Gene expression of L3 parvalbumin neurons in the DLPFC comparing schizophrenia with unaffected subjects

Schizophrenia is associated with dysfunction of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). This dysfunction is manifest as cognitive deficits that appear to arise from disturbances in gamma frequency oscillations. These oscillations are generated in DLPFC layer 3 via reciprocal connections between pyramidal cells and parvalbumin (PV)-containing interneurons. The density of cortical PV neurons is not altered in schizophrenia, but expression levels of several transcripts involved in PV cell function, including PV, are lower in the disease. We combined a novel immunohistochemical approach, laser microdissection, and microarray profiling to analyze the transcriptome of DLPFC layer 3 PV cells in 36 matched pairs of schizophrenia and unaffected comparison subjects.