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Up-regulated 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ proteins in prefrontal cortex of subjects with schizophrenia: effect of psychotropic

Guadalupe Rivero1, Ane M Gabilondo1, Jesús A García-Sevilla2

  • 1Department of Pharmacology, University of te Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain; BioCruces Health Research Institute and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain.

Schizophrenia Research
|January 1, 2015
PubMed

Insights

14-3-3 proteins are up-regulated in the prefrontal cortex of individuals with schizophrenia, but not major depressive disorder. Antipsychotic treatment may down-regulate these essential regulatory proteins.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • 14-3-3 proteins are crucial regulators of diverse signaling pathways.
  • Previous studies implicated 14-3-3 proteins in schizophrenia (SZ), but their role in major depressive disorder (MD) remains unexplored.
  • Understanding 14-3-3 protein status in these disorders is vital for potential therapeutic targets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the levels of 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ proteins in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of patients with SZ and MD.
  • To examine the influence of psychotropic medication on 14-3-3 protein expression in SZ patients.

Main Methods:

  • Western blot analysis was used to quantify cytosolic 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ protein immunoreactivity.
  • Samples were obtained from the PFC of individuals diagnosed with SZ (n=22), MD (n=21), and matched controls (n=52).
  • Patients were categorized based on antipsychotic treatment status.

Main Results:

  • 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ protein levels were significantly increased in antipsychotic-free SZ subjects compared to controls (33% and 29%, respectively).
  • No significant alterations in 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ protein levels were observed in MD subjects compared to controls.
  • Antipsychotic treatment appeared to down-regulate the expression of both 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ proteins in SZ patients.

Conclusions:

  • 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ proteins are specifically upregulated in the PFC of individuals with schizophrenia.
  • These findings suggest a potential role for 14-3-3 proteins in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
  • Antipsychotic medications may modulate the levels of 14-3-3 proteins, indicating a possible mechanism of action.
Keywords:
14-3-3 proteinsWestern blothuman prefrontal cortexmajor depressionpostmortemschizophrenia

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