DISC1 (Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1) is expressed in limbic regions of the primate brain

Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1) was identified as truncated by a balanced translocation segregating with schizophrenia and other major mental illness in a large Scottish family. As a step in evaluating the function of DISC1 and its potential role in human schizophrenia, we have determined its regional expression in the primate brain by in situ hybridization. DISC1 expression is highly localized, with most prominent expression in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and lateral septum, and lower levels of expression in the cerebral cortex, amygdala, paraventricular hypothalamus, cerebellum, interpeduncular nucleus, and subthalamic nucleus. Given that many of these regions have been implicated in schizophrenia pathogenesis, these results suggest brain circuits through which DISC1 truncation may predispose to schizophrenia.