Polymorphism of the Serotonin 2A Receptor Gene (5HTR2A) and Personality Traits

The individual variation of temperament features (such as anxiety, neuroticism, harm avoidance) is determined, among other things, by allele polymorphism of genes involved in serotonin metabolism and has earlier been associated with the insertion/deletion polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene. Polymorphic alleles of the serotonin 2A receptor gene (5HTR2A) were tested for association with personality traits assessed in several tests. The T102C and A1438G polymorphisms were associated with variation in emotionality, activity, and sociability, which are integral characteristics of temperament. With each polymorphism, differences were significant only between heterozygotes and homozygotes. Carriers of T102C genotype A1/A2 displayed a lower level of anxiety-related traits, a higher score on the Hypomania scale, and a lower score on the Social Introversion scale and were assumed to have higher activity and sociability. Carriers of A1438G genotype A/G differed from homozygotes G/G in having a lower level of social introversion and a lower score on the No Close Friends scale, which testified to higher sociability of heterozygotes. Thus, the polymorphic alleles of 5HTR2A proved to be associated with personality traits in mentally healthy people.     

Polymorphism of the Serotonin Receptor Type 2A (5-HTR2A) Gene and Verbal Fluency in Normalcy and in Schizophrenia

To study the effect of the serotonergic brain system on verbal fluency (i.e., the ability to rapidly extract necessary words from the internal vocabulary), the T102C polymorphism of the serotonin receptor type 2A (5-HTR2A) gene was tested for association with verbal fluency in 108 patients with schizophrenia or disorders of the schizophrenic spectrum and 97 mentally healthy individuals. A significant association was observed only in male schizophrenics (n = 67), with homozygotes A2A2 having lower verbal fluency. The results do not support the association between the 5-HTR2A polymorphism and verbal fluency in normalcy, and agree with the assumed contribution of genotype A2A2 to the severity of schizophrenia.     

Polymorphism in the Serotonin Receptor 2a (HTR2A) Gene as Possible Predisposal Factor for Aggressive Traits

Aggressive manifestations and their consequences are a major issue of mankind, highlighting the need for understanding the contributory factors. Still, aggression-related genetic analyses have so far mainly been conducted on small population subsets such as individuals suffering from a certain psychiatric disorder or a narrow-range age cohort, but no data on the general population is yet available. In the present study, our aim was to identify polymorphisms in genes affecting neurobiological processes that might explain some of the inter-individual variation between aggression levels in the non-clinical Caucasian adult population. 55 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were simultaneously determined in 887 subjects who also filled out the self-report Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). Single marker association analyses between genotypes and aggression scores indicated a significant role of rs7322347 located in the HTR2A gene encoding serotonin receptor 2a following Bonferroni correction for multiple testing (p = 0.0007) both for males and females. Taking the four BPAQ subscales individually, scores for Hostility, Anger and Physical Aggression showed significant association with rs7322347 T allele in themselves, while no association was found with Verbal Aggression. Of the subscales, relationship with rs7322347 was strongest in the case of Hostility, where statistical significance virtually equaled that observed with the whole BPAQ. In conclusion, this is the first study to our knowledge analyzing SNPs in a wide variety of genes in terms of aggression in a large sample-size non-clinical adult population, also describing a novel candidate polymorphism as predisposal to aggressive traits.     

Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphism and Personality Traits Measured by MMPI

Polymorphisms of the serotonin transporter gene are known to be associated with some personality traits measured by means of various psychological inventories. In the present work we attempted to find an association between genetic variants of serotonin transporter (loci VNTR-17 and 5-HTTLPR) and psychological traits scored by the MMPI inventory in 125 mentally healthy donors. No statistically significant differences in personality traits were found between carriers of differentVNTR-17 genotypes. At locus 5-HTTLPR, significant between-genotype differences were revealed on the Schizophrenia scale (F= 3.49; P = 0.034) and on the validity scale F (F = 3.24; P = 0.042). The ss genotype carriers had the lowest scores on these scales. The score on the Psychopathic Deviate scale was significantly lower in the carriers of the ssgenotype than in the combined group of the carriers of genotypes lland ls(t= 2.07; P = 0.041). The differences on the validity scale K between the carriers of the ll and ssgenotypes were also statistically significant (t= 2.49; P = 0.015). These results suggest that polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene may be associated with the expression of schizoid traits (namely, social introversion, internal tension, bizarre thoughts and actions) in mentally healthy individuals. In the context of social adaptation, the personality profile configuration and data of statistical analysis indicate that the carriers of the ss genotype are more inclined to observe social norms than the carriers of the lland ls genotypes.     

