Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0036341 (schizophrenia)
 60,220 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Alterations in the structure and physiology of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) have been found in different psychiatric disorders and some of them involve inhibitory networks, especially in schizophrenia and major depression. Changes in the structure of these networks may be mediated by the polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM), a molecule related to neuronal structural plasticity, expressed in the PFC exclusively by interneurons. Different studies have found that PSA-NCAM expression in the hippocampus and the amygdala is altered in schizophrenia, major depression and animal models of these disorders, in parallel to changes in the expression of molecules related to inhibitory neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity. We have analyzed post-mortem sections of the dorsolateral PFC from the Stanley Neuropathology Consortium, which includes controls, schizophrenia, bipolar and major depression patients, to check whether similar alterations occur. PSA-NCAM was found in neuronal somata and neuropil puncta, many of which corresponded to interneurons. PSA-NCAM expression was only reduced significantly in schizophrenic patients, in parallel to a decrease in glutamic acid-decarboxylase-67 (GAD67) and to an increased expression of vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1) in the white matter. Depressed patients showed significant decreases in synaptophysin (SYN) and VGLUT1 expression. Whereas in bipolar patients, decreases in VGLUT1 expression have also been found, together with a reduction of GAD67. These results indicate that the expression of synaptic proteins is altered in the PFC of patients suffering from these disorders and that, particularly in schizophrenia, abnormal PSA-NCAM and GAD67 expression may underlie the alterations observed in inhibitory neurotransmission.
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PMID:Alterations in the expression of PSA-NCAM and synaptic proteins in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of psychiatric disorder patients. 2302 70

Psychiatric disorders are a group of human diseases that impair higher cognitive functions. Whole-genomic analyses have recently identified susceptibility genes for several psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Among the genes reported to be involved in psychiatric disorders, a gene encoding a polysialyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of polysialic acid (polySia or PSA) on cell surfaces has attracted attention for its potential role in emotion, learning, memory, circadian rhythm, and behaviors. PolySia is a unique polymer that spatio-temporally modifies neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and is predominantly found in embryonic brains, although it persists in areas of the adult brain where neural plasticity, remodeling of neural connections, or neural generation is ongoing, such as the hippocampus, subventricular zone (SVZ), thalamus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. PolySia is thought to be involved in the regulation of cell-cell interactions; however, recent evidence suggests that it is also involved in the functional regulation of ion channels and neurologically active molecules, such as Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), FGF2, and dopamine (DA) that are deeply involved in psychiatric disorders. In this review, the possible involvement of polysialyltransferase (ST8SIA2/ST8SiaII/STX/Siat8B) and its enzymatic product, polySia, in schizophrenia is discussed.
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PMID:Impact of structural aberrancy of polysialic acid and its synthetic enzyme ST8SIA2 in schizophrenia. 2367 15

EphrinA/EphA-dependent axon repulsion is crucial for synaptic targeting in developing neurons but downstream molecular mechanisms remain obscure. Here, it is shown that ephrinA5/EphA3 triggers proteolysis of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) by the metalloprotease a disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM)10 to promote growth cone collapse in neurons from mouse neocortex. EphrinA5 induced ADAM10 activity to promote ectodomain shedding of polysialic acid-NCAM in cortical neuron cultures, releasing a ~ 250 kDa soluble fragment consisting of most of its extracellular region. NCAM shedding was dependent on ADAM10 and EphA3 kinase activity as shown in HEK293T cells transfected with dominant negative ADAM10 and kinase-inactive EphA3 (K653R) mutants. Purified ADAM10 cleaved NCAM at a sequence within the E-F loop of the second fibronectin type III domain (Leu(671) -Lys(672) /Ser(673) -Leu(674) ) identified by mass spectrometry. Mutations of NCAM within the ADAM10 cleavage sequence prevented EphA3-induced shedding of NCAM in HEK293T cells. EphrinA5-induced growth cone collapse was dependent on ADAM10 activity, was inhibited in cortical cultures from NCAM null mice, and was rescued by WT but not ADAM10 cleavage site mutants of NCAM. Regulated proteolysis of NCAM through the ephrin5/EphA3/ADAM10 mechanism likely impacts synapse development, and may lead to excess NCAM shedding when disrupted, as implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia. PSA-NCAM and ephrinA/EphA3 coordinately regulate inhibitory synapse development. Here, we have found that ephrinA5 stimulates EphA3 kinase and ADAM10 activity to promote PSA-NCAM cleavage at a site in its second FNIII repeat, which regulates ephrinA5-induced growth cone collapse in GABAergic and non-GABAergic neurons. These findings identify a new regulatory mechanism which may contribute to inhibitory connectivity.
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PMID:EphrinA/EphA-induced ectodomain shedding of neural cell adhesion molecule regulates growth cone repulsion through ADAM10 metalloprotease. 2423 85

5-hydroxytryptamine6 receptor (5-HT6R) antagonists have shown efficacy in animal models for cognitive impairment in multiple cognitive domains relevant for schizophrenia. Improvements were found with 5-HT6R antagonists in preclinical tests for episodic memory, social cognition, executive function, working memory and several other tests for both learning and memory. In contrast, there is little evidence for efficacy on attention. It will be interesting to further investigate 5-HT6R antagonists in neurodevelopmental animal models which are based on prenatal exposure to specific environmental insults, and are characterized by a high level of face, construct and predictive validity for cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia. It is also important to do more add-on preclinical studies of 5-HT6 antagonists with antipsychotics. Possible mechanisms of action to improve cognition have been described. 5-HT6R antagonists decrease GABA release and GABAergic interneuron excitability, which subsequently disinhibits glutamate and/or acetylcholine release and results in enhancement of synaptic plasticity. Furthermore, cognition could be improved by 5-HT6R antagonists, because these compounds increase the number of NCAM PSA-immunoreactive neurons in the dendate gyrus, inhibit mTOR and Fyn-tyrosine kinase and interact with DARPP-32. Interestingly, there is increasing preclinical evidence that could support additional benefits of 5-HT6R ligandson comorbid conditions in schizophrenia such as drug abuse, depression, anxiety, obesity andantipsychotic-induced EPS. Finally, we briefly give an overview of the 5-HT6R compounds that are currently in clinical development for the treatment of cognitive impairment in both schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.
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PMID:5-HT6 Receptor Antagonists: Potential Efficacy for the Treatment of Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia. 2604 73

Brain plasticity refers to the ability of the brain to undergo functionally relevant adaptations in response to external and internal stimuli. Alterations in brain plasticity have been associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders, and current theories suggest that dysfunctions in neuronal circuits and synaptogenesis have a major impact in the development of these diseases. Among the molecules that regulate brain plasticity, neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and its polysialylated form PSA-NCAM have been of particular interest for years because alterations in NCAM and PSA-NCAM levels have been associated with memory impairment, depression, autistic spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. In this review, we discuss the roles of NCAM and PSA-NCAM in the regulation of brain plasticity and, in particular, their roles in the mechanisms of depression. We also demonstrate that the NCAM-mimetic peptides FGL and Enreptin are able to restore disrupted neuronal plasticity. FGL peptide has also been demonstrated to ameliorate the symptoms of depressive-like behavior in NCAM-deficient mice and therefore, may be considered a new drug candidate for the treatment of depression as well as other neuropsychiatric disorders with disrupted neuroplasticity.
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PMID:Pharmacological approach for targeting dysfunctional brain plasticity: Focus on neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM). 2709 82

Polysialic acid (polySia, PSA) is a unique and functionally important glycan, particularly in vertebrate brains. It is involved in higher brain functions such as learning, memory, and social behaviors. Recently, an association between several genetic variations and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ST8SIA2/STX, one of two polysialyltransferase genes in vertebrates, and psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), was reported based on candidate gene approaches and genome-wide studies among normal and mental disorder patients. It is of critical importance to determine if the reported mutations and SNPs in ST8SIA2 lead to impairments of the structure and function of polySia, which is the final product of ST8SIA2. To date, however, only a few such forward-directed studies have been conducted. In addition, the molecular mechanisms underlying polySia-involved brain functions remain unknown, although polySia was shown to have an anti-adhesive effect. In this report, we review the relationships between psychiatric disorders and polySia and/or ST8SIA2, and describe a new function of polySia as a regulator of neurologically active molecules, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and dopamine, which are deeply involved in psychiatric disorders. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Glycans in personalised medicine" Guest Editor: Professor Gordan Lauc.
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PMID:Relationship between ST8SIA2, polysialic acid and its binding molecules, and psychiatric disorders. 2710 34

Dopamine D2 receptors (D2R) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are key players in the etiology and therapeutics of schizophrenia. The overactivation of these receptors contributes to mPFC dysfunction. Chronic treatment with D2R agonists modifies the expression of molecules implicated in neuronal structural plasticity, synaptic function, and inhibitory neurotransmission, which are also altered in schizophrenia. These changes are dependent on the expression of the polysialylated form of the neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM), a plasticity-related molecule, but nothing is known about the effects of D2R and PSA-NCAM on excitatory neurotransmission and the structure of mPFC pyramidal neurons, two additional features affected in schizophrenia. To evaluate these parameters, we have chronically treated adult rats with PPHT (a D2R agonist) after enzymatic removal of PSA with Endo-N. Both treatments decreased spine density in apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons without affecting their inhibitory innervation. Endo-N also reduced the expression of vesicular glutamate transporter-1. These results indicate that D2R and PSA-NCAM are important players in the regulation of the structural plasticity of mPFC excitatory neurons. This is relevant to our understanding of the neurobiological basis of schizophrenia, in which structural alterations of pyramidal neurons and altered expression of D2R and PSA-NCAM have been found.
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PMID:Effects of Chronic Dopamine D2R Agonist Treatment and Polysialic Acid Depletion on Dendritic Spine Density and Excitatory Neurotransmission in the mPFC of Adult Rats. 2711 Apr 4

