Event Abstract

Back to Event

The effect of KIBRA rs17070145 polymorphism on cortical arousal

Mahmoud A. Al-Dabbas1*, Genevieve Z. Steiner1, 2, Francesca M. Fernandez3, 4, 5, Ramit S. Narula1, Emma Barkus2, 3, Samantha J. Broyd2, 3, Nadia Solowij2, 3, Christine Chiu6, Joanne Lind6 and Robert J. Barry2
  • 1 Western Sydney University, NICM, Australia
  • 2 University of Wollongong, Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, Australia
  • 3 University of Wollongong, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute and Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, Australia
  • 4 Schizophrenia Research Institute, Australia
  • 5 Australian Catholic University, School of Science, Australia
  • 6 Macquarie University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Australia

Aims: KIBRA (KIdney/BRAin) is a postsynaptic scaffolding protein implicated in cell motility and polarity, learning and memory, and synaptic plasticity. A functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) identified in the KIBRA gene (rs17070145, C/T substitution), that encodes the KIBRA protein, has been linked to improved episodic memory ability and reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The present study aimed to investigate the association between KIBRA T allele carrier status and EEG activity to highlight neurophysiological mechanisms underpinning AD risk. Methods: Resting eyes open EEG activity from 97 young adults (Mean age = 21.3, SD = 4.9 years) was continuously recorded from 30 scalp sites at 1000Hz for 4 minutes; all participants provided a saliva sample for DNA extraction and analysis. High-throughput MassARRAY® genotyping assay was used for identifying KIBRA genotypes. Mean EEG band amplitudes were analysed for delta, theta, alpha-1, alpha-2, beta-1, and beta-2. Results: Alpha-1 was significantly associated with the KIBRA T allele carrier (C/T and T/T): parietal amplitudes in the right hemisphere were larger for individuals who did not carry the T allele (non-carriers, C/C) than carriers. Midline delta, fronto-midline theta, parietal alpha-2, fronto-parietal beta-1, and frontal beta-2 were not associated with rs17070145 genotype. Conclusions: Results indicate that alpha-1 activity is associated with KIBRA T allele carrier status. Alpha activity is inversely correlated with arousal, which suggests that individuals carrying the KIBRA T allele have higher arousal than homozygous C allele carriers. This finding may support the implicated molecular role of KIBRA involving its binding to atypical protein kinase C zeta, leading to increased alpha-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-proprionate (AMPA) receptor turnover. Consequently, this upregulates glutamate and may explain the increased arousal observed in T allele carriers. Given the role of AMPA receptors in long-term potentiation, this finding may provide insight into a possible mechanism for reduced AD risk.

Keywords: Electroencephalography, KIBRA, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), Alzheimer's disease, Memory

Conference: ASP2017: 27th Annual Meeting for the Australasian Society for Psychophysiology, Parramatta, Australia, 29 Nov - 1 Dec, 2017.

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Topic: Abstract (Student Award)

Citation: Al-Dabbas MA, Steiner GZ, Fernandez FM, Narula RS, Barkus E, Broyd SJ, Solowij N, Chiu C, Lind J and Barry RJ (2019). The effect of KIBRA rs17070145 polymorphism on cortical arousal. Conference Abstract: ASP2017: 27th Annual Meeting for the Australasian Society for Psychophysiology. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2017.224.00016

Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters.

The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated.

Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed.

For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions.

Received: 30 Oct 2017; Published Online: 25 Jan 2019.

* Correspondence: Mr. Mahmoud A Al-Dabbas, Western Sydney University, NICM, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia, mah.aldabbas@gmail.com