Open AccessInteraction networks of lithium and valproate molecular targets reveal a striking enrichment of apoptosis functional clusters and neurotrophin signaling
Author(s) -
Ajay Gupta,
Thomas G. Schulze,
Vijayaraj Nagarajan,
Nirmala Akula,
Winston Corona,
Xueying Jiang,
Natasha Hunter,
Francis J. McMahon,
Sevilla D. DeteraWadleigh
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
pharmacogenomics journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.804
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1473-1150
pISSN - 1470-269X
DOI - 10.1038/tpj.2011.9
Subject(s) - lithium (medication) , neuroscience , signal transduction , wnt signaling pathway , neurotrophin , pi3k/akt/mtor pathway , mapk/erk pathway , erbb , biology , chemistry , receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , endocrinology , genetics
The overall neurobiological mechanisms by which lithium and valproate stabilize mood in bipolar disorder patients have yet to be fully defined. The therapeutic efficacy and dissimilar chemical structures of these medications suggest that they perturb both shared and disparate cellular processes. To investigate key pathways and functional clusters involved in the global action of lithium and valproate, we generated interaction networks formed by well-supported drug targets. Striking functional similarities emerged. Intersecting nodes in lithium and valproate networks highlighted a strong enrichment of apoptosis clusters and neurotrophin signaling. Other enriched pathways included MAPK, ErbB, insulin, VEGF, Wnt and long-term potentiation indicating a widespread effect of both drugs on diverse signaling systems. MAPK1/3 and AKT1/2 were the most preponderant nodes across pathways suggesting a central role in mediating pathway interactions. The convergence of biological responses unveils a functional signature for lithium and valproate that could be key modulators of their therapeutic efficacy.