Serotonin type 2a (5-HTR2A) receptor gene polymorphism and personality traits in patients with endogenous psychoses]

Genetic polymorphism of the serotonin receptor (5-HTR2A) gene has been reported to be associated with the expression of clinical signs characteristic of major psychoses, including schizophrenia and affective disorders. In this study, personality traits of patients with these diseases and the associations of these traits with 5-HTR2A allelic polymorphisms were studied. It was demonstrated that schizophrenic and affective patients with the 2/2 genotype of serotonin receptor had lower scores on the anxiety scale and on the anxiety-related hypochondriasis and neuroticism scales than subjects with the 1/1 and 1/2 genotypes.     

Polymorphism of the serotonin receptor (5-HTR2A) gene and verbal fluency in normalcy and schizophrenia

To study the effect of the serotonergic brain system on verbal fluency (i.e., the ability to rapidly extract necessary words from the vocabulary), the T102C polymorphism of the serotonin receptor type 2A (5-HTR2A) gene was tested for association with verbal fluency in 108 patients with schizophrenia or schizotypic disorders and 97 mentally healthy individuals. A significant association was observed only in male schizophrenics (N = 67), with homozygotes A2A2 having lower verbal fluency. The results did not support the association between the 5-HTR2A polymorphism and verbal fluency in normalcy, and agree with the assumed contribution of genotype A2A2 to the severity of schizophrenia.     

Polymorphism of the Serotonin 2A Receptor Gene in Populations of the Volga–Ural Region

The MspI restriction polymorphism of the serotonin 2A receptor gene (5HT2A) was typed in populations of the Volga–Ural region (Bashkirs, Chuvashes, Tatars, Udmurts, Maris, Mordovians, Komis, and Russians inhabiting the Republic of Bashkortostan). Population-specific patterns of the main polymorphism indices distribution were established. Specific trends in the changes of genotype and allele frequency of the 5HT2Agene depending on the ethnicity of the population were revealed.     

A Functional Polymorphism in a Serotonin Transporter Gene (5-HTTLPR) Interacts with 9/11 to Predict Gun-Carrying Behavior

On September 11, 2001, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in US history took place on American soil and people around the world were impacted in myriad ways. Building on prior literature which suggests individuals are more likely to purchase a gun for self-protection if they are fearful of being victimized, the authors hypothesized that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 would lead to an increase in gun carrying among US residents. At the same time, a line of research has shown that a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene (i.e., 5-HTTLPR) interacts with environmental stressors to predict a range of psychopathologies and behaviors. Thus, it was hypothesized that 9/11 and 5-HTTLPR would interact to predict gun carrying. The results supported both hypotheses by revealing a positive association between 9/11 and gun carrying (b = .426, odds ratio = 1.531, standard error for b = .194, z = 2.196, p = .028) in the full sample of respondents (n = 15,052) and a statistically significant interaction between 9/11 and 5-HTTLPR in the prediction of gun carrying (b = −1.519, odds ratio = .219, standard error for b = .703, z = −2.161, p = .031) in the genetic subsample of respondents (n = 2,350). This is one of the first studies to find an association between 9/11 and gun carrying and, more importantly, is the first study to report a gene-environment interaction (GxE) between a measured gene and a terrorist attack.     

Influence of the 5-HT3A Receptor Gene Polymorphism and Childhood Sexual Trauma on Central Serotonin Activity

Background

Gene-environment interactions are important for understanding alterations in human brain function. The loudness dependence of auditory evoked potential (LDAEP) is known to reflect central serotonergic activity. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5-HT3A serotonin receptor gene are associated with psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to investigate the effect between 5-HT3A receptor gene polymorphisms and childhood sexual trauma on the LDAEP as an electrophysiological marker in healthy subjects.

Methods

A total of 206 healthy subjects were recruited and evaluated using the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) and hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). Peak-to-peak N1/P2 was measured at five stimulus intensities, and the LDAEP was calculated as the linear-regression slope. In addition, the rs1062613 SNPs of 5-HT3A (CC, CT, and TT) were analyzed in healthy subjects.

Results

There was a significant interaction between scores on the CTQ-sexual abuse subscale and 5-HT3A genotype on the LDAEP. Subjects with the CC polymorphism had a significantly higher LDEAP than T carriers in the sexually abused group. In addition, CC genotype subjects in the sexually abused group showed a significantly higher LDAEP compared with CC genotype subjects in the non-sexually abused group.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that people with the CC polymorphism of the 5-HT3A gene have a greater risk of developing mental health problems if they have experienced childhood sexual abuse, possibly due to low central serotonin activity. Conversely, the T polymorphism may be protective against any central serotonergic changes following childhood sexual trauma.     

中国人群5—羟色胺2A受体基因中T102C多态性与精神分裂症的联系

在研究５－羟色胺２Ａ受体基因多态性与精神分裂症的关联分析中,调查了２０２例精神分裂症患者及２０２例正常对照。各相匹配组间比较未发现基因型和等位基因频率的显著性差异。结果提示,在中国人群中５－羟色胺２Ａ受体的静态Ｔ１０２Ｃ突变与精神分裂症之间不存在关联。     

HTR2A基因多态性与云南彝族酒精依赖关联性研究

目的：探讨酒精依赖和云南彝族5-羟色胺2A受体（HTR2A）基因多态之间的关系。方法：采用PCR-RFLP技术对330健康人（对照组）和110名酒精依赖者（病例组）的5-HT2A受体基因的遗传多态性进行检测。结果：在440例样本中共检测到2种等位基因A和G,三种基因型AA,AG,GG．三种基因型在对照组中频率分别是38．5％,55．8％,5．8％;在病例组中的频率分别是30％,63．6％,6．4％。结论：在云彝族人群中,HTR2A基因rs6311（A－1438G）位点与酒精依赖无显著关联,HTR2A基因rs6311（A-1438G）位点在云南汉族和云南彝族酒精依赖组中无显著差异,但是在健康对照组中存在关联性．     

Serotonin 1B Receptor Gene (HTR1B) Methylation as a Risk Factor for Callous-Unemotional Traits in Antisocial Boys

The serotonin system is thought to play a role in the aetiology of callous-unemotional (CU) traits in children. Previous research identified a functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) from the promoter region of the serotonin 1B receptor gene as being associated with CU traits in boys with antisocial behaviour problems. This research tested the hypothesis that CU traits are associated with reduced methylation of the promoter region of the serotonin 1B receptor gene due to the influence of methylation on gene expression. Participants (N = 117) were boys with antisocial behaviour problems aged 3-16 years referred to University of New South Wales Child Behaviour Research Clinics. Participants volunteered a saliva sample from which the genotype of a SNP from the promoter region of the serotonin 1B receptor gene and the methylation levels of 30 CpG sites from 3 CpG regions surrounding the location of this polymorphism were assayed. Lower levels of serotonin 1B receptor gene methylation were associated with higher levels of CU traits. This relationship, however, was found to be moderated by genotype and carried exclusively by two CpG sites for which levels of methylation were negatively associated with overall methylation levels in this region of the gene. Results provide support to the emerging literature that argues for a genetically-driven system-wide alteration in serotonin function in the aetiology of CU traits. Furthermore, the results suggest that there may be two pathways to CU traits that involve methylation of the serotonin 1B receptor gene; one that is driven by a genotypic risk and another that is associated with risk for generally increased levels of methylation. Future research that aims to replicate and further investigate these results is required.     

牛FSHR基因第10外显子单核苷酸多态性及其与双胎性状的关系

以秦川牛和荷斯坦奶牛的双胎母牛和单胎母牛为实验材料 ,以牛的FSHR基因的第 10个外显子作为标记牛双胎性状的候选基因 ,用SNP法进行了多态检测 .结果发现 ,在秦川牛的双胎母牛中突变率 6 0 % (6 10 ) ,而在单胎母牛中突变率为 2 0 % (2 10 ) ;在荷斯坦奶牛中 ,双胎母牛突变率为31 2 5 % (5 16 ) ,单胎母牛突变率为 6 6 7% (1 15 ) ;由此可见双胎牛和单胎牛二者之间FSHR基因的第 10个外显子的突变率差异明显 .这表明 ,选择FSHR基因的第 10个外显子有可能作为双胎性状的候选基因 .序列分析发现 ,在FSHR基因的第 15 0 6位碱基发生了突变 (T→C) ,但氨基酸没有发生变化 .     

