BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and protein levels in amniotic fluid.
BACKGROUND
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin which plays survival- and growth-promoting activity in neuronal cells and it is involved in cellular plasticity mechanisms as it controls activity dependent synaptic transmission. A functional polymorphism (Val66Met) in the pro-region of BDNF, which affects the intracellular trafficking of proBDNF has been associated with memory and cognitive deficits as well as to an increased susceptibility for several psychiatric disorders especially those with a neurodevelopmental origin. To date, no study has evaluated the influence of the Val66Met polymorphism on BDNF levels in a peripheral system that may reflect fetal neurodevelopment. Therefore we investigated in amniotic fluids (AF) obtained from 139 healthy women during 15-17 week of pregnancy, BDNF protein levels in correlation with the Val66Met polymorphism.


RESULTS
Interestingly we found a significant BDNF protein levels reduction in 55 Met carriers (Val/Met and Met/Met) (p = 0.002) as compared to 84 non carriers (Val/Val), and no effect of fetus gender, maternal age or gestation week on BDNF levels has been observed.


CONCLUSIONS
These results, although explorative, indicate that during fetal life the Val66Met genotype might influences BDNF protein levels in AF supporting the involvement of this polymorphism in behavioral and functional brain individual differences in the adulthood.
Genetics Unit, IRCCS San Giovanni di Dio, Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
Annamaria
A
Cattaneo
Luisella
L
Bocchio-Chiavetto
Roberta
R
Zanardini
Eleonora
E
Marchina
Daniela
D
Bellotti
Elena
E
Milanesi
Stefania
S
Moraschi
Francesca
F
Calabrese
Sergio
S
Barlati
Marco Andrea
MA
Riva
Massimo
M
Gennarelli
D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D044465:White People
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor