The role of 14-3-3 and Ephrin signaling pathways on cellular communication between neurons-astrocytes and the functioning of the synapse tripartite

Abstract

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is an incurable mental disorder of neurodevelopmental origin which affects about 1% of world population. This disease is among the largest causes of disability and may represent costs in the order of 60 billion dollars per year for the health systems. Part of the molecular aspects of SCZ have been recently elucidated, including those in postmortem brains. However, results still need to be better connected to an integrated understanding of its pathophysiology. In this context, this project proposes to study the Ephrin/14-3-3 signaling pathways, which were found dysregulated during the master's project of the proponent, while studying the proteome of human brain tissue. The present study aims to connect Ephrin/14-3-3 to other molecular aspects already elucidated in schizophrenia. Additionally, we intend to determine the role of these pathways in synaptic plasticity, the main modulator of memory, learning and cognition, which are all dysregulated in patients with SCZ.