Transcriptomic Analysis Shows Decreased Cortical Expression of NR4A1, NR4A2 and RXRB in Schizophrenia and Provides Evidence for Nuclear Receptor Dysregulation.

Many genes are differentially expressed in the cortex of people with schizophrenia, implicating factors that control transcription more generally. Hormone nuclear receptors dimerize to coordinate context-dependent changes in gene expression. We hypothesized that members of two families of nuclear re...

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Main Authors: Susan M Corley, Shan-Yuan Tsai, Marc R Wilkins, Cynthia Shannon Weickert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2016-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5161508?pdf=render
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author Susan M Corley
Shan-Yuan Tsai
Marc R Wilkins
Cynthia Shannon Weickert
author_facet Susan M Corley
Shan-Yuan Tsai
Marc R Wilkins
Cynthia Shannon Weickert
author_sort Susan M Corley
collection DOAJ
description Many genes are differentially expressed in the cortex of people with schizophrenia, implicating factors that control transcription more generally. Hormone nuclear receptors dimerize to coordinate context-dependent changes in gene expression. We hypothesized that members of two families of nuclear receptors (NR4As), and retinoid receptors (RARs and RXRs), are altered in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of people with schizophrenia. We used next generation sequencing and then qPCR analysis to test for changes in mRNA levels for transcripts encoding nuclear receptors: orphan nuclear receptors (3 in the NR4A, 3 in the RAR, 3 in the RXR families and KLF4) in total RNA extracted from the DLPFC from people with schizophrenia compared to controls (n = 74). We also correlated mRNA levels with demographic factors and with estimates of antipsychotic drug exposure (schizophrenia group only). We tested for correlations between levels of transcription factor family members and levels of genes putatively regulated by these transcription factors. We found significantly down regulated expression of NR4A1 (Nurr 77) and KLF4 mRNAs in people with schizophrenia compared to controls, by both NGS and qPCR (p = or <0.01). We also detected decreases in NR4A2 (Nurr1) and RXRB mRNAs by using qPCR in the larger cohort (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). We detected decreased expression of RARG and NR4A2 mRNAs in females with schizophrenia (p<0.05). The mRNA levels of NR4A1, NR4A2 and NR4A3 were all negative correlated with lifetime estimates of antipsychotic exposure. These novel findings, which may be influenced by antipsychotic drug exposure, implicate the orphan and retinoid nuclear receptors in the cortical pathology found in schizophrenia. Genes down stream of these receptors can be dysregulated as well, but the direction of change is not immediately predictable based on the putative transcription factor changes.
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spelling doaj.art-e6841331508d4108ae1a06fa94f853e02022-12-21T18:40:17ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032016-01-011112e016694410.1371/journal.pone.0166944Transcriptomic Analysis Shows Decreased Cortical Expression of NR4A1, NR4A2 and RXRB in Schizophrenia and Provides Evidence for Nuclear Receptor Dysregulation.Susan M CorleyShan-Yuan TsaiMarc R WilkinsCynthia Shannon WeickertMany genes are differentially expressed in the cortex of people with schizophrenia, implicating factors that control transcription more generally. Hormone nuclear receptors dimerize to coordinate context-dependent changes in gene expression. We hypothesized that members of two families of nuclear receptors (NR4As), and retinoid receptors (RARs and RXRs), are altered in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of people with schizophrenia. We used next generation sequencing and then qPCR analysis to test for changes in mRNA levels for transcripts encoding nuclear receptors: orphan nuclear receptors (3 in the NR4A, 3 in the RAR, 3 in the RXR families and KLF4) in total RNA extracted from the DLPFC from people with schizophrenia compared to controls (n = 74). We also correlated mRNA levels with demographic factors and with estimates of antipsychotic drug exposure (schizophrenia group only). We tested for correlations between levels of transcription factor family members and levels of genes putatively regulated by these transcription factors. We found significantly down regulated expression of NR4A1 (Nurr 77) and KLF4 mRNAs in people with schizophrenia compared to controls, by both NGS and qPCR (p = or <0.01). We also detected decreases in NR4A2 (Nurr1) and RXRB mRNAs by using qPCR in the larger cohort (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). We detected decreased expression of RARG and NR4A2 mRNAs in females with schizophrenia (p<0.05). The mRNA levels of NR4A1, NR4A2 and NR4A3 were all negative correlated with lifetime estimates of antipsychotic exposure. These novel findings, which may be influenced by antipsychotic drug exposure, implicate the orphan and retinoid nuclear receptors in the cortical pathology found in schizophrenia. Genes down stream of these receptors can be dysregulated as well, but the direction of change is not immediately predictable based on the putative transcription factor changes.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5161508?pdf=render
spellingShingle Susan M Corley
Shan-Yuan Tsai
Marc R Wilkins
Cynthia Shannon Weickert
Transcriptomic Analysis Shows Decreased Cortical Expression of NR4A1, NR4A2 and RXRB in Schizophrenia and Provides Evidence for Nuclear Receptor Dysregulation.
PLoS ONE
title Transcriptomic Analysis Shows Decreased Cortical Expression of NR4A1, NR4A2 and RXRB in Schizophrenia and Provides Evidence for Nuclear Receptor Dysregulation.
title_full Transcriptomic Analysis Shows Decreased Cortical Expression of NR4A1, NR4A2 and RXRB in Schizophrenia and Provides Evidence for Nuclear Receptor Dysregulation.
title_fullStr Transcriptomic Analysis Shows Decreased Cortical Expression of NR4A1, NR4A2 and RXRB in Schizophrenia and Provides Evidence for Nuclear Receptor Dysregulation.
title_full_unstemmed Transcriptomic Analysis Shows Decreased Cortical Expression of NR4A1, NR4A2 and RXRB in Schizophrenia and Provides Evidence for Nuclear Receptor Dysregulation.
title_short Transcriptomic Analysis Shows Decreased Cortical Expression of NR4A1, NR4A2 and RXRB in Schizophrenia and Provides Evidence for Nuclear Receptor Dysregulation.
title_sort transcriptomic analysis shows decreased cortical expression of nr4a1 nr4a2 and rxrb in schizophrenia and provides evidence for nuclear receptor dysregulation
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5161508?pdf=render
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