While scientists already know that some mental disorders are genetic, researchers from the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology in Warsaw and the Spanish Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante have discovered that the link between genes and mental health is more subtle that previously suggested.
The team of investigators has found that changes in the distribution of genetic information an lead to neuropsychiatric disorders. In genetically modified laboratory mice, they found that changes in the spatial distribution of genetic material fibers in neurons were accompanied by disturbances in behavior.
A custom-made software for image analysis, created by Dr. Blazej Ruszczycki from the Nencki Institute, allowed the researchers to transform a sequence of microscopic images to three-dimensional visualization. This visualization allowed Polish scientists to find marked differences in the spatial structure of the chromatin in transgenic mice. They found that the modified spatial configuration of chromatin affects the production of certain proteins, which in turn leads to different than normal behavior of the mice.
Upon further inspection, the researchers found that transgenic mice were found to have significantly lower levels of serotonin and dopamine receptors, (both proteins are involved in emotional processes, including depressive disorders) and compared to wild mice, the transgenic mice were hyperactive, showed signs of autism, and had trouble with remembering and making new interactions with other individuals.
These results are invaluable to the field of medicine because they provide a new direction for the study and treatment of mental disorders such as autism and depression in humans.
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