Open AccessRisk variant of oligodendrocyte lineage transcription factor 2 is associated with reduced white matter integrity
Author(s) -
Prata Diana P.,
Kanaan Richard A.,
Barker Gareth J.,
Shergill Sukhwinder,
Woolley James,
Georgieva Lyudmila,
Picchioni Marco M.,
Kravariti Eugenia,
Walshe Muriel,
Allin Matt,
Toulopoulou Timothea,
Bramon Elvira,
McDonald Colm,
Giampietro Vincent,
Murray Robin M.,
Brammer Michael,
O'Donovan Michael,
McGuire Philip
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/hbm.22045
Subject(s) - oligodendrocyte , white matter , olig2 , fractional anisotropy , diffusion mri , single nucleotide polymorphism , neuroscience , biology , allele , transcription factor , corona radiata (embryology) , genetics , myelin , genotype , medicine , gene , magnetic resonance imaging , central nervous system , embryo , zona pellucida , radiology , oocyte
The oligodendrocyte lineage transcription factor 2 (OLIG2) regulates the genesis of oligodendrocytes, the brain cells responsible for axonal myelination. Although it has been associated with psychiatric and neurological disorders, the impact of this gene on white matter integrity has never been investigated in humans. Using diffusion tensor imaging, we examined the effect of a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs1059004) in OLIG2 previously associated with reduced gene expression, and with psychiatric disorders on fractional anisotropy in 78 healthy subjects. We found that the risk allele (A) was associated with reduced white matter integrity in the corona radiata bilaterally. This is consistent with evidence that it is a schizophrenia susceptibility gene, and suggests that it may confer increased risk through an effect on neuroanatomical connectivity. Hum Brain Mapp 34:2025–2031, 2013 . © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.