The structure and function of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is affected in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and major depression. Recent studies suggest that imbalances between excitatory and inhibitory activity (E/I) may be responsible for this cortical dysfunction and therefore, may underlie the core symptoms of these diseases. This E/I imbalance seems to be correlated with alterations in the plasticity of interneurons but there is still scarce information on the mechanisms that may link these phenomena. The polysialylated form of the neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) is a good candidate, because it modulates the neuronal plasticity of interneurons and its expression is altered in schizophrenia and major depression. To address this question, we have developed an in vitro model using mPFC organotypic cultures of transgenic mice displaying fluorescent spiny interneurons. After enzymatic depletion of PSA, the spine density of interneurons, the number of synaptic puncta surrounding pyramidal neuron somata and the E/I ratio were strongly affected. These results point to the polysialylation of NCAM as an important factor in the maintenance of E/I balance and the structural plasticity of interneurons. This may be particularly relevant for better understanding the etiology of schizophrenia and major depression.
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PMID:Polysialic Acid Acute Depletion Induces Structural Plasticity in Interneurons and Impairs the Excitation/Inhibition Balance in Medial Prefrontal Cortex Organotypic Cultures. 2744 97

The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) is modified by polysialic acid (polySia or PSA) in embryonic brains. In adult brains, polySia modification of NCAM is only observed in restricted areas where neural plasticity, remodeling of neural connections, or neural generation is ongoing although the amount of NCAM remains unchanged. Impairments of the polySia-expression and several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the polysialyltransferase (polyST) ST8SIA2 gene are reported to be associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Chlorpromazine (CPZ) is well-known as an agent for treating schizophrenia, and our hypothesis is that CPZ may affect the polySia expression or the gene expression of polySTs or NCAM. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the effects of CPZ on the expression of polySia-NCAM on human neuroblastoma cell line, IMR-32 cells, by immunochemical and chemical methods. Interestingly, the cell surface expression of polySia, especially those with lower chain lengths, was significantly increased on the CPZ-treated cells, while mRNAs for polySTs and NCAM, and the amounts of total polySia-NCAM remained unchanged. The addition of brefeldin A, an inhibitor of endocytosis, suppressed the CPZ-induced cell surface polySia expression. In addition, polySia-NCAM was also observed in the vesicle compartment inside the cell. All these data suggest that the level of cell surface expression of polySia in IMR-32 is highly regulated and that CPZ changes the rate of the recycling of polySia-NCAM, leading to the up-regulation of polySia-NCAM on the cell surface. We also analyzed the effect of CPZ on polySia-expression in various brain regions in adult mice and found that CPZ only influenced the total amounts of polySia-NCAM in prefrontal cortex. These results suggest a brain-region-specific effect of CPZ on the expression of total polySia in mouse brain. Collectively, anti-schizophrenia agent CPZ consistently up-regulates the expression polySia at both cellular and animal levels.
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PMID:Chlorpromazine Increases the Expression of Polysialic Acid (PolySia) in Human Neuroblastoma Cells and Mouse Prefrontal Cortex. 2853 1

Mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism spectrum disorder, are challenging to manage, worldwide. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying these disorders is essential and required. Studies investigating such molecular mechanisms are well performed and important findings are accumulating apace. Based on the fact that these disorders are due in part to the accumulation of genetic and environmental risk factors, consideration of multi-molecular and/or multi-system dependent phenomena might be important. Acidic glycans are an attractive family of molecules for understanding these disorders, because impairment of the fine-tuned glycan system affects a large number of molecules that are deeply involved in normal brain function. One of the candidates of this important family of glycan epitopes in the brain is polysialic acid (PSA/polySia). PSA is a well-known molecule because of its role as an oncodevelopmental antigen and is also widely used as a marker of adult neurogenesis. Recently, several reports have suggested that PSA and PSA-related genes are associated with multiple mental disorders. The relationships among PSA, PSA-related genes, and mental disorders are reviewed here.
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PMID:Mental disorders and an acidic glycan-from the perspective of polysialic acid (PSA/polySia) and the synthesizing enzyme, ST8SIA2. 3005 42


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