Naslov
DISC1 and reelin: Linking molecular pathways involved in mental illness

Autori
Bradshaw, Nicholas J.

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Skup
Network Meeting of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Mjesto i datum
Hamburg, Njemačka, 23.11.2011. - 25.11.2011

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
DISC1 ; reelin ; neurodevelopment ; schizophrenia ; mental illness

Sažetak
Schizophrenia is a devastating mental illness affecting 0.5-1% of the global population. The causes of schizophrenia are complex and remain largely unknown, but genetics have been shown to play a significant part. In 2000, a novel gene, named Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), was discovered from a large Scottish family who possessed an exceptionally high number of incidents of schizophrenia and major mental illness. Since then, genetic evidence has implicated variation in the DISC1 gene in major mental illness in many populations world-wide. It is therefore anticipated that through unravelling the function of the DISC1 protein, encoded by the DISC1 gene, in the brain, we will reveal some of the biological pathways through which major mental illness occurs, and thus begin to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. For my Alexander von Humboldt research project I will investigate the interaction between DISC1 and another protein implicated in schizophrenia, reelin. Reelin is a signalling protein known to be of great importance in neurodevelopment. DISC1 and reelin are each known to participate in similar processes within the cell, sharing several protein-interaction partners, participating in the maturation of neurons and controlling the important Akt and GSK3β signalling pathways. Crucially, the fact that reelin, unlike DISC1, is found outside the cell suggests that it may be a more accessible drug target than DISC1 itself. Using a variety of molecular biology and neuroscience techniques, I will therefore work to determine the ways in which DISC1 and reelin function interact within the cell, with a view towards using reelin as a tool to modulate DISC1 for experimental and ultimately therapeutic purposes.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija, Temeljne medicinske znanosti

POVEZANOST RADA