015; 18:127-37. [PMID: 26374169 DOI: 10.1177/1099800415605379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Preterm infants are at elevated risk for a host of neurodevelopmental problems, including disorders that appear later in life. Gene-environment interactions and prematurity may combine to increase the risk for poor neurodevelopmental outcomes. Increasing evidence supports a genetic link to risk for atypical development; however, no genomic risk profiles are currently used for infants without apparent genetic disorders. The purpose of this review was to synthesize recent evidence of genetic associations with atypical neurodevelopmental outcomes that may affect preterm infants who do not have a rare genetic disease. Electronic and hand-search strategies were used to find relevant articles that were English-language, peer-reviewed primary research or meta-analysis reports published between July 2009 and July 2014, involving human participants. Articles included in the analysis (N = 29) used a wide range of study designs and methodologies, complicating the analysis. An integrative-review design was used to synthesize the data. Numerous genes (n = 43) and additional large deletion copy number variants were associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes, including cognition, attention, perception, psychiatric disease, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, infant behavior, and alterations in brain architecture. The creation of genetic risk profiles for complex disorders of neurodevelopment is presently hindered by inconsistent genetic-association evidence, methodological considerations, reporting problems, and lack of replication. However, several avenues of investigation offer promise, including large (>100 kb) copy number variants and the candidate genes MET, NRG3, and SLC6A4, each of which were reported to have associations with neurodevelopmental outcomes in multiple, high-quality studies.
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A 15q11.2 microdeletion first identified in a pair of autistic monozygotic twins with regression. Psychiatr Genet 2014; 25:43-4. [PMID: 25419638 PMCID: PMC4280278 DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0000000000000074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Ye R, Carneiro AMD, Han Q, Airey D, Sanders-Bush E, Zhang B, Lu L, Williams R, Blakely RD. Quantitative trait loci mapping and gene network analysis implicate protocadherin-15 as a determinant of brain serotonin transporter expression. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2014; 13:261-75. [PMID: 24405699 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Revised: 12/23/2013] [Accepted: 01/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Presynaptic serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) transporters (SERT) regulate 5-HT signaling via antidepressant-sensitive clearance of released neurotransmitter. Polymorphisms in the human SERT gene (SLC6A4) have been linked to risk for multiple neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism. Using BXD recombinant inbred mice, a genetic reference population that can support the discovery of novel determinants of complex traits, merging collective trait assessments with bioinformatics approaches, we examine phenotypic and molecular networks associated with SERT gene and protein expression. Correlational analyses revealed a network of genes that significantly associated with SERT mRNA levels. We quantified SERT protein expression levels and identified region- and gender-specific quantitative trait loci (QTLs), one of which associated with male midbrain SERT protein expression, centered on the protocadherin-15 gene (Pcdh15), overlapped with a QTL for midbrain 5-HT levels. Pcdh15 was also the only QTL-associated gene whose midbrain mRNA expression significantly associated with both SERT protein and 5-HT traits, suggesting an unrecognized role of the cell adhesion protein in the development or function of 5-HT neurons. To test this hypothesis, we assessed SERT protein and 5-HT traits in the Pcdh15 functional null line (Pcdh15(av-) (3J) ), studies that revealed a strong, negative influence of Pcdh15 on these phenotypes. Together, our findings illustrate the power of multidimensional profiling of recombinant inbred lines in the analysis of molecular networks that support synaptic signaling, and that, as in the case of Pcdh15, can reveal novel relationships that may underlie risk for mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Ye
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
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