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Nienaber-Rousseau C. Understanding and applying gene-environment interactions: a guide for nutrition professionals with an emphasis on integration in African research settings. Nutr Rev 2024:nuae015. [PMID: 38442341 DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuae015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are influenced by the interplay between genetics and environmental exposures, particularly diet. However, many healthcare professionals, including nutritionists and dietitians, have limited genetic background and, therefore, they may lack understanding of gene-environment interactions (GxEs) studies. Even researchers deeply involved in nutrition studies, but with a focus elsewhere, can struggle to interpret, evaluate, and conduct GxE studies. There is an urgent need to study African populations that bear a heavy burden of NCDs, demonstrate unique genetic variability, and have cultural practices resulting in distinctive environmental exposures compared with Europeans or Americans, who are studied more. Although diverse and rapidly changing environments, as well as the high genetic variability of Africans and difference in linkage disequilibrium (ie, certain gene variants are inherited together more often than expected by chance), provide unparalleled potential to investigate the omics fields, only a small percentage of studies come from Africa. Furthermore, research evidence lags behind the practices of companies offering genetic testing for personalized medicine and nutrition. We need to generate more evidence on GxEs that also considers continental African populations to be able to prevent unethical practices and enable tailored treatments. This review aims to introduce nutrition professionals to genetics terms and valid methods to investigate GxEs and their challenges, and proposes ways to improve quality and reproducibility. The review also provides insight into the potential contributions of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics to the healthcare sphere, addresses direct-to-consumer genetic testing, and concludes by offering insights into the field's future, including advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelie Nienaber-Rousseau
- Centre of Excellence for Nutrition, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
- SAMRC Extramural Unit for Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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2
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Kneer K, Reinhard J, Ziegler C, Slyschak A, Schiele M, Vietz M, Peters K, Meisenzahl EM, Pauli P, Reif A, Deckert J, Romanos M, Domschke K, Neufang S. Serotonergic influence on depressive symptoms and trait anxiety is mediated by negative life events and frontal activation in children and adolescents. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2020; 29:691-706. [PMID: 31422473 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-019-01389-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Depression and anxiety are common in childhood and adolescence. Even though cardinal symptoms differ, there is a considerable overlap regarding the pathogenic influence of serotonergic innervation, negative life experience, disturbed emotion perception/affect regulation, and impaired neural functioning in the fronto-limbic circuit. In this study, we examined the effect of the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotype on depressive symptoms and trait anxiety under the consideration of the amount of negative life events in healthy children and adolescents (N = 389). In a subsample of 49 subjects, we performed fMRI to add fronto-limbic brain activation as a second interacting factor. Across all subjects, negative life events moderated the influence of the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotype on both depressive symptoms and trait anxiety. In the fMRI subsample, 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 S + S/LG + S/LA + LGLA + LGLG genotype-associated left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) activation mediated the influence of 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotype on depressive symptoms, however, only in combination with negative life events. Genetic influence on trait anxiety was predominantly mediated by negative life events; only LALA genotype-specific activation in the right MFG worked as a mediator in combination with negative life events. The present findings hint towards distinct mechanisms mediating the influence of 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotype on depressive symptoms and anxiety, with negative life events playing a crucial role in both phenotypes. With regard to depressive symptoms, however, this influence was only visible in combination with MFG activation, whereas, in anxiety, it was independent of brain activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Kneer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Julia Reinhard
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christiane Ziegler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anna Slyschak
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Miriam Schiele
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Vietz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Peters
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Eva M Meisenzahl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty Heinrich-Heine University, Bergische Landstraße 2, 40629, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Paul Pauli
- Department of Psychology, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jürgen Deckert
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marcel Romanos
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Centre for Basics in Neuromodulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Susanne Neufang
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty Heinrich-Heine University, Bergische Landstraße 2, 40629, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Osborne AJ, Pearson JF, Noble AJ, Gemmell NJ, Horwood LJ, Boden JM, Benton MC, Macartney-Coxson DP, Kennedy MA. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of heavy cannabis exposure in a New Zealand longitudinal cohort. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:114. [PMID: 32321915 PMCID: PMC7176736 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0800-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabis use is of increasing public health interest globally. Here we examined the effect of heavy cannabis use, with and without tobacco, on genome-wide DNA methylation in a longitudinal birth cohort (Christchurch Health and Development Study, CHDS). A total of 48 heavy cannabis users were selected from the CHDS cohort, on the basis of their adult exposure to cannabis and tobacco, and DNA methylation assessed from whole blood samples, collected at approximately age 28. Methylation in heavy cannabis users was assessed, relative to non-users (n = 48 controls) via the Illumina Infinium® MethylationEPIC BeadChip. We found the most differentially methylated sites in cannabis with tobacco users were in the AHRR and F2RL3 genes, replicating previous studies on the effects of tobacco. Cannabis-only users had no evidence of differential methylation in these genes, or at any other loci at the epigenome-wide significance level (P < 10-7). However, there were 521 sites differentially methylated at P < 0.001 which were enriched for genes involved in neuronal signalling (glutamatergic synapse and long-term potentiation) and cardiomyopathy. Further, the most differentially methylated loci were associated with genes with reported roles in brain function (e.g. TMEM190, MUC3L, CDC20 and SP9). We conclude that the effects of cannabis use on the mature human blood methylome differ from, and are less pronounced than, the effects of tobacco use, and that larger sample sizes are required to investigate this further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy J. Osborne
- grid.21006.350000 0001 2179 4063School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8041 New Zealand
| | - John F. Pearson
- grid.29980.3a0000 0004 1936 7830Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch, 8011 New Zealand
| | - Alexandra J. Noble
- grid.21006.350000 0001 2179 4063School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, 8041 New Zealand
| | - Neil J. Gemmell
- grid.29980.3a0000 0004 1936 7830Department of Anatomy, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054 New Zealand
| | - L. John Horwood
- grid.29980.3a0000 0004 1936 7830Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch, 8011 New Zealand
| | - Joseph M. Boden
- grid.29980.3a0000 0004 1936 7830Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch, 8011 New Zealand
| | - Miles C. Benton
- grid.419706.d0000 0001 2234 622XHuman Genomics, Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Kenepuru Science Centre, Porirua, 5240 New Zealand
| | - Donia P. Macartney-Coxson
- grid.419706.d0000 0001 2234 622XHuman Genomics, Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Kenepuru Science Centre, Porirua, 5240 New Zealand
| | - Martin A. Kennedy
- grid.29980.3a0000 0004 1936 7830Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch, 8011 New Zealand
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Time-varying Effects of GABRG1 and Maladaptive Peer Behavior on Externalizing Behavior from Childhood to Adulthood: Testing Gene × Environment × Development Effects. J Youth Adolesc 2019; 49:1351-1364. [PMID: 31786770 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-019-01171-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Engagement in externalizing behavior is problematic. Deviant peer affiliation increases risk for externalizing behavior. Yet, peer effects vary across individuals and may differ across genes. This study determines gene × environment × development interactions as they apply to externalizing behavior from childhood to adulthood. A sample (n = 687; 68% male, 90% White) of youth from the Michigan Longitudinal Study was assessed from ages 10 to 25. Interactions between γ-amino butyric acid type A receptor γ1 subunit (GABRG1; rs7683876, rs13120165) and maladaptive peer behavior on externalizing behavior were examined using time-varying effect modeling. The findings indicate a sequential risk gradient in the influence of maladaptive peer behavior on externalizing behavior depending on the number of G alleles during childhood through adulthood. Individuals with the GG genotype are most vulnerable to maladaptive peer influences, which results in greater externalizing behavior during late childhood through early adulthood.
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Russell MA, Schlomer GL, Cleveland HH, Feinberg ME, Greenberg MT, Spoth RL, Redmond C, Vandenbergh DJ. PROSPER Intervention Effects on Adolescents' Alcohol Misuse Vary by GABRA2 Genotype and Age. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2019; 19:27-37. [PMID: 28185103 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-017-0751-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Preventive intervention effects on adolescent alcohol misuse may differ based on genotypes in gene-by-intervention (G x I) interactions, and these G x I interactions may vary as a function of age. The current study uses a novel statistical method, time-varying effect modeling (TVEM), to test an age-varying interaction between a single nucleotide polymorphism in the GABRA2 gene (rs279845) and a preventive intervention in predicting alcohol misuse in a longitudinal study of adolescents (ages 11-20). The preventive intervention was PROSPER, a community-based system for delivery of family and school programs selected from a menu of evidence-based interventions. TVEM results revealed a significant age-varying GABRA2 x intervention interaction from ages 12 to 18, with the peak effect size seen around age 13 (IRR = 0.50). The intervention significantly reduced alcohol misuse for adolescents with the GABRA2 TT genotype from ages 12.5 to 17 but did not reduce alcohol use for adolescents with the GABRA2 A allele at any age. Differences in intervention effects by GABRA2 genotype were most pronounced from ages 13 to 16-a period when drinking is associated with increased risk for alcohol use disorder. Our findings provide additional evidence that intervention effects on adolescent alcohol misuse may differ by genotype, and provide novel evidence that the interaction between GABRA2 and intervention effects on alcohol use may vary with age. Implications for interventions targeting adolescent alcohol misuse are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Russell
- The Pennsylvania State University, 404 Health and Human Development Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | | | | | - Mark E Feinberg
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Mark T Greenberg
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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Bagshaw ATM, Horwood LJ, Fergusson DM, Gemmell NJ, Kennedy MA. Microsatellite polymorphisms associated with human behavioural and psychological phenotypes including a gene-environment interaction. BMC MEDICAL GENETICS 2017; 18:12. [PMID: 28158988 PMCID: PMC5291968 DOI: 10.1186/s12881-017-0374-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Background The genetic and environmental influences on human personality and behaviour are a complex matter of ongoing debate. Accumulating evidence indicates that short tandem repeats (STRs) in regulatory regions are good candidates to explain heritability not accessed by genome-wide association studies. Methods We tested for associations between the genotypes of four selected repeats and 18 traits relating to personality, behaviour, cognitive ability and mental health in a well-studied longitudinal birth cohort (n = 458-589) using one way analysis of variance. The repeats were a highly conserved poly-AC microsatellite in the upstream promoter region of the T-box brain 1 (TBR1) gene and three previously studied STRs in the activating enhancer-binding protein 2-beta (AP2-β) and androgen receptor (AR) genes. Where significance was found we used multiple regression to assess the influence of confounding factors. Results Carriers of the shorter, most common, allele of the AR gene’s GGN microsatellite polymorphism had fewer anxiety-related symptoms, which was consistent with previous studies, but in our study this was not significant following Bonferroni correction. No associations with two repeats in the AP2-β gene withstood this correction. A novel finding was that carriers of the minor allele of the TBR1 AC microsatellite were at higher risk of conduct problems in childhood at age 7-9 (p = 0.0007, which did pass Bonferroni correction). Including maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) in models controlling for potentially confounding influences showed that an interaction between TBR1 genotype and MSDP was a significant predictor of conduct problems in childhood and adolescence (p < 0.001), and of self-reported criminal behaviour up to age 25 years (p ≤ 0.02). This interaction remained significant after controlling for possible confounders including maternal age at birth, socio-economic status and education, and offspring birth weight. Conclusions The potential functional importance of the TBR1 gene’s promoter microsatellite deserves further investigation. Our results suggest that it participates in a gene-environment interaction with MDSP and antisocial behaviour. However, previous evidence that mothers who smoke during pregnancy carry genes for antisocial behaviour suggests that epistasis may influence the interaction. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12881-017-0374-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T M Bagshaw
- Department of Pathology, University of Otago, Christchurch, PO Box 4345, Christchurch, New Zealand.
| | - L John Horwood
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - David M Fergusson
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Gravida - National Centre for Growth and Development, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Martin A Kennedy
- Department of Pathology, University of Otago, Christchurch, PO Box 4345, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Costello EJ, Copeland W, Angold A. The Great Smoky Mountains Study: developmental epidemiology in the southeastern United States. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2016; 51:639-46. [PMID: 27010203 PMCID: PMC4846561 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-015-1168-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To describe the Great Smoky Mountains Study (GSMS). METHODS GSMS is a longitudinal study of child psychiatric disorders that began in 1992 to look at need for mental health services in a rural area of the USA. Over 20 years it has expanded its range to include developmental epidemiology more generally, not only the development of psychiatric and substance abuse problems but also their correlates and predictors: family and environmental risk, physical development including puberty, stress and stress-related hormones, trauma, the impact of poverty, genetic markers, and epigenetics. Now that participants are in their 30s the focus has shifted to adult outcomes of childhood psychopathology and risk, and early physical, cognitive, and psychological markers of aging. RESULTS This paper describes the results from over 11,000 interviews, examples of the study's contributions to science and policy, and plans for the future. CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal studies can provide insights that aid in policy planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Jane Costello
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Duke University, Suite 22 Brightleaf Square, 905 West Main Street, Durham, NC, 27701, USA.
| | - William Copeland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Duke University, Suite 22 Brightleaf Square, 905 West Main Street, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
| | - Adrian Angold
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Duke University, Suite 22 Brightleaf Square, 905 West Main Street, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
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Abstract
Severe mental illness (SMI) is a broad category that includes schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe depression. Both genetic disposition and environmental exposures play important roles in the development of SMI. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the roles of genetic and environmental factors depend on each other. Gene-environment interactions may underlie the paradox of strong environmental factors for highly heritable disorders, the low estimates of shared environmental influences in twin studies of SMI, and the heritability gap between twin and molecular heritability estimates. Sons and daughters of parents with SMI are more vulnerable to the effects of prenatal and postnatal environmental exposures, suggesting that the expression of genetic liability depends on environment. In the last decade, gene-environment interactions involving specific molecular variants in candidate genes have been identified. Replicated findings include an interaction between a polymorphism in the AKT1 gene and cannabis use in the development of psychosis and an interaction between the length polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene and childhood maltreatment in the development of persistent depressive disorder. Bipolar disorder has been underinvestigated, with only a single study showing an interaction between a functional polymorphism in the BDNF gene and stressful life events triggering bipolar depressive episodes. The first systematic search for gene-environment interactions has found that a polymorphism in CTNNA3 may sensitize the developing brain to the pathogenic effect of cytomegalovirus in utero, leading to schizophrenia in adulthood. Strategies for genome-wide investigations will likely include coordination between epidemiological and genetic research efforts, systematic assessment of multiple environmental factors in large samples, and prioritization of genetic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf Uher
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University , Halifax, NS , Canada ; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University , Halifax, NS , Canada ; Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London , London , UK
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