RNA editing and alternative splicing of human serotonin 2C receptor in schizophrenia

J Neurochem. 2003 Dec;87(6):1402-12. doi: 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2003.02115.x.

Abstract

Serotonin 2C receptor (5-HT2CR) heterogeneity in the brain occurs mostly from two different sources: (i) 5-HT2CR mRNA undergoes adenosine-to-inosine editing events at five positions, which leads to amino acid substitutions that produce receptor variants with different pharmacological properties; (ii) 5-HT2CR mRNA is alternatively spliced, resulting in a truncated mRNA isoform (5-HT2CR-tr) which encodes a non-functional serotonin receptor. 5-HT2CR mRNA editing efficiencies and the expression of the full-length and the truncated 5-HT2CR mRNA splice isoforms were analyzed in the prefrontal cortex of elderly subjects with schizophrenia vs. matched controls (ns = 15). No significant differences were found, indicating that there are no alterations in editing or alternative splicing of 5-HT2CRs that are associated with schizophrenia in persons treated with antipsychotic medications. Quantitation of 5-HT2CR and 5-HT2CR-tr mRNA variants revealed that the expression of 5-HT2CR-tr was approximately 50% of that observed for the full-length isoform.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine / genetics
  • Aged
  • Alternative Splicing*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Inosine / genetics
  • Male
  • Prefrontal Cortex / metabolism
  • Protein Isoforms / genetics
  • Protein Isoforms / metabolism
  • RNA Editing*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C / genetics*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Schizophrenia / genetics*
  • Schizophrenia / metabolism

Substances

  • Protein Isoforms
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C
  • Inosine
  • Adenosine