miR-124–3p target genes identify globus pallidus role in suicide ideation recovery in borderline personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by patterns of unstable affect, unstable interpersonal relationships, and chronic suicidal tendencies. Research on the genetics, epigenetics, and brain function of BPD is lacking. MicroRNA-124–3p (miR-124–3p) was recently identified in a Genome-Wide Association Study as likely associated with BPD. Here, we identified the anatomical brain expression of genes likely modulated by miR-124–3p and compared morphometry in those brain regions in BPD inpatients vs. controls matched for psychiatric comorbidities. We isolated lists of targets likely modulated by miR-124–3p from TargetScan (v 8.0) by their preferentially conserved targeting (Aggregate P(CT) > 0.99, see Supplementary Table 1). We applied Process Genes List (PGL) to identify regions of interest associated with the co-expression of miR-124–3p target genes. We compared the gray matter volume of the top region of interest co-expressing those genes between BPD inpatients (n = 111, 46% female) and psychiatric controls (n = 111, 54% female) at The Menninger Clinic in Houston, Texas. We then correlated personality measures, suicidal ideation intensity, and recovery from suicidal ideation with volumetrics. Gene targets of miR-124–3p were significantly co-expressed in the left Globus Pallidus (GP), which was smaller in BPD than in psychiatric controls. Smaller GP volume was negatively correlated with agreeableness and with recovery from suicidal ideation post-treatment. In BPD, GP volume may be reduced through miR-124–3p regulation and suppression of its target genes. Importantly, we identified that a reduction of the GP in BPD could serve as a potential biomarker for recovery from suicidal ideation.