Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026
05:14
Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra
Published on: September 8, 2021
Structural synaptic elements are differentially regulated in superior temporal cortex of schizophrenia patients
Andrea Schmitt1, Fernando Leonardi-Essmann, Pascal F Durrenberger
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Göttingen, Germany. aschmit@gwdg.de
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
|March 24, 2012
Summary
Schizophrenia involves abnormal gene expression affecting synaptic structure. This study found many downregulated structural genes, impacting synaptic stability and potentially contributing to schizophrenia pathophysiology.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Schizophrenia is characterized by synaptic pathology and altered gene expression.
- Structural elements, beyond neurotransmission, may also contribute to synaptic instability in schizophrenia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the transcriptional changes of intra- and extra-cellular structural elements in the brains of schizophrenia patients.
- To identify specific genes and their products involved in synaptic structural integrity that are differentially expressed in schizophrenia.
Main Methods:
- Genome-wide microarray analysis (Illumina) of the left superior temporal gyrus from 10 schizophrenia patients and 10 healthy controls.
- Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) to validate differential gene expression of selected structural genes.
Main Results:
- Microarray analysis identified differentially expressed genes encoding structural elements.
- qRT-PCR confirmed downregulation of most selected genes, including those for vesicle-associated proteins (synaptotagmin 6, syntaxin 12), cytoskeletal proteins (myosin 6, pleckstrin), and extracellular matrix proteins (collagens, laminin C3).
Conclusions:
- Downregulation of structural genes plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
- These findings highlight the importance of structural genes in synaptic formation, stabilization, and axon guidance, and suggest a role for glial-neuronal interactions in synaptic plasticity and schizophrenia.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, a severe psychiatric disorder, arises from a complex interplay of biological factors, including genetic predisposition, structural brain abnormalities, neurotransmitter dysregulation, and developmental irregularities. These factors collectively contribute to the onset and progression of the disorder, which typically manifests in late adolescence or early adulthood.
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
01:26Chemical Synapses
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
01:26Chemical Synapses
Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
01:27Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose origins are rooted in complex genetic components. Despite our burgeoning understanding, the pathophysiology of this disorder remains incompletely deciphered.
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
01:03Long-term Depression
Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over time, all...
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over time, all...
01:05Long-term Depression
Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.