We searched for linkage disequilibrium (LD) in 137 triads with dyslexia, using markers that span the most-replicated dyslexia susceptibility region on 6p21-p22, and found association between the disease and markers within the VMP/DCDC2/KAAG1 locus. Detailed refinement of the LD region, involving sequencing and genotyping of additional markers, showed significant association within DCDC2 in single-marker and haplotype analyses. The association appeared to be strongest in severely affected patients. In a second step, the study was extended to include an independent sample of 239 triads with dyslexia, in which the association--in particular, with the severe phenotype of dyslexia--was confirmed. Our expression data showed that DCDC2, which contains a doublecortin homology domain that is possibly involved in cortical neuron migration, is expressed in the fetal and adult CNS, which--together with the hypothesized protein function--is in accordance with findings in dyslexic patients with abnormal neuronal migration and maturation.

As significant association was proved in our sample, we could also conclude that denser maps, sex information, and well-defined subphenotypes are crucial to correctly determine the contribution of DYX1C1 to dyslexia.

The alpha1/beta2/gamma2-containing heteropentamer is the most abundant gamma-amino-n-butyric acid type A receptor subtype in mammalian brains and the corresponding genes, the GABRA1, GABRB2, and GABRG2 genes, are located in chromosomal region 5q34 that several genome wide scans have implicated as a susceptibility region for schizophrenia. Given this positional and functional evidence, Lo et al. (Mol Psychiatry 2004; 9: 603-608) performed systematic linkage disequilibrium mapping of the GABAAR gene cluster on 5q34 in 130 schizophrenic patients and 170 controls, all of Chinese Han origin. In the single locus and haplotype analyses, single nucleotide polymorphisms in the GABRB2 gene showed highly significant association. The estimated effect caused by GABRB2 varied between odds ratios of 2.27 and 5.12. In order to re-examine their findings, we analyzed the most significantly associated single nucleotide polymorphism in the GABRB2 gene in a sample of 367 patients with schizophrenia and 360 controls, all of German descent. Our sample had a sufficient power to detect the effects described. Neither single marker nor haplotype analysis revealed a significant association with the disease status. Thus, our results do not support the hypothesis that genetic variation at the GABRB2 locus plays a major role in schizophrenic patients of European descent and that such variation would explain the previously observed linkage findings at this chromosomal region.

The proline dehydrogenase locus must be considered as a positional and functional candidate in schizophrenia. It is located in the chromosomal region of the velocardiofacial syndrome on 22q11 that is suspected to contain genes relevant to schizophrenia, and is involved in the metabolism of neurotransmitters. Positive association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms at the proline dehydrogenase locus and schizophrenia further supported the role of proline dehydrogenase in the development of schizophrenia. In order to replicate these findings, we analyzed three single-nucleotide polymorphisms in a sample comprising 299 schizophrenic patients and 300 controls. In addition, we assessed whether proline dehydrogenase also contributes to bipolar affective disorder, because chromosome 22q11 is also implicated in bipolar affective disorder. We therefore included 300 patients with bipolar affective disorder. This is the first study on a potential involvement of the proline dehydrogenase locus in bipolar affective disorder. Neither single marker nor haplotype analysis revealed an association between variants at the proline dehydrogenase locus and schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder.