Association study of the p53-gene Pro72Arg polymorphism in schizophrenia.

The p53 tumor-suppressor gene, encoding a phosphoprotein, is a key element in maintaining genomic stability and cell apoptosis. It is also implicated in nervous-system development. In order to examine the role of the p53 gene for the pathogenesis of schizophrenic disorders, patients (n=155) and control subjects (n=168) were genotyped for the p53-Pro72Arg polymorphism. The results demonstrated no association with schizophrenia and/or age of onset for this polymorphism.