Functional analysis of schizoprenia risk gene, Neurogranin (NRGN)

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24591680
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: YASUDA Yuka 大阪大学, 医学部附属病院, 特任助教 (20448062)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): YAMAMORI Hidenaga 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 助教 (90570250) ; UMEDA Satomi 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 研究員 (00625329)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 統合失調症 / ニューログラニン / 遺伝子解析 / 死後脳 / 認知機能 / 知能 / 脳構造画像

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have reported an association between schizophrenia and rs12807809 of the neurogranin (NRGN) gene. We have found that an rs12807809-rs12278912 haplotype of the gene is associated with schizophrenia in a Japanese population. The intellectual abilities of the high-risk TG/TG diplotype of the neurogranin gene were lower compared to those with the non-risk TA/TA diplotype. Our findings also suggested that the genome-wide associated genetic risk variant in the NRGN gene may be related to a small gray matter volume in the left anterior cingulate cortex in patients with schizophrenia. The lack of linkage between the risk gene polymorphisms and the expression levels of their major transcripts suggests that the control of pan mRNA levels may not be a prominent mechanism by which the genes identified in the GWAS contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

Free Research Field

生物学的精神医学