Absence of association of a polymorphic GGC repeat at the 5' untranslated region of the reelin gene with schizophrenia

Psychiatry Res. 2006 May 30;142(1):89-92. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2005.08.014. Epub 2006 Mar 23.

Abstract

Reelin is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein that plays an important role in guiding neuronal migration, lamination and connection during embryonic brain development. Several reports suggest that reduced reelin expression is associated with human mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, mood disorders and autism. Human reelin cDNA has been cloned and contains a polymorphic GGC repeat at the 5' untranslated region. In view of the possible regulation of reelin gene expression by this GGC polymorphism, we investigated the association of the polymorphic GGC repeat with schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population from Taiwan. We found no differences of allelic and genotypic distributions of the polymorphic GGC triplets between 162 schizophrenic patients and 176 controls in this study. Our findings do not support the involvement of the polymorphic GGC triplets of the reelin gene in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia in the population studied.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 5' Untranslated Regions
  • Asian People / genetics
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / genetics*
  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins / genetics*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics*
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • Reelin Protein
  • Schizophrenia / genetics*
  • Serine Endopeptidases / genetics*
  • Taiwan
  • Trinucleotide Repeats

Substances

  • 5' Untranslated Regions
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal
  • Extracellular Matrix Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Reelin Protein
  • RELN protein, human
  • Serine Endopeptidases