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Targeted Sequencing of 10,198 Samples Confirms Abnormalities in Neuronal Activity and Implicates Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels in Schizophrenia Pathogenesis

  • Elliott Rees
  • , Noa Carrera
  • , Joanne Morgan
  • , Kirsty Hambridge
  • , Valentina Escott-Price
  • , Andrew J. Pocklington
  • , Alexander L. Richards
  • , Antonio F. Pardinas
  • , Colm McDonald
  • , Gary Donohoe
  • , Derek W. Morris
  • , Elaine Kenny
  • , Eric Kelleher
  • , Michael Gill
  • , Aiden Corvin
  • , George Kirov
  • , James T. R. Walters
  • , Peter Holmans
  • , Michael J. Owen*
  • , Michael C. O'Donovan*
  • Behrooz Z. Alizadeh, Therese van Amelsvoort, Agna A. Bartels-Velthuis, Nico J. van Beveren, Richard Bruggeman, Wiepke Cahn, Lieuwe de Haan, Philippe Delespaul, Carin J. Meijer, Inez Myin-Germeys, Rene S. Kahn, Frederike Schirmbeck, Claudia J. P. Simons, Neeltje E. van Haren, Jim van Os, Ruud van Winkel, Jurjen J. Luykx, Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis (GROUP) Investigators
*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Sequencing studies have pointed to the involvement in schizophrenia of rare coding variants in neuronally expressed genes, including activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (ARC) and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) complexes; however, larger samples are required to reveal novel genes and specific biological mechanisms.

METHODS: We sequenced 187 genes, selected for prior evidence of association with schizophrenia, in a new dataset of 5207 cases and 4991 controls. Included among these genes were members of ARC and NMDAR postsynaptic protein complexes, as well as voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels. We performed a rare variant meta-analysis with published sequencing data for a total of 11,319 cases, 15,854 controls, and 1136 trios.

RESULTS: While no individual gene was significantly associated with schizophrenia after genome-wide correction for multiple testing, we strengthen the evidence that rare exonic variants in the ARC (p = 4.0 x 10(-4)) and NMDAR (p = 1.7 x 10(-5)) synaptic complexes are risk factors for schizophrenia. In addition, we found that loss-of-function variants and missense variants at paralog-conserved sites were enriched in voltage-gated sodium channels, particularly the alpha subunits (p = 8.6 x 10(-4)).

CONCLUSIONS: In one of the largest sequencing studies of schizophrenia to date, we provide novel evidence that multiple voltage-gated sodium channels are involved in schizophrenia pathogenesis and confirm the involvement of ARC and NMDAR postsynaptic complexes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)554-562
Number of pages9
JournalBiological Psychiatry
Volume85
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2019

Keywords

  • ARC
  • BURDEN
  • DE-NOVO MUTATIONS
  • DISORDERS
  • FRAMEWORK
  • GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION
  • Genetics
  • INDIVIDUALS
  • NMDAR
  • OF-FUNCTION VARIANTS
  • RISK
  • SETD1A
  • SUSCEPTIBILITY
  • Schizophrenia
  • Sequencing
  • Voltage-gated sodium channels

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