POLYGLUTAMINE-CONTAINING PROTEINS IN NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

摘要

The present invention relates to diseases caused by CAG repeat expansions. More particularly, the present invention relates to neuropsychiatric diseases caused by CAG repeat expansions and even more particularly to schizophrenia and major depression. In particular, the present invention relates to the identification of at least one protein containing polyglutamine arrays, which acts as a marker for the pathogenesis of a neuropsychiatric disorder and more particularly for schizophrenia and major depression. The present invention further relates to diagnosis and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders linked to polyglutamine tracts-containing proteins. The present invention further relates to diagnosis and treatment methods of neuropsychiatric disorders based on a targeting of the CAG/CTG repeat expansions encoding a polyglutamine tract. The present invention further provides methods of detecting nucleic acids encoding the polyglutamine tracts in a sample; kits containing nucleic acid probes or ligands of the polyglutamine tract, bio-assays using the nucleic acid sequences, and protein sequences of the present invention or ligands specific thereto to diagnose, assess, or prognose a mammal afflicted with or predisposed to develop a neuropsychiatric disorder linked to the presence of polyglutamine-containing proteins.