A quantitative study on the expression of synapsin II and N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein in schizophrenic patients

Neurosci Lett. 2001 Jun 15;305(3):185-8. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3940(01)01844-4.

Abstract

The application of DNA array technology to schizophrenic studies enabled us to assess molecular features of this disease. The expression of synapsin II and N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein (NSF) mRNAs is reported to decrease in the prefrontal cortex of these patients. We attempted to reproduce this result with two distinct approaches. With high quality samples, mRNA and protein levels for synapsin II and NSF were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction and by immunoblotting. Both experiments led to the same conclusion: The expression of these presynaptic markers is not altered significantly in the prefrontal cortex of our schizophrenic samples, compared to that in control subjects. These observations suggest that the neurochemical impairments of synapses reported in schizophrenia are not evident for all presynaptic markers and needs to be re-evaluated at molecular levels.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Computer Systems
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Proteins
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Schizophrenia / metabolism*
  • Synapsins / genetics
  • Synapsins / metabolism*
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins*

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Synapsins
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins
  • N-Ethylmaleimide-Sensitive Proteins