| Title: |
Expression of the rap1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor, MR-GEF, is altered in individuals with bipolar disorder |
| Authors: |
Bithell, A; Hsu, T; Kandanearatchi, A; Landau, S; Everall, IP; Tsuang, MT; Chana, G; Williams, BP |
| Contributors: |
Domschke, K |
| Publisher Information: |
PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE |
| Publication Year: |
2010 |
| Collection: |
The University of Melbourne: Digital Repository |
| Description: |
In the rodent forebrain GABAergic neurons are generated from progenitor cells that express the transcription factors Dlx1 and Dlx2. The Rap-1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor, MR-GEF, is turned on by many of these developing GABAergic neurons. Expression of both Dlx1/2 and MR-GEF is retained in both adult mouse and human forebrain where, in human, decreased Dlx1 expression has been associated with psychosis. Using in situ hybridization studies we show that MR-GEF expression is significantly down-regulated in the forebrain of Dlx1/2 double mutant mice suggesting that MR-GEF and Dlx1/2 form part of a common signalling pathway during GABAergic neuronal development. We therefore compared MR-GEF expression by in situ hybridization in individuals with major psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression) and control individuals. We observed a significant positive correlation between layers II and IV of the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in the percentage of MR-GEF expressing neurons in individuals with bipolar disorder, but not in individuals with schizophrenia, major depressive disorder or in controls. Since MR-GEF encodes a Rap1 GEF able to activate G-protein signalling, we suggest that changes in MR-GEF expression could potentially influence neurotransmission. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| ISSN: |
1932-6203 |
| Relation: |
https://hdl.handle.net/11343/264317 |
| Availability: |
https://hdl.handle.net/11343/264317 |
| Rights: |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 ; CC BY |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.EB7B7F05 |
| Database: |
BASE |