The NCAM1 gene set is linked to depressive symptoms and their brain structural correlates in healthy individuals.
Depressive symptoms exist on a continuum, the far end of which is found in depressive disorders. Utilizing the continuous spectrum of depressive symptoms may therefore contribute to the understanding of the biological underpinnings of depression. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) is an important tool for the identification of gene groups linked to complex traits, and was applied in the present study on genome-wide association study (GWAS) data of depression scores and their brain-level structural correlates in healthy young individuals. On symptom level (i.e. depression scores), robust enrichment was identified for two gene sets: NCAM1 Interactions and Collagen Formation. Depression scores were also associated with decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) - a brain white matter property - within the forceps minor and the left superior temporal longitudinal fasciculus. Within each of these tracts, mean FA value of depression score-associated voxels was used as a phenotype in a subsequent GSEA. The NCAM1 Interactions gene set was significantly enriched in these tracts. By linking the NCAM1 Interactions gene set to depression scores and their structural brain correlates in healthy participants, the current study contributes to the understanding of the molecular underpinnings of depressive symptomatology.
University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: jana.petrovska@unibas.ch.
Jana
J
Petrovska
University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland.
David
D
Coynel
University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland.
Matthias
M
Fastenrath
University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Psychiatric University Clinics, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland.
Annette
A
Milnik
University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland.
Bianca
B
Auschra
University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland.
Tobias
T
Egli
University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland.
Leo
L
Gschwind
University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland.
Francina
F
Hartmann
University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland.
Eva
E
Loos
University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland.
Klara
K
Sifalakis
University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Psychiatric University Clinics, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland.
Christian
C
Vogler
University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Psychiatric University Clinics, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland.
Dominique J-F
DJ
de Quervain
University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Department Biozentrum, Life Sciences Training Facility, Klingelbergstrasse 50, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Psychiatric University Clinics, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland.
Andreas
A
Papassotiropoulos
University of Basel, Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Psychiatric University Clinics, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Transfaculty Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, Birmannsgasse 8, CH-4055 Basel, Switzerland.
Angela
A
Heck
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000235:genetics*; D003094:Collagen / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
D019002:CD56 Antigen; C522918:NCAM1 protein, human; D003094:Collagen
DTI; Depressive symptoms; Gene set enrichment analysis; Healthy participants; MADRS; NCAM1 Interactions