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Expression of POU-domain transcription factor, Oct-6, in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression.

Ubhi K, Price J

Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, Denmark Hill, London, UK. spnekju@iop.kcl.ac.uk

BACKGROUND: The POU-domain transcription factor Oct-6 has been reported to be differentially expressed between schizophrenic and control post-mortem brains. In this study, we attempted to replicate this finding and to discover whether Oct-6 was also dysregulated in bipolar disorder and major depression. METHODS: Oct-6 mRNA and protein expression were determined by in-situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry respectively in sections of post-mortem brain. RESULTS: We did not observe any differences in Oct-6 expression between any of the groups under study. Oct-6 mRNA and protein was identically expressed in the hippocampal and cortical regions of most specimens in all groups, including controls. CONCLUSION: Oct-6 is, therefore, unlikely to be a specific marker for any psychological disorder; rather its expression in controls suggests that it is normally expressed in most adult brains.

Published 14 November 2005 in BMC Psychiatry, 5: 38.
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