Assessment of circadian function in fibroblasts of patients with bipolar disorder

S Yang; H P A Van Dongen; K Wang; W Berrettini; M Bućan

doi:10.1038/mp.2008.10

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Assessment of circadian function in fibroblasts of patients with bipolar disorder

Journal article

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Peer reviewed

Assessment of circadian function in fibroblasts of patients with bipolar disorder

S Yang, H P A Van Dongen, K Wang, W Berrettini and M Bućan

Molecular psychiatry, Vol.14(2), pp.143-155

02/2009

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2008.10

Handle:

https://hdl.handle.net/2376/114682

PMID: 18301395

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Abstract

Protein Kinases - genetics

Age Factors

Gene Expression - drug effects

Serum - metabolism

Humans

Middle Aged

Bipolar Disorder - physiopathology

Male

RNA, Messenger - metabolism

Case-Control Studies

Young Adult

Time Factors

Gene Expression - physiology

Cell Cycle Proteins - genetics

Adult

Female

Culture Media, Serum-Free - pharmacology

Fibroblasts - metabolism

Cells, Cultured

Circadian Rhythm - genetics

Gene Expression Regulation - physiology

Circadian Rhythm - physiology

Bipolar Disorder - genetics

Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects

Analysis of Variance

Fibroblasts - drug effects

Bipolar Disorder - pathology

Previous studies have implicated the circadian system in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder, but conclusive evidence for altered circadian clocks is lacking. Cultured fibroblasts harbor circadian clocks representative of those in the master clock resident in the suprachiasmatic nuclei, providing a new avenue to investigate the core clock machinery in patients with bipolar illness. We examined the rhythmic expression patterns of core clock genes (BMAL1, PER1, PER2, REV-ERBalpha, DEC2, DBP) in fibroblasts from 12 bipolar patients and 12 healthy controls. Although we did not detect differences in the circadian period between bipolar patients and controls, the amplitude of rhythmic expression for BMAL1, REV-ERBalpha and DBP, as well as the overall mRNA expression level for DEC2 and DBP was reduced in fibroblasts from bipolar patients. Bonferroni's correction for multiple comparisons still resulted in significantly reduced DBP expression level, and trends toward reduced overall expression level of DEC2 and circadian amplitude of BMAL1, in fibroblasts from bipolar patients. We next examined an expanded cohort of 18 bipolar patients and 35 healthy controls for mRNA expression levels of four kinases (CKIdelta, CKIepsilon, GSK3alpha and GSK3beta) and the protein and phosphorylation levels of two of them (GSK3alpha and GSK3beta). We did not detect differences in steady-state mRNA levels or protein levels of these kinases between bipolar patients and controls, but the level of GSK3beta phosphorylation was significantly reduced in bipolar patients within an Old Order Amish bipolar kindred. Our results suggest that the reduced amplitudes and overall expression levels of circadian genes, and the decreased phosphorylation level of GSK3beta may lead to dysregulation of downstream genes, which could explain some pathological features of bipolar disorder.

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Title: Assessment of circadian function in fibroblasts of patients with bipolar disorder
Creators: S Yang - Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6141, USA
H P A Van Dongen
K Wang
W Berrettini
M Bućan
Publication Details: Molecular psychiatry, Vol.14(2), pp.143-155
Publisher: England
Grant note: R21 MH078179 / NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH604687 / NIMH NIH HHS
Identifiers: 99900547309101842
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article