Decreased prefrontal CaMKII alpha mRNA in bipolar illness.
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) plays critical roles in neurotransmission, synaptic plasticity, learning and memory. The aim of this study was to examine, by in situ hybridization, prefrontal cortical expression of CaMKII alpha mRNA in postmortem brains of unipolar, bipolar, schizophrenic, and control subjects. Compared to controls, bipolar patients had significantly lower levels of CaMKII alpha mRNA in laminae I-VI of Brodmann's area 9 and laminae I-III and VI of area 46. Unipolar patients also exhibited significantly lower levels of CaMKII alpha mRNA in laminae I-IV of area 9 than did controls. The significant decrease in CaMKII alpha mRNA in bipolar patients could be associated with some of the affective and cognitive alterations that have been linked to prefrontal cortical dysfunction in bipolar disorder, although this requires further direct examination.
Xing
Guoqiang
G
Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
Russell
Shani
S
Hough
Christopher
C
O'Grady
Judy
J
Zhang
Lei
L
Yang
Shutong
S
Zhang
Li-Xin
LX
Post
Robert
R
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases