Regulator of G-protein signalling 4 expression is not altered in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia

Abstract

Objectives:Regulator of G-protein signalling 4 (RGS4) modulates signal transduction through several neurotransmitter receptor systems associated with the pathology of schizophrenia. A reported decrease in RGS4 expression in the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenia patients followed by supporting evidence from association studies implicated RGS4 as a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia. Subsequent efforts to extend these findings in post-mortem brain tissue have produced conflicting results. The aim of the present study was to reconcile these discrepancies by examining RGS4 expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal and parietal cortices from subjects with schizophrenia.

Methods: RGS4 mRNA and protein levels were measured in post-mortem Brodmann area (BA)9 and BA40 tissue from 19 schizophrenia patients subjects and 19 pair-matched controls using in situ hybridization and western blotting.

Results: Levels of RGS4 mRNA (F_1,73=1.845; p >0.05) or protein (F_1,72=3.336×10⁻⁴, p >0.05) did not vary significantly with diagnosis in BA9 or BA40 from subjects with schizophrenia.

Conclusions: Altered RGS4 expression is not universally present throughout the cortex of people with schizophrenia.

• gene expression
• prefrontal cortex
• RGS4 protein
• schizophrenia