KEOPS complex expression in the frontal cortex in major depression and schizophrenia

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• The Kinase, Endopeptidase and Other Proteins of small Size (KEOPS) complex is vital for tRNA modification, protein translation, and telomere homeostasis in yeast.
• Its role and expression in the human brain, particularly in neuropsychiatric disorders, remain largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate KEOPS complex mRNA expression in post-mortem brain tissue from individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and schizophrenia.
• To determine if KEOPS is associated with telomere length dysregulation in these neuropsychiatric conditions.

Main Methods:

• Assessed mRNA expression of KEOPS subunits (TP53RK, TPRKB, GON7, LAGE3, OSGEP, OSGEPL1) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) using qPCR.
• Performed bioinformatic analysis on post-mortem transcriptomic datasets.
• Measured relative telomere length in the DLPFC and correlated it with KEOPS subunit mRNA expression.

Main Results:

• No significant alterations in KEOPS subunit mRNA expression were observed in the DLPFC of individuals with MDD or schizophrenia compared to controls.
• Relative telomere length was not significantly different between patient groups and controls.
• No association was found between relative telomere length and KEOPS subunit gene expression in the studied cohorts.

Conclusions:

• This study is the first to report on KEOPS complex expression in post-mortem human brain tissue within the context of neuropsychiatric disorders.
• KEOPS subunit mRNA expression is not altered in the DLPFC in MDD or schizophrenia.
• Contrary to findings in yeast, the KEOPS complex does not seem to play a role in telomere length regulation in human neuropsychiatric disorders.