Promoter Polymorphism in the Serotonin Transporter (5-HTT) Gene Is Significantly Associated with Leukocyte Telomere Length in Han Chinese

The serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT)-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) plays an important role in modulating mood and behavior by regulating 5-HTT expression and thereby controlling the concentration of serotonin (5-HT) in brain synapses: The homozygous shorter allele (S/S) in 5-HTTLPR results in lower 5-HTT expression coupled with stronger psycho-pathological reactions to stressful experiences compared to the homozygous long (L/L) and heterozygous (S/L) alleles. Psychological insults and mood disorders have been shown to cause accelerated telomere shortening, a marker of biological aging, however, it is currently unclear whether the allelic variants of 5-HTTLPR affect telomere length (TL) in the healthy population without mood disorders. In the present study, we determined the relationship between TL and the 5-HTTLPR variants in healthy Han Chinese. The 5-HTTLPR genotyping and leukocyte TL analysis of 280 young female Han Chinese freshmen showed a significantly shorter TL in 149 of them carrying the 5-HTTLPR S/S version compared to those (131) with the L/S or L/S plus L/L genotypes (mean ± SD, 0.533±0.241 for S/S vs 0.607±0.312 for L/S, P  =  0.034; or vs 0.604±0.313 for L/S plus L/L, P  =  0.038). Similar results were achieved in the other cohort including 220 adult healthy individuals of different age, gender and profession (0.691±0.168 for S/S vs 0.729±0.211 for L/S, P  =  0.046, or vs 0.725±0.213 for L/S plus L/L, P  =  0.039). Taken together, shorter leukocyte TL is significantly associated with the 5-HTTLPR S/S allelic variant, which may be implicated in psychological stress-related health problems.     

5‐HT2A Receptor Gene Promoter Polymorphism in Relation to Abdominal Obesity and Cortisol

Objective: There is considerable evidence that cortisol secretion is associated with obesity. The regulation of the 5‐hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A (5‐HT_2A) gene might play an essential role because it is involved in the control of cortisol secretion. Therefore, we examined the potential impact of the 5‐HT_2A ?1438G/A promoter polymorphism on obesity and estimates of insulin, glucose, and lipid metabolism as well as circulating hormones, including salivary cortisol, in 284 unrelated Swedish men born in 1944. Research Methods and Procedures: The subjects were genotyped by using polymerase chain reaction amplification of the promoter region of the gene for 5‐HT_2A followed by digestion of the reaction product with the restriction enzyme MspI. Results: The frequencies were 0.39 for allele ?1438A and 0.61 for allele ?1438G. Homozygotes for the ?1438G allele had, in comparison with ?1438A/A subjects, higher body mass index, waist‐to‐hip ratio, and abdominal sagittal diameter. Moreover, cortisol escape from 0.25‐mg dexamethasone suppression was found in subjects with the ?1438A/G genotype. Serum leptin, fasting insulin, and glucose, as well as serum lipids, were not different across the ?1438G/A genotype groups. Discussion: From these results, we suggest the possibility that an abnormal production rate of the 5‐HT_2A gene product might lead to the development of abdominal obesity. The pathophysiology could involve stress factors that destabilize the serotonin‐hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal system in those with genetic vulnerability in the serotonin receptor gene.     

Association of Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) rs53576 Polymorphism with Sociality: A Meta-Analysis

A common variant in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), rs53576, has been broadly linked to socially related personality traits and behaviors. However, the pattern of published results is inconsistent. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate the association. The literature was searched for relevant studies and effect sizes between individuals homozygous for the G allele (GG) and individuals with A allele carriers (AA/AG). Specifically, two indices of sociality were evaluated independently: i) general sociality (24 samples, n = 4955), i.e., how an individual responds to other people in general; and ii) close relationships (15 samples, n = 5262), i.e., how an individual responds to individuals with closed connections (parent-child or romantic relationship). We found positive association between the rs53576 polymorphism and general sociality (Cohen’s d = 0.11, p = .02); G allele homozygotes had higher general sociality than the A allele carriers. However, the meta-analyses did not detect significant genetic association between rs53576 and close relationships (Cohen’s d = 0.01, p = .64). In conclusion, genetic variation in the rs53576 influences general sociality, which further implies that it is worthy to systematically examine whether the rs53576 is a valid genetic marker for socially related psychiatric disorders.     

