MOLECULAR-GENETICS OF THE HUMAN BRAIN

The review discusses the contribution of molecular genetic studies to the understanding of human brain performance and defines three genetic objectives: 1) to reveal structural or functional features of brain genes specific merely to man; 2) to outline the complete spectrum of genes involved in brain activity and their regulation; 3) to search for genes and genetic defects resulting in common mental disorders. The plasticity and great variety of brain functions are shown to be based on the unique diversity of genes actively transcribing in the brain and the molecular mechanisms of various genetic products of the same gene: alternative splicing, ''antiparallel'' coding, regulation of gene activity by signal DNA sequences. Gene search policies are described for common mental disorders such as schizophrenia, manic-depressive psychosis, Alzheimer's disease. The attempts to map defective genes by ''reverse'' genetics have proved that there is a genetic heterogeneity of these disease. The novel directions in the study of the brain molecular genetic apparatus can be examinations of chromosomal behavior in the cells in various brain regions and genome imprinting.