RGS4 Gene

Regulator of G-Protein Signaling 4 (RGS4) is a candidate gene for schizophrenia.

Regulator of G-Protein Signaling 4 (RGS4) is a candidate gene for schizophrenia.

Regulator of G-Protein Signaling 4 (RGS4) negatively regulates signaling through G-proteins, so named because they bind the guanine nucleotides GDP and GTP. G-protein signaling activates “second messengers,” such as cyclic AMP, which in turn regulate many intracellular processes. RGS4 is involved in neuronal differentiation and is abundant in the cerebral cortex. RGS4 expression is reduced in brain tissue from schizophrenic patients, but no functional mutations have been identified.