title: Serine racemase protein expression in cortex and hippocampus in schizophrenia.
abstract: Evidence of glutamatergic dysfunction in schizophrenia associated with the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor has historically demonstrated changes primarily attributable to neurons. We propose an astrocytic component to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor dysfunction in this illness. We studied the expression of serine racemase, an astrocytic enzyme which synthesizes the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor coagonist D-serine, using Western blot analysis in postmortem hippocampus and cortex in schizophrenia and a comparison group. We found increased expression in the hippocampus in schizophrenia. This is the first study to demonstrate alterations in schizophrenia of an astrocytic enzyme responsible for synthesizing a neuromodulator, and further evidence that astrocytes may play a direct role in N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor dysfunction in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. asteffek@umich.edu
authors.forename: Amy E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Steffek
authors.forename: Vahram
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Haroutunian
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Meador-Woodruff
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D002423:Cause of Death; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019998:Racemases and Epimerases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000502:physiology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000201:enzymology*; D000099300:Serine Racemase
chemical_list: D019998:Racemases and Epimerases; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D000099300:Serine Racemase