The schizophrenia susceptibility gene ZNF804A confers risk of major mood disorders

Abstract Objectives: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) followed by independent replications suggest that ZNF804A is a risk gene for schizophrenia (SCZ), considering the substantial genetic overlap between SCZ and major mood disorders (e.g., bipolar disorder (BPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD)). Methods: We collected the data of two ZNF804A single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs rs1344706 and rs7597593) from European and Asian populations to perform systematic meta-analyses with major mood disorders in a total of 65,240 subjects. Results: Meta-analysis showed that rs1344706 and rs7597593 were both associated with major mood disorders as well as diagnosis of either BPD or MDD, although neither of the analyses achieved a genome-wide level of statistical significance. Conclusions: Our data provide evidence for the genetic involvement of ZNF804A SNPs in the susceptibility of major mood disorders, but further replication analyses in larger samples are necessary.