The translocator protein (18kDa) and its role in neuropsychiatric disorders

Tatiana Barichello; Lutiana R Simões; Allan Collodel; Vijayasree V Giridharan; Felipe Dal-Pizzol; Danielle Macedo; Joao Quevedo

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.10.010

The translocator protein (18kDa) and its role in neuropsychiatric disorders

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017 Dec:83:183-199. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.10.010. Epub 2017 Oct 18.

Authors

Tatiana Barichello¹, Lutiana R Simões², Allan Collodel², Vijayasree V Giridharan³, Felipe Dal-Pizzol⁴, Danielle Macedo⁵, Joao Quevedo⁶

Affiliations

¹ Translational Psychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, USA; Laboratory of Experimental Microbiology, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Unit, University of Southern Santa Catarina (UNESC), Criciúma, SC, Brazil. Electronic address: Tatiana.Barichello@uth.tmc.edu.
² Laboratory of Experimental Microbiology, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Unit, University of Southern Santa Catarina (UNESC), Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
³ Translational Psychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, USA.
⁴ Laboratory of Experimental Pathophysiology, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Unit, University of Southern Santa Catarina (UNESC), Criciúma, SC, Brazil.
⁵ Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza (UFC), CE, Brazil.
⁶ Translational Psychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, USA; Laboratory of Neurosciences, Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Unit, University of Southern Santa Catarina (UNESC), Criciúma, SC, Brazil; Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA.

PMID: 29054730
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.10.010

Abstract

Translocator protein (TSPO) is an 18kDa translocator membrane protein expressed in the outer mitochondrial membrane of steroid-synthesizing cells in the central and peripheral nervous systems. TSPO is involved in cellular functions, including the regulation of cell proliferation, transport of cholesterol to the inner mitochondrial membranes of glial cells, regulation of mitochondrial quality control, and haem synthesis. In the brain, TSPO has been extensively used as a biomarker of injury and inflammation. Indeed, TSPO was up-regulated in several inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. In contrast, the expression of TSPO was decreased in peripheral blood from psychiatric patients. Since TSPO is involved in several mechanisms related to mitochondrial function and inflammatory alterations, therapeutic approaches focusing on the regulation of TSPO may provide a new avenue for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. Based on the involvement of mitochondrial alterations in the neurobiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, this review will focus on the functions and physiological roles of TSPO and the potential of TSPO ligands as therapeutic strategies for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Keywords: Neuroinflammation; Neuropsychiatric disorders; TSPO; TSPO ligands.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Humans
Ligands
Mental Disorders / metabolism*
Mental Disorders / therapy
Receptors, GABA / metabolism*
Up-Regulation

Substances

Ligands
Receptors, GABA
TSPO protein, human