Volume 24, Issue 2 pp. 81-90

Association of the leucine-7 to proline-7 variation in the signal sequence of neuropeptide Y with major depression

Pernille Koefoed

Corresponding Author

Pernille Koefoed

Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

Both authors contributed equally.

Pernille Koefoed, Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen & Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet O-6102, 9 Blegdamsvej, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Tel.: +45 3545 6113;
Fax: +45 3539 3546;
E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
David P.D. Woldbye

David P.D. Woldbye

Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

Both authors contributed equally.

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Thomas v. O. Hansen

Thomas v. O. Hansen

Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Lene F. Eplov

Lene F. Eplov

Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Copenhagen University Hospital Glostrup, Glostrup, Denmark and Research Unit for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Mental Health Centre Ballerup, Ballerup, Denmark

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Søren H. Christiansen

Søren H. Christiansen

Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Ole Mors

Ole Mors

Centre for Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark

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Lars V. Kessing

Lars V. Kessing

Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Thomas Werge

Thomas Werge

Research Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Centre St. Hans Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark

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Katja Kaipio

Katja Kaipio

Department of Pharmacology, Drug Development and Therapeutics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

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Ullamari Pesonen

Ullamari Pesonen

Department of Pharmacology, Drug Development and Therapeutics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

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Thomas Fahmy

Thomas Fahmy

Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Erling Mellerup

Erling Mellerup

Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Klaus D. Jakobsen

Klaus D. Jakobsen

Research Institute of Biological Psychiatry, Mental Health Centre St. Hans Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark

Mental Health Centre Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark

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Elsebeth S. Hansen

Elsebeth S. Hansen

Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Gitte M. Knudsen

Gitte M. Knudsen

Center for Integrated Molecular Brain Imaging, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Jens D. Bukh

Jens D. Bukh

Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Camilla Bock

Camilla Bock

Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Camilla Lindberg

Camilla Lindberg

Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Ann S. Kristensen

Ann S. Kristensen

Centre for Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark

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Henrik Dam

Henrik Dam

Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Merete Nordentoft

Merete Nordentoft

Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Thomas D. Als

Thomas D. Als

Centre for Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark

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August G. Wang

August G. Wang

Mental Health Centre Amager, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Ulrik Gether

Ulrik Gether

Molecular Neuropharmacology Group and Center for Pharmacogenomics, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Jens F. Rehfeld

Jens F. Rehfeld

Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

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Tom G. Bolwig

Tom G. Bolwig

Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

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First published: 16 September 2011
Citations: 1

Abstract

Koefoed P, Woldbye DPD, Hansen TvO, Eplov LF, Christiansen SH, Mors O, Kessing LV, Werge T, Kaipio K, Pesonen U, Fahmy T, Mellerup E, Jakobsen KD, Hansen ES, Knudsen GM, Bukh JD, Bock C, Lindberg C, Kristensen AS, Dam H, Nordentoft M, Als TD, Wang AG, Gether U, Rehfeld JF, Bolwig TG. Association of the leucine-7 to proline-7 variation in the signal sequence of neuropeptide Y with major depression.

Objective: There is clear evidence of a genetic component in major depression, and several studies indicate that neuropeptide Y (NPY) could play an important role in the pathophysiology of the disease. A well-known polymorphism encoding the substitution of leucine to proline in the signal peptide sequence of NPY (Leu7Pro variation) was previously found to protect against depression. Our study aimed at replicating this association in a large Danish population with major depression.

Method: Leu7Pro was studied in a sample of depressed patients and ethnically matched controls, as well as psychiatric disease controls with schizophrenia. Possible functional consequences of Leu7Pro were explored in vitro.

Results: In contrast to previous studies, Pro7 appeared to be a risk allele for depression, being significantly more frequent in the depression sample (5.5%, n = 593; p = 0.009; odds ratio, OR: 1.46) as compared to ethnically matched controls (3.8%, n = 2912), while schizophrenia patients (4.1%, n = 503) did not differ. In vitro, the Pro7 substitution appeared to be associated with reduced levels of NPY without affecting its mRNA level.

Conclusion: The Leu7Pro variation may increase the risk of major depression, possibly by affecting the biosynthesis of NPY.

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