The ultradian transcriptome of the human prefrontal cortex and abnormalities in schizophrenia

Twelve-hour (12 h) ultradian rhythms are a well-known phenomenon in coastal marine organisms. While 12 h cycles are observed in human behavior and physiology, no study has measured 12 h rhythms in the human brain. Here we identify 12 h rhythms in transcripts which either peak at sleep/wake transitions (~9 AM/PM) or static times (~3 PM/AM) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a region involved in cognition. Subjects with schizophrenia lose 12 h rhythms in genes associated with the unfolded protein response and neuronal structural maintenance. Moreover, genes involved in mitochondrial function and protein translation, which normally peak at sleep/wake transitions, peak instead at static times in schizophrenia, suggesting suboptimal timing of these essential processes that may contribute to cognitive deficits commonly found in schizophrenia.