The DNA methylation profile within the 5'-regulatory region of DRD2 in discordant sib pairs with schizophrenia.
Studies of discordance in monozygotic twins have demonstrated that environmental effects play an important role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. DNA microarray analysis has revealed upregulation of the DRD2 gene in peripheral blood lymphocytes of schizophrenic patients. We hypothesized that this expression alteration could involve the DNA (CpG) methylation status that is implicated to the transcription status of the gene and in this study we used bisulfited sequence analysis to determine the DNA methylation status of a typical CpGs island within the 5'-regulatory region of DRD2 in peripheral blood lymphocytes from 48 discordant sib pairs suffering from schizophrenia. We found that the methylated cytosines occurred mainly in three clusters. No statistically significant difference in frequency of site-specific cytosine methylation modification of DRD2 between patients and normal controls was found nor did we find any significant association between sex, age on admission or age at onset of schizophrenia and methylated cytosines of DRD2. Our study did not support the hypothesis that site-specific cytosine methylation of DRD2 plays a role in the psychopathology of schizophrenia.
Zhang
Ai-ping
AP
Bio-X Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China.
Yu
Jian
J
Liu
Ji-xia
JX
Zhang
Hong-yu
HY
Du
Ying-ying
YY
Zhu
Jing-de
JD
He
Guang
G
Li
Xing-wang
XW
Gu
Niu-fan
NF
Feng
Guo-yin
GY
He
Lin
L
D024506:5' Flanking Region / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D020029:Base Pairing / Q000235:genetics; D018899:CpG Islands / Q000235:genetics*; D003596:Cytosine / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D015257:DNA-Cytosine Methylases / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000235:genetics*; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D035781:Siblings; D012931:Social Environment; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics
D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D003596:Cytosine; D015257:DNA-Cytosine Methylases