DRD2 co-expression network and a related polygenic index predict imaging, behavioral and clinical phenotypes linked to schizophrenia.

ABSTRACT: Genetic risk for schizophrenia (SCZ) is determined by many genetic loci whose compound biological effects are difficult to determine. We hypothesized that co-expression pathways of SCZ risk genes are associated with system-level brain function and clinical phenotypes of SCZ. We examined genetic variants related to the dopamine D2 receptor gene DRD2 co-expression pathway and associated them with working memory (WM) behavior, the related brain activity and treatment response. Using two independent post-mortem prefrontal messenger RNA (mRNA) data sets (total N=249), we identified a DRD2 co-expression pathway enriched for SCZ risk genes. Next, we identified non-coding single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with co-expression of this pathway. These SNPs were associated with regulator

SUBMITTER: Pergola G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5545721 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature