DNA Repair Gene (XRCC1) Polymorphism (Arg399Gln) Associated with Schizophrenia in South Indian Population: A Genotypic and Molecular Dynamics Study

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 1; p. e0147348
• Main Authors: Sujitha, S. P., Kumar, D. Thirumal, Doss, C. George Priya, Aavula, K., Ramesh, R., Lakshmanan, S., Gunasekaran, S., Anilkumar, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.01.2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Alleles; Analysis; Apoptosis; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomarkers; Biotechnology; Breast cancer; Case-Control Studies; Chemical bonds; Chemical properties; Computer applications; Computer simulation; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA damage; DNA repair; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; Dynamic structural analysis; Female; Gene Frequency; Gene polymorphism; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genetic Association Studies; Genetic polymorphisms; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genotype; Humans; Hydrogen; Hydrogen bonding; Hydrogen bonds; India; Loci; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mental disorders; Meta-analysis; Middle Aged; Molecular dynamics; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Mutation; Pathogenesis; Pathogenicity; Pathogens; Physical Sciences; Physiological aspects; Polymorphism; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Population; Proteins; Psychiatry; Psychosis; Repair; Risk factors; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - genetics; Smoking; Social Sciences; Software; Stability analysis; Systematic review; World population; X-ray Repair Cross Complementing Protein 1; XRCC1 protein; Young Adult; India
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147348

This paper depicts the first report from an Indian population on the association between the variant Arg399Gln of XRCC1 locus in the DNA repair system and schizophrenia, the debilitating disease that affects 1% of the world population. Genotypic analysis of a total of 523 subjects (260 patients and 263 controls) revealed an overwhelming presence of Gln399Gln in the case subjects against the controls (P < 0.0068), indicating significant level of association of this nsSNP with schizophrenia; the Gln399 allele frequency was also perceptibly more in cases than in controls (p < 0.003; OR = 1.448). The results of the genotypic studies were further validated using pathogenicity and stability prediction analysis employing computational tools [I-Mutant Suite, iStable, PolyPhen2, SNAP, and PROVEAN], with a view toassess the magnitude of deleteriousness of the mutation. The pathogenicity analysis reveals that the nsSNP could be deleterious inasmuch as it could affect the functionality of the gene, and interfere with protein function. Molecular dynamics simulation of 60ns was performed using GROMACS to analyse structural change due to a mutation (Arg399Gln) that was never examined before. RMSD, RMSF, hydrogen bonds, radius of gyration and SASA analysis showedthe existence of asignificant difference between the native and the mutant protein. The present study gives astrong indication that the XRCC1 locus deserves serious attention, as it could be a potential candidatecontributing to the etio-pathogenesis of the disease.