TY - JOUR
T1 - Two complex genotypes relevant to the kynurenine pathway and melanotropin function show association with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
AU - Miller, Christine L.
AU - Murakami, Peter
AU - Ruczinski, Ingo
AU - Ross, Randal G.
AU - Sinkus, Melissa
AU - Sullivan, Bernadette
AU - Leonard, Sherry
N1 - Funding Information:
The Stanley Medical Research Institute (SMRI) funded a large portion of this study. This work was also supported by the Veterans Affairs Medical Research Service [SL]; and the National Institutes of Health [HL090577 to IR, MH066115 to RGR, and DA09457, MH08177, MH068582 to SL]. The study sponsors played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.
PY - 2009/9
Y1 - 2009/9
N2 - Prior studies of mRNA expression, protein expression, and pathway metabolite levels have implicated dysregulation of the kynurenine pathway in the etiology of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Here we investigate whether genes involved in kynurenine pathway regulation might interact with genes that respond to kynurenine metabolites, to enhance risk for these psychiatric phenotypes. Candidate genes were selected from prior studies of genetic association, gene expression profiling and animal models. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in each of six genes, TDO2, HM74, HM74A, MCHR1, MCHR2 and MC5R, was tested for association with phenotype (475 Caucasians, 88 African Americans with schizophrenia; 97 Caucasians, 3 African Americans with bipolar disorder; 191 Caucasian, 49 African American controls). An A allele in HM74 was significantly associated with schizophrenia and with schizophrenia plus bipolar disorder combined, odds ratios (OR) of 1.48, p = 0.011 and 1.50, p = 0.007, respectively. Augmentation of disease risk was found for the complex genotype HM74[A,any] + MCHR1[T,any] + MCHR2[C,any] which conferred an OR maximal for the combined diagnostic category of schizophrenia plus bipolar disorder (1.70, p = 0.003), carried by 30% of the cases. TDO2[CC] + MC5R[G, any] + MCHR2[GC] conferred an OR maximal for schizophrenia alone (4.84, p = 0.005), carried by 8% of schizophrenia cases. The combined risk posed by these related, complex genotypes is greater than any identified single locus and may derive from co-regulation of the kynurenine pathway by interacting genes, a lack of adequate melanotropin-controlled sequestration of the kynurenine-derived pigments, or the production of melanotropin receptor ligands through kynurenine metabolism.
AB - Prior studies of mRNA expression, protein expression, and pathway metabolite levels have implicated dysregulation of the kynurenine pathway in the etiology of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Here we investigate whether genes involved in kynurenine pathway regulation might interact with genes that respond to kynurenine metabolites, to enhance risk for these psychiatric phenotypes. Candidate genes were selected from prior studies of genetic association, gene expression profiling and animal models. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in each of six genes, TDO2, HM74, HM74A, MCHR1, MCHR2 and MC5R, was tested for association with phenotype (475 Caucasians, 88 African Americans with schizophrenia; 97 Caucasians, 3 African Americans with bipolar disorder; 191 Caucasian, 49 African American controls). An A allele in HM74 was significantly associated with schizophrenia and with schizophrenia plus bipolar disorder combined, odds ratios (OR) of 1.48, p = 0.011 and 1.50, p = 0.007, respectively. Augmentation of disease risk was found for the complex genotype HM74[A,any] + MCHR1[T,any] + MCHR2[C,any] which conferred an OR maximal for the combined diagnostic category of schizophrenia plus bipolar disorder (1.70, p = 0.003), carried by 30% of the cases. TDO2[CC] + MC5R[G, any] + MCHR2[GC] conferred an OR maximal for schizophrenia alone (4.84, p = 0.005), carried by 8% of schizophrenia cases. The combined risk posed by these related, complex genotypes is greater than any identified single locus and may derive from co-regulation of the kynurenine pathway by interacting genes, a lack of adequate melanotropin-controlled sequestration of the kynurenine-derived pigments, or the production of melanotropin receptor ligands through kynurenine metabolism.
KW - Gene-gene interactions
KW - Metabolic
KW - Niacin receptor
KW - Psychosis
KW - Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=68049135725&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=68049135725&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2009.05.014
DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2009.05.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 19502010
AN - SCOPUS:68049135725
SN - 0920-9964
VL - 113
SP - 259
EP - 267
JO - Schizophrenia Research
JF - Schizophrenia Research
IS - 2-3
ER -