Gene expression and association analysis of the epithelial membrane protein 1 gene in major depressive disorder in the Japanese population

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 489; no. 2; pp. 126 - 130
• Main Authors: Nakataki, Masahito, Iga, Jun-ichi, Numata, Shusuke, Yoshimoto, Eriko, Kodera, Kanami, Watanabe, Shin-ya, Song, Hongwei, Ueno, Shu-ichi, Ohmori, Tetsuro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 04.02.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Association analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Depressive Disorder, Major - blood; Depressive Disorder, Major - genetics; Epithelial membrane protein 1 (EMP1); Expression analysis; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic Association Studies; Humans; Japan; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Major depressive disorder; Male; Neoplasm Proteins - biosynthesis; Neoplasm Proteins - blood; Neoplasm Proteins - genetics; Receptors, Cell Surface - biosynthesis; Receptors, Cell Surface - blood; Receptors, Cell Surface - genetics; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; RNA, Messenger - blood; Single-nucleotide polymorphism; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Japan; Association analysis; Expression analysis; Epithelial membrane protein 1 (EMP1); Single-nucleotide polymorphism; Major depressive disorder; Gene expression; Protein; Polymorphism
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.12.001

▶ The epithelial membrane protein 1 (EMP1) plays a role in neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth. ▶ Decreased neurogenesis is involved in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). ▶EMP1 mRNA levels are reduced in the leukocytes of MDD patients as compared to controls. ▶ The EMP1 genotype exhibited a significant association between male MDD patients and male controls. ▶EMP1 may be implicated in the pathophysiology of MDD. The epithelial membrane protein 1 (EMP1) plays a role in neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth, which are involved in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD). We sought to determine whether the EMP1 gene is implicated in MDD. We determined the mRNA expression levels of the EMP1 gene in peripheral-blood leukocytes of patients and control subjects (n=27 each). Next, we performed case–control association analyses (MDD, n=182; controls, n=350) in the Japanese population. The level of expression of the EMP1 mRNA was significantly lower in medication-free patients compared with control subjects (P<0.001). The association analysis revealed an absence of association between the polymorphisms studied and MDD, whereas a gender-specific association was observed between male controls and male patients for marker rs7315725 (permutation P=0.039). Our results suggest that the EMP1 gene may be implicated in the pathophysiology of MDD in the Japanese population.