Epigenetic and Genetic Aberrations of the Brain Dopaminergic System in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: Achievements and Prospective

Hamid Mostafavi Abdolmaleky; Hamid Reza Ahmadkhaniha; Shabnam Nohesara; Cassandra L Smith

IJ Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

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Epigenetic and Genetic Aberrations of the Brain Dopaminergic System in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: Achievements and Prospective

Author(s):

Hamid Mostafavi Abdolmaleky^1,*,

Hamid Reza Ahmadkhaniha²,

Shabnam Nohesara²,

Cassandra L Smith³

1Departments of Medicine (Genetics Program), Boston University Schools of Medicine Boston, Boston, United States

2Department of Psychiatry, Tehran Psychiatric Institute and Mental Health Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran

3Molecular Biotechnology Research Laboratory, Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Biology, and Pharmacology, Boston University, Boston,MA, United States

IJ Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences:Vol. 2, issue 1; 4-13

Published online:Jan 31, 2008

Article type:Review Article

Received:Dec 08, 2007

Accepted:Jan 01, 2008

How to Cite:Hamid Mostafavi Abdolmaleky Hamid Reza AhmadkhanihaShabnam NohesaraCassandra L SmithEpigenetic and Genetic Aberrations of the Brain Dopaminergic System in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: Achievements and Prospective.Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci.2(1):4-13.

Abstract

The molecular mechanisms of the fact that more than 50% of the individuals with the same genetic make up (e.g. identical twins in schizophrenia) do not show the same psychiatric phenotype remained undefined in psychiatry. This along with the failure to find responsible genes with major effects in psychiatric disorders and lack of consistency of genetic association studies led to the current unanimous conclusion that, in addition to the genetic factors, environmental and epigenetic factors influence the functions of brain and the presentation of the symptoms in mental diseases. Here we reviewed the potential epigenetic dysregulations of genes related to dopaminergic (DAergic) system. A comprehensive genetic and epigenetic analysis of the DAergic and the interacting pathways such as serotoninergic and glutaminergic systems could help to understand the molecular bases of the differences in disease severity in individuals with similar or identical genetic make-up that can assist for the identification of novel targets with therapeutic and preventive applications.

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