title: An update on the epigenetics of psychotic diseases and autism.
abstract: The examination of potential roles of epigenetic alterations in the pathogenesis of psychotic diseases have become an essential alternative in recent years as genetic studies alone are yet to uncover major gene(s) for psychosis. Here, we describe the current state of knowledge from the gene-specific and genome-wide studies of postmortem brain and blood cells indicating that aberrant DNA methylation, histone modifications and dysregulation of micro-RNAs are linked to the pathogenesis of mental diseases. There is also strong evidence supporting that all classes of psychiatric drugs modulate diverse features of the epigenome. While comprehensive environmental and genetic/epigenetic studies are uncovering the origins, and the key genes/pathways affected in psychotic diseases, characterizing the epigenetic effects of psychiatric drugs may help to design novel therapies in psychiatry.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics Section), Genetics & Genomics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.|Nutrition/Metabolism Laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Hamid Mostafavi
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Abdolmaleky
authors.affiliation: Nutrition/Metabolism Laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Jin-Rong
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics Section), Genetics & Genomics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.|Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thiagalingam
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D019175:DNA Methylation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D042421:Histone Code / Q000187:drug effects; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism; D017393:RNA Editing; D034622:RNA Interference
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D006657:Histones; D035683:MicroRNAs; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases
keywords: DNA methylation; autism; bipolar disorder; epigenetic; histone modifications; methylome; miRNA; psychiatry; psychosis; schizophrenia