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  • Original Research Article
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Association between the TRAX/DISC locus and both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in the Scottish population

Molecular Psychiatry volume 10, pages 657–668 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

The Translin-associated factor X/Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1 (TRAX/DISC) region was first implicated as a susceptibility locus for schizophrenia by analysis of a large Scottish family in which a t(1;11) translocation cosegregates with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and recurrent major depression. We now report evidence for association between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and this locus in the general Scottish population. A systematic study of linkage disequilibrium in a representative sample of the Scottish population was undertaken across the 510 kb of TRAX and DISC1. SNPs representing each haplotype block were selected for case–control association studies of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Significant association with bipolar disorder in women P=0.00026 (P=0.0016 in men and women combined) was detected in a region of DISC1. This same region also showed nominally significant association with schizophrenia in both men and women combined, P=0.0056. Two further regions, one in TRAX and the second in DISC1, showed weaker evidence for sex-specific associations of individual haplotypes with bipolar disorder in men and women respectively, P<0.01. Only the association between bipolar women and DISC1 remained significant after correction for multiple testing. This result provides further supporting evidence for DISC1 as a susceptibility factor for both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, consistent with the diagnoses in the original Scottish translocation family.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to patients, their families and volunteers for their participation in this study. We thank Maura Walker and Margaret Van Beck for the collation of patient data. This work was funded by a collaborative research grant from the University of Edinburgh and by Organon Laboratories Ltd, Newhouse, Lanarkshire, UK; further supported by grants from the Chief Scientists Office, Scottish Executive; the Health Foundation, London and the Medical Research Council, UK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Genetics Section, University of Edinburgh, Molecular Medicine Centre, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK

    P A Thomson, N R Wray, J K Millar, K L Evans, S Le Hellard, A Condie & D J Porteous

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, UK

    W J Muir & D H R Blackwood

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  1. P A Thomson
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Correspondence to P A Thomson.

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Thomson, P., Wray, N., Millar, J. et al. Association between the TRAX/DISC locus and both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in the Scottish population. Mol Psychiatry 10, 657–668 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001669

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