Comprehensive analysis of the genes responsible for neuroacanthocytosis in mood disorder and schizophrenia

Neuroacanthocytosis syndromes are mainly comprised of two diseases: chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc) and McLeod syndrome (MLS). There is a high incidence of psychiatric disorders such as mood disorder and schizophrenia among neuroacanthocytosis patients. We hypothesized that neuroacanthocytosis-related-genes might be associated with susceptibility to these psychiatric disorders. We performed a comprehensive mutation screen of VPS13A and XK, the gene responsible for ChAc and MLS, respectively, in 85 mood disorder subjects and XK in 86 schizophrenia subjects and compared the variants to 100 or more control alleles. We also performed copy number variation (CNV) analysis in 72 mood disorder subjects and 86 schizophrenia subjects. We identified three non-synonymous, two synonymous and six intron variants in mood disorder subjects and a novel GAT triplet repeat polymorphism in VPS13A. By CNV analysis, we identified a heterozygous exon 60–61 deletion in VPS13A in one mood disorder subject. We identified one non-synonymous and one intron variant in mood disorder and schizophrenia subjects, respectively, in XK. The presence of a pathogenic mutation or a potentially functional variant in mood disorder or schizophrenia subjects suggests that neuroacanthocytosis-related-genes might be involved in the pathogenesis of these psychiatric disorders.

Research highlights▶ We perform a mutation analysis for mood disorder and schizophrenia. ▶ We analyze genes responsible for neuroacanthocytosis. ▶ Potentially functional variants are found in these psychiatric disorders. ▶ Neuroacanthocytosis-related genes are involved in the pathogenesis of both disorders.