Zebrafish help with schizophrenia research
A heritable mental disorder, schizophrenia affects around 1 % of the global population. Multiple genes and environmental factors interact to cause the delusional symptoms characteristic of schizophrenia, in which sufferers interpret reality differently to most. The EU-funded DISC1 & AXOGENESIS (In vivo analysis of DISC1 function in synaptogenesis and axonal transport) project investigated a gene that appears to increase carriers' susceptibility for developing schizophrenia. Known as disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), this gene is essential for normal development and function of brain cells. When it is disrupted by mutation, DISC1 fails to function normally, leading to schizophrenia symptoms in people who inherit the mutant version. DISC1 & AXOGENESIS used zebrafish as a model to understand the brain pathways that involve DISC1. Although zebrafish lack the complex behavioural responses of humans, their nervous systems are similar enough to compare at a cellular and molecular level. Researchers examined DISC1's role in transporting molecules up and down nerve cell fibres (the transmission lines of the nervous system). They also looked at a structure known as a synapse that allows nerve cells to pass electrical or chemical signals to other nerve cells. After mutating the DISC1 gene in zebrafish, researchers visualised the effects of disrupting DISC1's function in single nerve cells. This may allow scientists to confirm whether disruption of DISC1-mediated transport along nerve cell fibres results in the mental disturbances common to schizophrenia patients. Identifying susceptibility genes for schizophrenia could allow doctors to identify those at risk and initiate prompt treatment.
