Regulator of G-protein signalling 4 expression is not altered in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia.
OBJECTIVE
Regulator of G-protein signalling 4 (RGS4) modulates signal transduction through several neurotransmitter receptor systems associated with the pathology of schizophrenia. A reported decrease in RGS4 expression in the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenia patients followed by supporting evidence from association studies implicated RGS4 as a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia. Subsequent efforts to extend these findings in post-mortem brain tissue have produced conflicting results. The aim of the present study was to reconcile these discrepancies by examining RGS4 expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal and parietal cortices from subjects with schizophrenia.


METHODS
RGS4 mRNA and protein levels were measured in post-mortem Brodmann area (BA)9 and BA40 tissue from 19 schizophrenia patients subjects and 19 pair-matched controls using in situ hybridization and western blotting.


RESULTS
Levels of RGS4 mRNA (F(1,73)=1.845; p >0.05) or protein (F(1,72)=3.336 x 10(-4), p >0.05) did not vary significantly with diagnosis in BA9 or BA40 from subjects with schizophrenia.


CONCLUSIONS
Altered RGS4 expression is not universally present throughout the cortex of people with schizophrenia.
Stuart Gibbons
Andrew
A
Rebecca L. Cooper Research Laboratories, Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, Parkville, Vic., Australia. agibbons@mhri.edu.au
Scarr
Elizabeth
E
McOmish
Caitlin E
CE
Hannan
Anthony J
AJ
Thomas
Elizabeth A
EA
Dean
Brian
B
D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020710:RGS Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D020710:RGS Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C098799:RGS4 protein