Snx19, a member of the sorting nexin family, plays crucial roles in multiple cellular processes. It contains a PX domain that binds to phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate, and is involved in endolysosome motility regulation, receptor-mediated signaling, and membrane trafficking [1,5]. It has also been associated with several complex traits and diseases, including schizophrenia [2,3,4,6,7].

Research has shown that Snx19 tethers endolysosomes to the endoplasmic reticulum, reducing their motility and causing their concentration in the perinuclear area of the cell [1]. In terms of disease-related functions, genetic risk variants for schizophrenia are associated with the expression of various classes of Snx19 transcripts [3]. These variants influence DNA methylation near the transcription start site and within exon 2, which may mediate the effects on risk-associated expression [3]. Additionally, in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of healthy human brains, pan-Snx19 is preferentially expressed in glutamatergic neurons, suggesting that its transcripts might disrupt the normal function of these neurons in schizophrenia pathophysiology [4].

In conclusion, Snx19 is essential for regulating endolysosome motility and positioning through its interaction with the endoplasmic reticulum. Its role in diseases, particularly schizophrenia, is emerging. Studies on Snx19 using genetic models could potentially further clarify its function in normal and disease-related biological processes, contributing to a better understanding of disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.

References:

1. Saric, Amra, Freeman, Spencer A, Williamson, Chad D, Gershlick, David C, Bonifacino, Juan S. 2021. SNX19 restricts endolysosome motility through contacts with the endoplasmic reticulum. In Nature communications, 12, 4552. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-24709-1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34315878/

2. Zhu, Zhihong, Zhang, Futao, Hu, Han, Visscher, Peter M, Yang, Jian. 2016. Integration of summary data from GWAS and eQTL studies predicts complex trait gene targets. In Nature genetics, 48, 481-7. doi:10.1038/ng.3538. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27019110/

3. Ma, Liang, Semick, Stephen A, Chen, Qiang, Weinberger, Daniel R, Straub, Richard E. 2019. Schizophrenia risk variants influence multiple classes of transcripts of sorting nexin 19 (SNX19). In Molecular psychiatry, 25, 831-843. doi:10.1038/s41380-018-0293-0. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30635639/

4. Takahashi, Yoichiro, Maynard, Kristen R, Tippani, Madhavi, Weinberger, Daniel R, Hyde, Thomas M. 2021. Single molecule in situ hybridization reveals distinct localizations of schizophrenia risk-related transcripts SNX19 and AS3MT in human brain. In Molecular psychiatry, 26, 3536-3547. doi:10.1038/s41380-021-01046-9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33649454/

5. Amatya, Bibhas, Lee, Hewang, Asico, Laureano D, Felder, Robin A, Jose, Pedro A. 2021. SNX-PXA-RGS-PXC Subfamily of SNXs in the Regulation of Receptor-Mediated Signaling and Membrane Trafficking. In International journal of molecular sciences, 22, . doi:10.3390/ijms22052319. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33652569/

6. Han, Seonggyun, DiBlasi, Emily, Monson, Eric T, Eilbeck, Karen, Coon, Hilary. 2023. Whole-genome sequencing analysis of suicide deaths integrating brain-regulatory eQTLs data to identify risk loci and genes. In Molecular psychiatry, 28, 3909-3919. doi:10.1038/s41380-023-02282-x. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37794117/

7. Crinion, Shane, Wyse, Cathy A, Donohoe, Gary, Lopez, Lorna M, Morris, Derek W. 2024. Mendelian randomization analysis using GWAS and eQTL data to investigate the relationship between chronotype and neuropsychiatric disorders and their molecular basis. In American journal of medical genetics. Part B, Neuropsychiatric genetics : the official publication of the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics, 195, e32980. doi:10.1002/ajmg.b.32980. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38549512/