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Exclusion of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 subunit gene as a candidate for catatonic schizophrenia in a large family supporting the chromosome 15q13–22 locus

Molecular Psychiatry volume 7, pages 220–223 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

The gene encoding the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 subunit (CHRNA7) is located on chromosome 15q13.2. This region was suggested to be involved in the etiopathogenesis of: (a) schizophrenia combined with a neurophysiological deficit; (b) lithium-responsive bipolar disorder; and (c) familial catatonic schizophrenia (periodic catatonia). Therefore, members of a large family with periodic catatonia strongly supporting the chromosome 15q13–22 region were genotyped with polymorphic markers localized around the CHRNA7 locus. A recombination event distally of marker D15S144 leading to the exclusion of the CHRNA7 locus from this candidate region was detected in one branch of the pedigree. This result provides strong evidence that a gene located telomeric to CHRNA7 is causative for the pathogenesis of catatonic schizophrenia in this family.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the study participants and their family. This research was supported in part by grants from the Ministry of Research (BMBF, 01GA9802/5). KPL is supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 581).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany

    J Meyer, G Ortega, K Schraut, R Mössner, G Stöber & K P Lesch

  2. Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Gene Mapping Center, Berlin, Germany

    G Nürnberg, F Rüschendorf, K Saar, T F Wienker & A Reis

  3. Institute of Medical Biometry, Informatics and Epidemiology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    G Nürnberg, F Rüschendorf & T F Wienker

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  1. J Meyer
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  2. G Ortega
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Correspondence to J Meyer.

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Meyer, J., Ortega, G., Schraut, K. et al. Exclusion of the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 subunit gene as a candidate for catatonic schizophrenia in a large family supporting the chromosome 15q13–22 locus. Mol Psychiatry 7, 220–223 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4000970

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