Association study of polymorphisms in the mitochondrial aspartate/glutamate carrier SLC25A12 (aralar) gene with schizophrenia.
Aralar is a mitochondrial calcium-regulated aspartate-glutamate carrier mainly distributed in brain and skeletal muscle, and involved in the transport of aspartate from mitochondria to the cytosol of a cell. Studies have shown that the brain N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) levels are greatly decreased in aralar-deficient mice, suggesting that aralar plays an important role in the synthesis of NAA in neuronal cells. Since magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies have revealed consistently reduced NAA levels in various brain regions of schizophrenic patients and their unaffected relatives, genes that affect aralar levels or NAA metabolism in the brain may be implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Aralar is encoded by the SLC25A12 gene. In the past this gene has been found to be associated with susceptibility to autism; in this study we tested the hypothesis that SLC25A12 genetic variants confer susceptibility to schizophrenia. Six SLC25A12 polymorphisms were studied in a sample population of 253 people with schizophrenia and 216 normal controls. Significant linkage disequilibrium was obtained among the six polymorphisms. However, neither single marker nor haplotype analysis revealed an association between variants at the SLC25A12 locus and schizophrenia, suggesting that it is unlikely that the SLC25A12 polymorphisms investigated play a substantial role in conferring susceptibility to schizophrenia in the Chinese population. Further studies with SLC25A12 variants relating to brain NAA levels in patients with schizophrenia are suggested.
Hong
Chen-Jee
CJ
Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Liou
Ying-Jay
YJ
Liao
Ding-Lieh
DL
Hou
Sheue-Jane
SJ
Yen
Feng-Chang
FC
Tsai
Shih-Jen
SJ
D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium / Q000235:genetics; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*
D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; C114606:SLC25A12 protein, human; D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate