Two Thalamic Regions Screened Using Laser CaptureMicrodissection with Whole Human Genome Microarray inSchizophrenia Postmortem Samples

We used whole human genome microarray screening of highly enriched neuronal populations from two thalamic regions inpostmortem samples from subjects with schizophrenia and controls to identify brain region-specific gene expression changesand possible transcriptional targets. The thalamic anterior nucleus is reciprocally connected to anterior cingulate, aschizophrenia-affected cortical region, and is also thought to be schizophrenia affected; the other thalamic region is not. Usingtwo regions in the same subject to identify disease-relevant gene expression differences was novel and reduced intersubjectheterogeneity offindings. We found gene expression differences related to miRNA-137 and other SZ-associated microRNAs,ELAVL1, BDNF, DISC-1, MECP2 and YWHAG associatedfindings, synapses, and receptors. Manual curation of our data maysupport transcription repression