title: Dysfunctional glycosynapses in schizophrenia: disease and regional specificity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our previous lipidomics studies demonstrated elevated sulfatides, plasmalogens, and N-acylphosphatidylserines in the frontal cortex of schizophrenia subjects. These data suggest that there may be an abnormal function of glycosynapses in schizophrenia. We further examined the disease and anatomical specificity of these observations.
  
  
  METHODS
  We undertook a targeted lipidomics analysis of plasmalogens, sulfatides, and N-acyl-phosphatidylserines in the frontal cortex obtained from schizophrenia, bipolar, and ALS subjects and the cerebellum of schizophrenia subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We demonstrate that sulfatides, plasmalogens, and N-acyl-phosphatidylserines are significantly elevated in the frontal cortex of patients suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar depression but not in ALS patients. These lipids were unchanged in the cerebellum of subjects with schizophrenia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that dysfunction of oligodendrocyte glycosynapses may be specific to limbic circuits in schizophrenia and that this dysfunction is also detected in bipolar depression, suggesting that these disorders possess several common pathophysiological features.
authors.affiliation: Metabolomics Unit, Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, 6965 Cumberland Gap Pkwy., Harrogate, TN 37752, United States. Electronic address: paul.wood@lmunet.edu.
authors.forename: Paul L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Metabolomics Unit, Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, 6965 Cumberland Gap Pkwy., Harrogate, TN 37752, United States.
authors.forename: Nicole R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Holderman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000378:metabolism; D010955:Plasmalogens / Q000378:metabolism; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013433:Sulfoglycosphingolipids / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010718:Phosphatidylserines; D010955:Plasmalogens; D013433:Sulfoglycosphingolipids
keywords: Cerebellum; Dysconnectivity; Frontal cortex; Glycosynapse; N-acylphosphatidylserines; Plasmalogens; Schizophrenia; Sulfatides