GSK3b inhibits CBS

A new study was recently published, demonstrating for the first time that GSK3b controls CBS at the gene expression level.

This is a significant discovery, and the entire community of individuals with OCD and ASD would rejoice if they could comprehend the implications of this finding.

I will explain it in a simple way.

  • DYRK1A promotes CBS activity, and reduction of DYRK1A activity leads to reduced CBS activity.

  • GSK3b activity correlates with reduced CBS activity. And reduction of GSK3b activity increases CBS activity.

I’m pretty sure this is the reason why OCD patients with overactive GSK3b benefit from NAC - their cells are not able to make enough cysteine due to inhibition of CBS.

And this is why lithium, a GSK3b inhibitor, is helpful in such cases, and this is why lithium enables cellular uptake and processing of the vitamin B12, which needs GSH to become active – overactive GSK3b blocks both cysteine synthesis and Nrf2 activation.

References

1
New insights into the regulation of Cystathionine beta synthase (CBS), an enzyme involved in intellectual deficiency in Down syndrome
2022