The neurobiology of apolipoproteins in psychiatric disorders

A genetic contribution to the transmission of psychiatric disorders has been established and it is now accepted that several genes confer susceptibility to schizophrenia, and similar disorders, giving rise to a complex polygenic mode of inheritance. With the high-throughput molecular profiling techniques available, apolipoproteins have emerged as being important factors in psychiatric disorders. This review will focus on three apolipoproteins that have recently been shown to be elevated in neuropsychiatric disorders: apoD, apoE, and apoL. Furthermore, the authors discuss the role of apoD in the pathology and pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.