Schizophrenia: elevated mRNA for calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II beta in frontal cortex

Because amphetamine releases two to three times more dopamine in schizophre nia patients than in control subjects, and because calcium-calmodulin-depen dent protein kinase II has a key role in the enhanced action of amphetamine -induced dopamine release in rats, the synaptic content of calcium-calmodul in-dependent protein kinase II beta mRNA was measured (by quantitative comp etitive RT-PCR; reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) in seven f rontal cerebral cortices of post-mortem brains from patients who had schizo phrenia and in seven control tissues. The results indicate that the mRNA of this kinase is elevated in the schizophrenia frontal cortex. (C) 2000 Else vier Science B.V. All rights reserved.