To: Steve Lokness who wrote (250 ) 1/10/2007 5:26:22 PM From: Mike McFarland Read Replies (2) | Respond to Well, that is the dogma, that glgc hasUsing our central nervous system database, we found that in male individuals with and without major depression who committed suicide, spermine/spermidine N(1)-acetyltransferase (SSAT) the rate-limiting enzyme in the catabolism of polyamines, was down-regulated in three different brain regions. Gene expression data was confirmed by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot analyses. Furthermore, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variant located in the SSAT polyamine-responsive element regulatory region (SSAT342A/C) showed a significant effect of genotype on brain SSAT gene expression levels—the 342A allele was associated with increased transcript expression. Upon further investigation of this variant in blood from an independent sample of 181 male suicide completers and 80 male controls, we found a higher frequency of the 342C allele among suicide cases (odds ratio, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-5.3; P = .005), indicating that this allele appears to increase predisposition to suicide. These data suggest a role for SSAT in suicide and depression and a role for the SSAT342 locus in the regulation of SSAT gene expression. Thus, the SSAT342 locus is a potential biomarker to discern individuals at higher risk to commit suicide.
