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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Neurobiol Dis. 2011 Sep 3;45(1):48–56. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2011.08.025

Table 1.

Synaptic genes differentially expressed in postmortem brains of SCZ and BPD patients and the corresponding genetic mouse models.

Gene References Mouse models Positive findings References
Schizophrenia: decreased
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptor, alpha 5
(GABRA5)
(Duncan et al., 2010) Gabra5 KO Altered synaptic transmission, enhanced learning and memory (Collinson et al., 2002)
Glutamate receptor, metabotropic 3 (GRM3) (Hemby et al., 2002) mGlu3 KO (exon 3)
mGlu3 KO (exon 2)
Disrupted anxiolytic activity of mGLu2/3 agonist in the EPM
Disrupted neuroprotection against excitotoxicity in mixed culture
(Linden et al., 2005)
(Corti et al., 2007)*
Dopamine supersensitive striata (Seeman et al., 2009)*
Neurexin 3 (NRXN3) (Mexal et al., 2005)
(Chu et al., 2009)
Nrxn 3a KO Impaired survival, abnormal NMDA-R function (Missler et al., 2003),
(Kattenstroth et al., 2004)
Synapsin II (SYN2) (Mirnics et al., 2000)
(Arion et al., 2007)
Syn2 KO Seizures, decreased post-tetanic potentiation and severe
synaptic depression upon repetitive stimulation
(Rosahl et al., 1995),
(Arion et al., 2007) PPI deficits, social interaction deficit (Dyck et al., 2007)*
Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase
activation protein, eta polypeptide (YWHAH)
(Vawter et al., 2002)
(Chu et al., 2009)
Uch-L1 KO Retarded axon formation
Impaired memory and LTP
(Ferreira et al., 1998)
(Sakurai et al., 2008)

Schizophrenia and bipolar: decreased
Glutamate decarboxylase 1 (brain, 67kDa) (GAD1) (Vawter et al., 2002)
(Hashimoto et al., 2008)
(Duncan et al., 2010)
(Konradi et al., 2004)
Gad67 KO
Gad1 KO
Floxed Gad1 KO
Lethal cleft palate

Deficient perisomatic GABAergic innervation in the visual cortex
(Asada et al., 1997)
(Condie et al., 1997)
(Chattopadhyaya et al., 2007)
Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase
activation protein, zeta polypeptide (YWHAZ)
(Chu et al., 2009)
(Konradi et al., 2004)
V-erb-b2 erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog 3
(avian) (ERBB3)
(Hakak et al., 2001)
(Tkachev et al., 2003)
(Aston et al., 2004)

Schizophrenia and bipolar: increased
Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) (Shao and Vawter, 2008)

Bipolar: increased
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptor, alpha 5
(GABRA5)
(Choudary et al., 2005) Gabra5 H10R knockin Facilitated trace fear conditioning (Crestani et al., 2002)
Glutamate receptor, metabotropic 3 (GRM3) (Choudary et al., 2005)
*

Representative mouse models characterized from mental illness viewpoints