Kynurenine 3-monooxygenase polymorphisms: relevance for kynurenic acid synthesis in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Maria Holtze
  • Peter Saetre
  • Göran Engberg
  • Lilly Schwieler
  • Werge, Thomas
  • Ole A Andreassen
  • Håkan Hall
  • Lars Terenius
  • Ingrid Agartz
  • Erik G Jönsson
  • Martin Schalling
  • Sophie Erhardt
Background: Patients with schizophrenia show increased brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of the endogenous N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist kynurenic acid (KYNA). This compound is an end-metabolite of the kynurenine pathway, and its formation indirectly depends on the activity of kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO), the enzyme converting kynurenine to 3-hydroxykynurenine. Methods: We analyzed the association between KMO gene polymorphisms and CSF concentrations of KYNA in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Fifteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected covering KMO and were analyzed in UNPHASED. Results: We included 17 patients with schizophrenia and 33 controls in our study. We found an association between a KMO SNP (rs1053230), encoding an amino acid change of potential importance for substrate interaction, and CSF concentrations of KYNA. Limitations: Given the limited sample size, the results are tentative until replication. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the nonsynonymous KMO SNP rs1053230 influences CSF concentrations of KYNA.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
Volume37
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)53-7
Number of pages5
ISSN1180-4882
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012

ID: 40205042