Proteome analysis of schizophrenia patients Wernicke's area reveals an energy metabolism dysregulation.
BACKGROUND
Schizophrenia is likely to be a consequence of DNA alterations that, together with environmental factors, will lead to protein expression differences and the ultimate establishment of the illness. The superior temporal gyrus is implicated in schizophrenia and executes functions such as the processing of speech, language skills and sound processing.


METHODS
We performed an individual comparative proteome analysis using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of 9 schizophrenia and 6 healthy control patients' left posterior superior temporal gyrus (Wernicke's area - BA22p) identifying by mass spectrometry several protein expression alterations that could be related to the disease.


RESULTS
Our analysis revealed 11 downregulated and 14 upregulated proteins, most of them related to energy metabolism. Whereas many of the identified proteins have been previously implicated in schizophrenia, such as fructose-bisphosphate aldolase C, creatine kinase and neuron-specific enolase, new putative disease markers were also identified such as dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase, tropomyosin 3, breast cancer metastasis-suppressor 1, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins C1/C2 and phosphate carrier protein, mitochondrial precursor. Besides, the differential expression of peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were confirmed by western blot in schizophrenia prefrontal cortex.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data supports a dysregulation of energy metabolism in schizophrenia as well as suggests new markers that may contribute to a better understanding of this complex disease.
Martins-de-Souza
Daniel
D
Laboratório de Neurociências, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Faculdade de Medicina da USP, Rua Dr, Ovídio Pires de Campos, no 785, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05403-010, Brazil. martins@mpipsykl.mpg.de
Gattaz
Wagner F
WF
Schmitt
Andrea
A
Novello
José C
JC
Marangoni
Sérgio
S
Turck
Christoph W
CW
Dias-Neto
Emmanuel
E
D015415:Biomarkers; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005634:Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase; D015870:Gene Expression; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D006801:Humans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase; D020543:Proteome / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D040901:Proteomics; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
C410024:BRMS1 protein, human; D015415:Biomarkers; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D020543:Proteome; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D005634:Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase