Copy number variation showers in schizophrenia: an emerging hypothesis

• Published in: Molecular psychiatry Vol. 14; no. 4; pp. 356 - 358
• Main Authors: Singh, S M, Castellani, C A, O'Reilly, R L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-04-2009; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Behavioral Sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Psychology; Cell cycle; Copy number; Discordance; Disease; Diseases in Twins - genetics; DNA biosynthesis; Epigenetics; Gene Dosage - genetics; Gene mutations; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genetic variation; Genomes; Health aspects; Humans; Hypotheses; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Meiosis; Mental disorders; Mitosis; Mutation; Neurosciences; perspective; Pharmacotherapy; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Replication; Risk factors; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - genetics; Twins, Monozygotic; Canada; somatic; meiosis; schizophrenia; replication error; hypothesis; copy number variations; Psychosis; Number; Schizophrenia; Meiosis
• ISSN: 1359-4184; 1476-5578
• DOI: 10.1038/mp.2008.149

Genetic discoveries on Schizophrenia remain challenging. Traditional approaches have provided clues, but no genes. Novel theories that must account for extensive heterogeneity, including high discordance of monozygotic (MZD) twins, are needed. To this end, the extensive repeats of the human genome may provide the predisposition for DNA replication errors operational at every cell cycle during meiosis and mitosis. These errors will shower the genome with replication errors including copy number variations. Depending on the timing and the genes involved, this will contribute to the mutational load and disease. The evidence for such a mechanism in schizophrenia is emerging.