PKC gamma-mediated signaling and schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a complicated mental disorder. Although multiple hypotheses have been proposed to interpret the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of the disease, the key pathological process is yet blurry. Early clinical studies have implicated a role of the histidine triad nucleotide-binding protein-1 (Hint1) in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. A most recent investigation by Zhang et al has defined the activity of protein PKC gamma (PKC𝛾) in the brain using Hint1-knockout animal model. Their finding that Hint1-deficiency causes a compromised PKC𝛾 signaling in the brain may shed a new light on the glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia.