The role of 14-3-3 proteins in autophagy in the context of Schizophrenia

• Grant number: 22/10140-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: August 01, 2022
• End date: April 15, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Martins-de-Souza
• Grantee: Talita Aparecida de Moraes Vrechi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/25588-1 - From the basic understanding to clinical biomarkers to schizophrenia: a neuroproteomics-centered multidisciplinary study, AP.TEM

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a chronic and complex neuropsychiatric disorder with typical onset in early adulthood and with a prevalence of 1% in the adult population. It is a multifactorial and non-homogeneous disorder, caused by disturbances in specific genes and environmental insults during early neurodevelopment, leading to neurophysiological changes over time. Despite all scientific advances in understanding the different manifestations of Schizophrenia, its aetiology still demands better comprehension. Studies have linked Schizophrenia to alteration in several proteins and, more recently, with alterations in cellular mechanisms, such as autophagy. The autophagic process is regulated by different signaling pathways, such as MAPK, PI3K and mTOR, which in turn can be regulated by 14-3-3 proteins, which have been described as altered by our and other research groups. Thus, in order to modulate autophagy and 14-3-3 proteins, we will use cannabinoid compounds, as literature data have already shown that they can modulate different signalling pathways. Thus, our proposal is to seek new information about the involvement of autophagy, 14-3-3 proteins and the role of cannabinoid compounds in this process, in order to improve the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of Schizophrenia in order to investigate new targets therapeutic. (AU)