Role of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 in psychosis and the modulatory effects of cannabinoids.
Neurobiology of disease January 1, 2023 Marta Barrera-Conde, Emma Veza-Estévez, Maria Gomis-Gonzalez et al.
CDK5, a kinase that regulates neurotransmission, and its partner PSD95 were studied in olfactory cells from first-episode psychosis patients with and without prior cannabis use, and in a mouse model. Patients who had used cannabis showed less social impairment, lower CDK5, and higher PSD95 than non-users. Treating cells from non-users with a cannabinoid agonist in vitro reduced CDK5. In mice, the NMDA blocker PCP caused social deficits and altered PSD95/CDK5, which were partly reversed by adding a cannabinoid agonist or by blocking CDK5 activity. Increased CDK5 may be an early marker of psychosis-related social deficits, modulated by cannabis.