Mitochondria DNA copy number, mitochondria DNA total somatic deletions, Complex I activity, synapse number, and synaptic mitochondria number are altered in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Abstract Mitochondrial dysfunction is a neurobiological phenomenon implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder that can synergistically affect synaptic neurotransmission. We hypothesized that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder share molecular alterations at the mitochondrial and synaptic levels. Mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) copy number (CN), mtDNA common deletion (CD), mtDNA total deletion, complex I activity, synapse number, and synaptic mitochondria number were studied in the postmortem human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), superior temporal gyrus (STG), primary visual cortex (V1), and nucleus accumbens (NAc) of controls (CON), and subjects with schizophrenia (SZ), and bipolar disorder (BD). The results showed (i) the mtDNA CN is significantly higher in DLPFC of both SZ and BD, decreased in the STG of BD, and unaltered in V1 and NAc of both SZ and BD; (ii) the mtDNA CD is significantly higher in DLPFC of BD while unaltered in STG, V1, and NAc of both SZ and BD; (iii) The total deletion burden is significantly higher in DLPFC in both SZ and BD while unaltered in STG, V1, and NAc of SZ and BD; (iv) Complex I activity is significantly lower in DLPFC of both SZ and BD, which is driven by the presence of medications, with no alteration in STG, V1, and NAc. In addition, complex I protein concentration, by ELISA, was decreased across three cortical regions of SZ and BD subjects; (v) The number of synapses is decreased in DLPFC of both SZ and BD, while the synaptic mitochondria number was significantly lower in female SZ and female BD compared to female controls. Overall, these findings will pave the way to understand better the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder for therapeutic interventions.