Up-regulated 14-3-3β and 14-3-3ζ proteins in prefrontal cortex of subjects with schizophrenia: effect of psychotropic treatment

14-3-3 is a family of conserved regulatory proteins that bind to amultitude of functionally diverse signalling proteins. Various genetic studies and gene expression and proteomic analyses have involved 14-3-3 proteins in schizophrenia (SZ). On the other hand, studies about the status of these proteins in major depressive disorder (MD) are still missing. Immunoreactivity values of cytosolic 14-3-3 beta and 14-3-3. proteins were evaluated by Western blot in prefrontal cortex (PFC) of subjects with schizophrenia (SZ; n= 22), subjectswithmajor depressive disorder (MD; n = 21) and age-, gender-and postmortem delay-matched control subjects (n = 52). The modulation of 14-3-3 beta and 14-3-3. proteins by psychotropic medication was also assessed. The analysis of both proteins in SZ subjects with respect to matched control subjects showed increased 14-3-3 beta (.= 33 10%, p b 0.05) and 14-3-3. (.= 29 6%, p b 0.05) immunoreactivity in antipsychotic-free but not in antipsychotic-treated SZ subjects. Immunoreactivity values of 14-3-3 beta and 14-3-3. were not altered in MD subjects. These results show the specific up-regulation of 14-3-3 beta and 14-3-3. proteins in PFC of SZ subjects and suggest a possible down-regulation of both proteins by antipsychotic treatment. (C) 2014 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.