Selected abbreviations and acronyms ABC adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette ATP adenosine triphosphate BBB blood-brain barrier BCRP breast cancer resistance protein CNS central nervous system CSB (blood) cerebrospinal barrier MDR multidrug resistance MRP multidrug resistance-associated protein OAT organic ion transporter OATP organic anion transporting peptide OCT organic cation transporter SLC solute-linked carriers
Schizophrenia is a syndrome characterized by psychotic

symptoms (hallucinations, delusions, thought, disorder, and cognitive impairment), with a prevalence approaching 1% worldwide. Schizophrenia, is clearly a genetic disorder. Results from twin and adoption studies show a heritability Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical estimate for schizophrenia of 70% to 90%.1-3 However, analysis of recurrence risk estimates in families with one or more affected individuals clearly argues against, schizophrenia being a single -gene disorder,

even with the possibility of incomplete penetrance.4 As Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in other psychiatric disorders, the mode of transmission for schizophrenia is complex and multifactorial, with the possibility of a number of genes conferring varying degrees of susceptibility. With this in mind, efforts have been directed at identifying allelic variants in genes that may confer increased risk for schizophrenia. Identification of schizophrenia susceptibility genes will also increase our understanding of the molecular pathways involved in the etiology Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of the disorder, and may offer new therapeutic targets. D1SC1 gene The disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) gene is a 414.3 kb gene located on chromosomal region 1q42.2, and consists of 13 exons. DISC1 was originally identified as a candidate gene for schizophrenia in a large Scottish family, in which a balanced Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical translocation involving chromosomes 1 and 11 was strongly linked to schizophrenia, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical schizoaffective disorder, bipolar affective disorder, and recurrent, major depression.5 In this family, carriers of the translocation were found to have reduced P300 amplitude, which is observed in some patients with schizophrenia.6 Subsequent association

studies identified numerous polymorphisms in the DISC1 gene associated with schizophrenia and affective disorders, although different, polymorphisms/haplotypes in various regions of the gene were implicated in these studies.7-12 In the adult mouse brain, DISC1 is expressed widely, including in the olfactory bulb, cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, (-)-p-Bromotetramisole Oxalate cerebellum, and brain stem. During development, DISC1 protein is detected at all stages, from embryonic day 10 (ElO) to 6 months old, with two significant peaks of protein expression of one of the DISC1 Abexinostat in vitro isoforms at E13.5 and postnatal day 35.13 Interestingly, these time points correspond to periods of active neurogenesis and puberty in the mouse. These results suggest, that DISC1 may play a critical role in brain development, lending support to the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia.