Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas & Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain.
Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2011 Jun;21(3):262-70. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2010.12.010. Epub 2011 Feb 4.
Neuregulin-1 (Nrg1) and its receptor ErbB4 are encoded by genes that have been repeatedly linked to schizophrenia. Both genes are thought to play important roles in the development of brain circuitry, but their precise contribution to the disease process remains unknown. In this review, we summarize novel findings on the biological function of Nrg1 and ErbB4 in mice, with a focus on the development of inhibitory circuits in the cerebral cortex. We will also discuss how this basic knowledge may help us to understand the etiology of schizophrenia, and eventually lead to the development of novel therapies for treating the disorder.
神经调节蛋白 1（Nrg1）及其受体 ErbB4 由与精神分裂症反复相关的基因编码。这两个基因都被认为在大脑回路的发育中发挥着重要作用，但它们对疾病过程的确切贡献仍不清楚。在这篇综述中，我们总结了 Nrg1 和 ErbB4 在小鼠中的生物学功能的新发现，重点是大脑皮层抑制回路的发育。我们还将讨论这些基础知识如何帮助我们理解精神分裂症的病因，并最终为治疗这种疾病开发新的疗法。
