日本愛知縣身心障礙者精神發(fā)育障礙研究所日前宣布,，該所研究人員發(fā)現了與精神分裂癥發(fā)病有關的一種蛋白質的功能,從而弄清了此病的發(fā)病機制,。
精神分裂癥是以幻覺和妄想為癥狀的精神疾病,。雖然神經傳導物質分泌異常和腦神經發(fā)育障礙被認為是致病原因,，但是研究人員過去一直沒有弄清詳細的發(fā)病機制,。
在本次研究中,，研究人員發(fā)現,，蛋白質“Dysbindin－1”與精神分裂癥發(fā)病有關,，這種蛋白質存在于負責腦神經細胞間信息交換的“突觸”中,。
研究人員通過老鼠實驗發(fā)現,，減少“Dysbindin－1”蛋白質的含量，在“突觸”中接受信息的組織就無法正常發(fā)育,，從而導致精神分裂癥,。反之，如果補充這種蛋白質,，有關組織的機能就會得到恢復,。
有關論文已刊登在英國《分子精神病學》網絡版上。(生物谷Bioon.net)
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Molecular Psychiatry doi: 10.1038/mp.2010.69
Dysbindin-1, WAVE2 and Abi-1 form a complex that regulates dendritic spine formation
H Ito1, R Morishita1, T Shinoda1, I Iwamoto1, K Sudo1, K-I Okamoto1 and K Nagata1
1Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute for Developmental Research, Aichi Human Service Center, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan
Genetic variations in dysbindin-1 (dystrobrevin-binding protein-1) are one of the most commonly reported variations associated with schizophrenia. As schizophrenia could be regarded as a neurodevelopmental disorder resulting from abnormalities of synaptic connectivity, we attempted to clarify the function of dysbindin-1 in neuronal development. We examined the developmental change of dysbindin-1 in rat brain by western blotting and found that a 50?kDa isoform is highly expressed during the embryonic stage, whereas a 40?kDa one is detected at postnatal day 11 and increased thereafter. Immunofluorescent analyses revealed that dysbindin-1 is enriched at the spine-like structure of primary cultured rat hippocampal neurons. We identified WAVE2, but not N-WASP, as a binding partner for dysbindin-1. We also found that Abi-1, a binding molecule for WAVE2 involved in spine morphogenesis, interacts with dysbindin-1. Although dysbindin-1, WAVE2 and Abi-1 form a ternary complex, dysbindin-1 promoted the binding of WAVE2 to Abi-1. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of dysbindin-1 led to the generation of abnormally elongated immature dendritic protrusions. The present results indicate possible functions of dysbindin-1 at the postsynapse in the regulation of dendritic spine morphogenesis through the interaction with WAVE2 and Abi-1.
