Mutations, Metabolic Deficiency Conspire to Trigger Schizophrenia

Johns Hopkins University (JHU) investigators argue in the latest issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry that two factors known to be involved in schizophrenia have been linked together for the first time. The cause-and-effect correlation is very clear, the team adds.

A genetic mutation affecting the Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) gene has been known to play a role in promoting schizophrenia by causing abnormalities in astrocytes, a special type of glial cells.

Scientists also know that schizophrenics display decreased glutamate transmission. The chemical plays an important role in underlying cognitive functions, and its transmission through the brain is facilitated by the neurotransmitter D-serine. The latter is secreted by astrocytes.

The cause-and-effect link shows that DISC1 mutations lead to a faster D-serine metabolism, which in turn decreases the amount of the neurotransmitter available in the brain, for glutamate transport, PsychCentral reports.

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Via: Mutations, Metabolic Deficiency Conspire to Trigger Schizophrenia