Scientists have successfully treated flies displaying behavioral problems linked to newly discovered schizophrenia-associated genes in humans, using common anti-psychotics.
Schizophrenia is a severe long-term mental health condition that is historically poorly understood and treated. It is relatively common, affecting one to two per cent of the population, and is known to be up to 80 per cent genetic in origin.
Recent advances in sequencing genomes of people with schizophrenia have identified a list of novel genes and mutations associated with the disease. Many are expressed in the brain and are involved in how neurons communicate with each other by electrical and chemical signals released at synapses.
The research was performed by the first student, Dr Sergio Hidalgo, on the dual PhD program from the Universities of Bristol (UK) and the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. He studied the role of two schizophrenia associated genes on behaviours associated with the disease, using the genetics of the fruit fly, Drosophila.
«We studied two of these schizophrenia-associated genes — one called Rim, which is involved in neurotransmitter release at synapses, and another called CACNA1A and CACNA1B in humans and cacophony in flies, voltage-sensitive calcium channels involved in electrical and chemical signalling in and between neurons. We found that fly Rim mutants showed several behavioural changes seen in people with schizophrenia who may have Rim mutations. These included preferring larger social distances between individuals when in a group and changes in smell or olfaction. We also found the circadian (24-hour body clock) deficits reported in schizophrenia were also present in Rim mutant flies,» said Dr James Hodge, who supervised the research at School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience at the University of Bristol.
Strikingly, treatment with the commonly used antipsychotic, haloperidol, rescued some of the Rim mutant’s behavioural problems.
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