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Zhao W, Lan Q, Zhou M, Liang W, Yang Y, Gong P. Genetic Contributions to Attachment Stability Over Time: the Roles of CRHR1 Polymorphisms. J Youth Adolesc 2024; 53:273-283. [PMID: 37891393 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-023-01888-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1), a hormone receptor essential to the activation of HPA axis and the subsequent release of cortisol, plays critical roles in emotional and behavioral responses relevant to attachment. However, the specific roles of CRHR1 polymorphisms in attachment remain unclear. To further clarify these genetic effects, this research conducted a three-wave study to investigate whether the CRHR1 polymorphisms (i.e., rs110402 and rs242924) are associated with the stability and variability of attachment by using a sample of freshmen (N = 604; Mage = 18.57 years, SD = 1.90; 68.8% girls). The results showed that rs110402 and rs242924 were associated with the stability of closeness-dependence. The G alleles of the both polymorphisms were found not to be related to lower attachment stability. However, these polymorphisms were not associated with the variability of attachment. Overall, these findings provide evidence for the contribution of CRHR1 to attachment stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenping Zhao
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Qi Lan
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Mingzhu Zhou
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Wenting Liang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Yuting Yang
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China
| | - Pingyuan Gong
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China.
- College of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China.
- Institute of Population and Health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China.
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, China.
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2
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Sun X, Ming Q, Zhong X, Dong D, Li C, Xiong G, Cheng C, Cao W, He J, Wang X, Yi J, Yao S. The MAOA Gene Influences the Neural Response to Psychosocial Stress in the Human Brain. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:65. [PMID: 32499684 PMCID: PMC7243356 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The stress response is regulated by many mechanisms. Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) has been related to many mental illnesses. However, few studies have explored the relationship between MAOA and acute laboratory-induced psychosocial stress with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In the current study, the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) and fMRI were used to investigate how MAOA influences the stress response. Increased cortisol concentrations were observed after the task; functional connectivity between the bilateral anterior hippocampus and other brain regions was reduced during stress. MAOA-H allele carriers showed greater deactivation of the right anterior hippocampus and greater cortisol response after stress than did MAOH-L allele carriers. Hippocampal deactivation may lead to disinhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the initiation of stress hormone release under stress. Our results suggest that the MAOA gene regulates the stress response by influencing the right anterior hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiang Sun
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Qingsen Ming
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sochoow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xue Zhong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Daifeng Dong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Chuting Li
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Ge Xiong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Chang Cheng
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Wanyi Cao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Jiayue He
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Jinyao Yi
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Shuqiao Yao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
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3
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Salivary cortisol response to psychosocial stress in the late evening depends on CRHR1 genotype. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 116:104685. [PMID: 32361186 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is induced by stress. Imbalances in this system increase the risk of developing stress related disorders including mental illness. Variants in the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs110402 of the corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor type I (CRHR1) gene have been shown in interaction with childhood maltreatment to increase the vulnerability to develop depressive symptoms in adulthood. In this study, the direct contribution of polymorphism of the CRHR1 gene (rs110402) to the salivary cortisol response to stress independently from childhood adversity was investigated. Healthy young men between the ages of 18 and 30, free from childhood maltreatment and early trauma, were genotyped (n = 121). To increase the power of the genetic analysis, only homozygous carriers of the common C (n = 31) and of the rare T (n = 21) allele were selected for this study and exposed to a Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in the late evening (22.30 to 22.40). Salivary samples for the assessment of cortisol and its inactive metabolite cortisone were taken early in the evening (20.00), just before (22.30) and immediately after (22.40) as well as 15 minutes after stress exposure (22.55). Participants with the TT genotype showed higher cortisol levels 15 minutes post stress compared to participants with the CC genotype. No genotype differences were found for cortisone. Interestingly, TT participants reported lower subjective perceived stress levels before the TSST, but not after stress exposure. These results confirm that variants of rs110402 in the CRHR1 gene contribute to an increased stress response. Contrary to previous findings, however, this effect could be observed in subjects reporting no exposure to childhood maltreatment or early trauma.
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4
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Sun X, Li C, Zhong X, Dong D, Ming Q, Gao Y, Xiong G, Cheng C, Zhao H, Wang X, Yao S. Influence of psychosocial stress on activation in human brain regions: moderation by the 5-HTTLPR genetic locus. Physiol Behav 2020; 220:112876. [PMID: 32194071 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Revised: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Variants of the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) of the serotonin transporter gene SLC6A4 have been related with the onset of depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. Homozygotes for the short 5-HTTLPR variant, referred to as the SS genotype, have greater cortisol responses to experimentally induced psychosocial stress. In the current study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare regional brain activations across 5-HTTLPR genotypes in subjects performing the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST). Subjects with an SS genotype had significant greater increases in cortisol concentrations after the task than subjects with at least one long 5-HTTLPR allele. Additionally, relative to L carriers, the SS group had greater activation in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex(dmPFC), dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiang Sun
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Chuting Li
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Xue Zhong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Daifeng Dong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Qingsen Ming
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sochoow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yidian Gao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Ge Xiong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Chang Cheng
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Haofei Zhao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Xiang Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Shuqiao Yao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders.
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5
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Zhong X, Ming Q, Dong D, Sun X, Cheng C, Xiong G, Li C, Zhang X, Yao S. Childhood Maltreatment Experience Influences Neural Response to Psychosocial Stress in Adults: An fMRI Study. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2961. [PMID: 31993010 PMCID: PMC6971063 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Childhood maltreatment is a strong risk factor for the development of depression in later life. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this vulnerability are not well understood. As depression has been associated with dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and increased responsiveness to psychosocial stressors, we speculated that childhood maltreatment may lead to lasting alteration of the stress response system, thereby increasing the risk of depression. This study investigated the effects of childhood maltreatment on the stress response in healthy subjects while controlling for psychiatric condition. Methods Forty-eight healthy young adults (24 females) with childhood maltreatment experience and 48 healthy controls (33 females) without such experience were administered the Montreal Imaging Stress Task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Childhood maltreatment experience was assessed using the 28-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Between-group differences in subjective stress levels, whole brain activations and cortisol levels were assessed. Results Relative to healthy control subjects, individuals exposed to childhood maltreatment exhibited higher subjective stress and cortisol levels. Neurofunctionally, participants with histories of childhood maltreatment displayed significantly increased activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), insula and precuneus, and decreased activation in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) relative to healthy controls during the psychosocial stress task. Activations in dlPFC and insula correlated with CTQ scores in the childhood maltreatment group. Conclusion The results of this study show that childhood maltreatment induces lasting changes in brain function and HPA-axis responsiveness to stress. The observed abnormal activation in the dlPFC, insula and vmPFC and enhanced cortisol response are similar to those seen in individuals with depression. This dysfunction might serve as a diathesis that embeds latent vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, and this mechanism provides evidence supporting the stress sensitization model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Zhong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, China
| | - Qingsen Ming
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Daifeng Dong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Sun
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, China
| | - Chang Cheng
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, China
| | - Ge Xiong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, China
| | - Chuting Li
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, China
| | - Xiaocui Zhang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, China
| | - Shuqiao Yao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China.,China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders (Xiangya), Changsha, China
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6
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Alonso-Gonzalez A, Calaza M, Rodriguez-Fontenla C, Carracedo A. Novel Gene-Based Analysis of ASD GWAS: Insight Into the Biological Role of Associated Genes. Front Genet 2019; 10:733. [PMID: 31447886 PMCID: PMC6696953 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by its significant social impact and high heritability. The latest meta-analysis of ASD GWAS (genome-wide association studies) has revealed the association of several SNPs that were replicated in additional sets of independent samples. However, summary statistics from GWAS can be used to perform a gene-based analysis (GBA). GBA allows to combine all genetic information across the gene to create a single statistic (p-value for each gene). Thus, PASCAL (Pathway scoring algorithm), a novel GBA tool, has been applied to the summary statistics from the latest meta-analysis of ASD. GBA approach (testing the gene as a unit) provides an advantage to perform an accurate insight into the biological ASD mechanisms. Therefore, a gene-network analysis and an enrichment analysis for KEGG and GO terms were carried out. GENE2FUNC was used to create gene expression heatmaps and to carry out differential expression analysis (DEA) across GTEx v7 tissues and Brainspan data. dbMDEGA was employed to perform a DEG analysis between ASD and brain control samples for the associated genes and interactors. Results: PASCAL has identified the following loci associated with ASD: XRN2, NKX2-4, PLK1S1, KCNN2, NKX2-2, CRHR1-IT1, C8orf74 and LOC644172. While some of these genes were previously reported by MAGMA (XRN2, PLK1S1, and KCNN2), PASCAL has been useful to highlight additional genes. The biological characterization of the ASD-associated genes and their interactors have demonstrated the association of several GO and KEGG terms. Moreover, DEA analysis has revealed several up- and down-regulated clusters. In addition, many of the ASD-associated genes and their interactors have shown association with ASD expression datasets. Conclusions: This study identifies several associations at a gene level in ASD. Most of them were previously reported by MAGMA. This fact proves that PASCAL is an efficient GBA tool to extract additional information from previous GWAS. In addition, this study has characterized for the first time the biological role of the ASD-associated genes across brain regions, neurodevelopmental stages, and ASD gene-expression datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aitana Alonso-Gonzalez
- Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (FIDIS), Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Manuel Calaza
- Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (FIDIS), Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Cristina Rodriguez-Fontenla
- Grupo de Medicina Genómica, CIBERER, CIMUS (Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Angel Carracedo
- Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (FIDIS), Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.,Grupo de Medicina Genómica, CIBERER, CIMUS (Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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