THE PROTEOME OF OLIGODENDROCYTES DIFFERENTIATED FROM NEURAL STEM CELL DERIVED FROM SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS

Abstract Background Oligodendrocytes constitute the majority of the cells in white matter and alterations in this region have been reported in patients with schizophrenia. The myelin sheath is produced exclusively by mature oligodendrocytes. Thus, a dysfunction during the maturation of these cells could lead to a change in normal myelination processes, causing the hypomyelination observed in patients with schizophrenia. In this manner, functional studies are needed for a better connection of these different aspects of the disease in order to understand the pathophysiology of schizophrenia in an integrated manner. Thus, our aim was to evaluate the differences between the proteome of oligodendrocytes derived from neural stem cells (NSCs) from patients with schizophrenia and controls. Methods The cells were differentiated using the protocol described by Yan, Shin, Jha and collaborators (Yan, Shin, Jha, et al., 2013). After 14 days, the proteins were extracted and proteomic analyses were performed in a two-dimensional microUPLC coupled to nano ESI-Q-IM-TOF mass spectrometer. Progenesis® QI software was used in order to identify and quantify the proteins. Results On average, 2046 proteins were identified and 444 had alterations in the expression levels. These differentially expressed proteins were related most with metabolism, RNA transport, spliceosome machinery, vesicular transport, and signal transduction. Discussion The proteins and canonical pathways found here may contribute to understanding the biochemical mechanisms involved in the disorder, which may provide new targets for the development of more effective treatments, improving the schizophrenic patient’s quality of life.