title: Expression of Fyn, a non-receptor tyrosine kinase in prefrontal cortex from patients with schizophrenia and its correlation with clinical onset.
abstract: Fyn is a member of the non-receptor tyrosine kinase family, which is known to be closely involved in signal transduction in neurons and has an important role in the development and organisation of the central nervous system. In order to explore the possible role of Fyn in schizophrenia, the expression of Fyn messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein were investigated in the postmortem prefrontal cortex of brains from normal and 'schizophrenic' cases. There was an increase in both total area Fyn mRNA signal (17.7%, P<0.05) and cellular mRNA content (15.7%, P<0.05) in the schizophrenic group relative to controls. In parallel the content of Fyn protein detected by immuno-autoradiography was also increased in the schizophrenic cases (21.8% P<0.05). In addition, the cellular Fyn mRNA signal was negatively correlated with the age of onset (r=-0.94, P=0.0026). These results suggest that an increase in Fyn expression may contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. tohru.oonuma@nifty.ne.jp
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohnuma
authors.forename: Hidemasa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Heii
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.forename: Piers C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Emson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051076:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C494957:FYN protein, human; D051076:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fyn