Identifying Changes in RNA Editome Unique to Major Depressive Disorder

Abstract

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most significant psychiatric disorders in the world today. Its incidence is widespread in society and its heavy adverse impact on the quality of life is well documented. Previously genetic studies on MDD had identified a hereditary component of the disease as well as crediting RNA editing with a role in its development. The later due to an overexpression of a heavily edited isoform of the Serotonin 2c receptor. Here we used publicly available RNA sequence data from suicide patients diagnosed with MDD as well as controls for identifying RNA editing sites unique to MDD. After variant calling and several steps of filtering, we identified 142 unique RNA editing sites in the MDD patients. These included intronic, downstream, UTR3 and exonic edits. The latter comprising several amino acid changes in the encoded protein. The genes implicated to be uniquely edited in MDD included the aforementioned and previously implicated Serotonin 2c receptor, others involved in functions that play roles in depression and suicide such as Cannabinoid Receptor 1, Frizzled Class 3 Receptor, Neuroligin 3 and others.