Over-representation of potential SP4 target genes within schizophrenia-risk genes

Reduction of Sp4 expression causes age-dependent hippocampal vacuolization and many other intermediate phenotypes of schizophrenia in Sp4 hypomorphic mice. Recent human genetic studies from both the Schizophrenia Exome Sequencing Meta-Analysis (SCHEMA) and the Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) validated SP4 as a schizophrenia-risk gene over the exome-wide or the genome-wide significance. Truncation of the human SP4 gene has an odds ratio of 9.37 (3.38–29.7) for schizophrenia. Despite successful identification of many schizophrenia-risk genes, it is unknown whether and how these risk genes may interact with each other in the development of schizophrenia. By taking advantage of the specific localization of the GC-boxes bound by SP4 transcription factors, I analyzed the relative abundance of these GC-boxes in the proximal promoter regions of schizophrenia-risk genes. I found that the GC-box containing genes are significantly over-represented within schizophrenia-risk genes, suggesting that SP4 is not only a high-risk gene for schizophrenia, but may also act as a hub of network in the regulation of many other schizophrenia-risk genes via these GC-boxes in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.