Convergence of Melatonin and Serotonin (5-HT) Signaling at MT2/5-HT2C Receptor Heteromers

Inasmuch as the neurohormone melatonin is synthetically derived from serotonin (5-HT), a close interrelationship between both has long been suspected. The present study reveals a hitherto unrecognized cross-talk mediated via physical association of melatonin MT₂ and 5-HT_2C receptors into functional heteromers. This is of particular interest in light of the “synergistic” melatonin agonist/5-HT_2C antagonist profile of the novel antidepressant agomelatine. A suite of co-immunoprecipitation, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer, and pharmacological techniques was exploited to demonstrate formation of functional MT₂ and 5-HT_2C receptor heteromers both in transfected cells and in human cortex and hippocampus. MT₂/5-HT_2C heteromers amplified the 5-HT-mediated G_q/phospholipase C response and triggered melatonin-induced unidirectional transactivation of the 5-HT_2C protomer of MT₂/5-HT_2C heteromers. Pharmacological studies revealed distinct functional properties for agomelatine, which shows “biased signaling.” These observations demonstrate the existence of functionally unique MT₂/5-HT_2C heteromers and suggest that the antidepressant agomelatine has a distinctive profile at these sites potentially involved in its therapeutic effects on major depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Finally, MT₂/5-HT_2C heteromers provide a new strategy for the discovery of novel agents for the treatment of psychiatric disorders.     

磺酰脲类受体基因多态性与2型糖尿病的相关性研究

研 究磺酰脲类受体1（SUR1）基因外显子16-3c/t多态性在中国某南方汉族人群中是否为2型糖尿病的致病基因座。采用聚合酶链反应-限制酶酶切片段长度多态性（PCR-RFLP）方法对南方汉族46个2型糖尿病高发家系成员的SUR1基因外显子16的多态性进行分析。利用Mantel-Haenszel分层分析研究该基因座多态性与2型糖尿病的关系。在高发家系人群中,SUR1基因外显子16-3c/t多态性的基因型频率为：cc型29.3%、ct型507%、tt型20%,c等位基因频率为54.7%;患者组基因型频率为：cc型30.2% 、ct型53.8%、tt型16.0% ,c等位基因频率为57.1% ;未患病亲属组基因型频率为：cc型28.3% 、ct型47.2%、tt型24.5%,c等位基因频率为519%,两组间基因型和等位基因的差异经检验无统计学意义（分别为χ2=3.224,P=0.199;χ2=1.250,P=0264）。在性别、吸烟、饮酒、肥胖、高血压等混杂因素中的频率差异亦无显著性。c等位基因频率低于北方汉族人。在中国某南方汉族2型糖尿病高发家族人群中,未发现SUR1基因外显子16-3c/t多态性与2型糖尿病存在关联,该基因座可能不是该人群的致病基因。 Abstract:To study whether the 3c/t polymorphism of the sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) gene exon16 increased the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in type 2 diabetes mellitus pedigrees in Han population in south area of China.Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was used in 46 type 2 diabetes mellitus pedigrees.The polymorphism in SUR1 was tested and analyzed by Mantel-Haenszel χ2 test.Frequencies of SUR1-3c/t polymorphism had no significant difference between type 2 diabetes mellitus and normal relatives（genotypes χ2=3.224,P=0.199;frequency of allele χ2=1.250,P=0.264）.In all subjects,type 2 diabetes mellitus and normal relatives,SUR1-3c/t genotypes were listed (cc:29.3%,30.2%,28.3%;ct:50.7%,53.8%,47.2%;tt:20%,16.0%,24.5% respectively).The frequencies of c were 54.7%,57.1% and 51.9% respectively.The frequency of c is lower than Han population in northern China.The results show that SUR1 exon16-3c/t polymorphism is not associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the population.     

Toll-Like Receptor 2 Gene Polymorphism and its Relationship with SCS in Dairy Cattle

Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) plays an important role in the innate immune response to a variety of pathogens. In this study, bovine TLR2 gene was taken as a candidate gene for mastitis resistance. Through PCR-SSCP analysis and sequencing, three missense mutations at T385 G, G398A, and G1884A were detected in the coding region that encoded extracellular domain. Altogether 240 dairy cattle of three breeds (Holstein, Simmental, and Sanhe cattle) were genotyped and allele frequencies were determined. The effects of TLR2 polymorphisms on somatic cell score (SCS) were analyzed and significant association was found between T385 G and SCS. The mean of genotype GG was significantly lower than those of genotype TT and TG. No significant associations were found with SCS for G398A and G1884A. Information provided in this research will be useful in further studies to determine the role of TLR2 gene in the mastitis resistance.