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Cahill S, Chandola T, Hager R. Genetic Variants Associated With Resilience in Human and Animal Studies. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:840120. [PMID: 35669264 PMCID: PMC9163442 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.840120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Resilience is broadly defined as the ability to maintain or regain functioning in the face of adversity and is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. The identification of specific genetic factors and their biological pathways underpinning resilient functioning can help in the identification of common key factors, but heterogeneities in the operationalisation of resilience have hampered advances. We conducted a systematic review of genetic variants associated with resilience to enable the identification of general resilience mechanisms. We adopted broad inclusion criteria for the definition of resilience to capture both human and animal model studies, which use a wide range of resilience definitions and measure very different outcomes. Analyzing 158 studies, we found 71 candidate genes associated with resilience. OPRM1 (Opioid receptor mu 1), NPY (neuropeptide Y), CACNA1C (calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 C), DCC (deleted in colorectal carcinoma), and FKBP5 (FKBP prolyl isomerase 5) had both animal and human variants associated with resilience, supporting the idea of shared biological pathways. Further, for OPRM1, OXTR (oxytocin receptor), CRHR1 (corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1), COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase), BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), APOE (apolipoprotein E), and SLC6A4 (solute carrier family 6 member 4), the same allele was associated with resilience across divergent resilience definitions, which suggests these genes may therefore provide a starting point for further research examining commonality in resilience pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Cahill
- Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Faculty of Humanities, Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Tarani Chandola
- Faculty of Humanities, Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,Methods Hub, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Reinmar Hager
- Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Ibrahim P, Almeida D, Nagy C, Turecki G. Molecular impacts of childhood abuse on the human brain. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100343. [PMID: 34141833 PMCID: PMC8187840 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood abuse (CA) is a prevalent global health concern, increasing the risk of negative mental health outcomes later in life. In the literature, CA is commonly defined as physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as neglect. Several mental disorders have been associated with CA, including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder, along with an increased risk of suicide. It is thought that traumatic life events occurring during childhood and adolescence may have a significant impact on essential brain functions, which may persist throughout adulthood. The interaction between the brain and the external environment can be mediated by epigenetic alterations in gene expression, and there is a growing body of evidence to show that such changes occur as a function of CA. Disruptions in the HPA axis, myelination, plasticity, and signaling have been identified in individuals with a history of CA. Understanding the molecular impact of CA on the brain is essential for the development of treatment and prevention measures. In this review, we will summarize studies that highlight the molecular changes associated with CA in the human brain, along with supporting evidence from peripheral studies and animal models. We will also discuss some of the limitations surrounding the study of CA and propose extracellular vesicles as a promising future approach in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Ibrahim
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
| | - Daniel Almeida
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
| | - Corina Nagy
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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3
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Wood EK, Gabrielle N, Hunter J, Skowbo AN, Schwandt ML, Lindell SG, Barr CS, Suomi SJ, Higley JD. Early Rearing Conditions Affect Monoamine Metabolite Levels During Baseline and Periods of Social Separation Stress: A Non-human Primate Model ( Macaca mulatta). Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:624676. [PMID: 33897393 PMCID: PMC8062724 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.624676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A variety of studies show that parental absence early in life leads to deleterious effects on the developing CNS. This is thought to be largely because evolutionary-dependent stimuli are necessary for the appropriate postnatal development of the young brain, an effect sometimes termed the "experience-expectant brain," with parents providing the necessary input for normative synaptic connections to develop and appropriate neuronal survival to occur. Principal among CNS systems affected by parental input are the monoamine systems. In the present study, N = 434 rhesus monkeys (233 males, 201 females) were reared in one of two conditions: as mother-reared controls (MR; n = 269) or without adults with 24-h access to same-aged peers (PR; n = 165). When subjects were six-months-old, they underwent a separation paradigm involving 4, sequential, four-day social separations from their mothers or peers, with each separation followed by three-day reunions with their mothers or their peers. Prior to the separation paradigm, baseline cisternal CSF samples were obtained, as well as at the end of each the four social separations, and after final separation, during a recovery period. CSF was assayed for concentrations of monoamine metabolites and a blood sample was genotyped for the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) genotype. Replicating earlier landmark findings, PR subjects with the s allele exhibited lower baseline concentrations of the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), when compared to PR subjects homozygous for the L allele. MR subjects were undifferentiated by genotype. PR subjects exhibited lower CSF 5-HIAA concentrations during baseline, but higher CSF 5-HIAA during social separations, when compared to MR subjects. There were rearing effects for the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid (HVA) and for the norepinephrine metabolite 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), with PR subjects showing higher HVA and lower MHPG when compared to MR subjects. These findings indicate that there are long-term deficits in the response of monoamines following early maternal absence. The results of this study confirm and extend earlier findings that early parental absence has deleterious consequences for the development of the monoamine systems, and that these consequences are modulated by the 5-HTT genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K. Wood
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Natalia Gabrielle
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Jacob Hunter
- Department of Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Andrea N. Skowbo
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Melanie L. Schwandt
- Laboratory of Clinical Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Stephen G. Lindell
- Laboratory of Clinical Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Section of Comparative Behavioral Genomics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Christina S. Barr
- Laboratory of Clinical Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Section of Comparative Behavioral Genomics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Stephen J. Suomi
- Section of Comparative Ethology, Eunice Shriver Kennedy National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, MD, United States
| | - J. Dee Higley
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
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MacIsaac A, Mushquash AR, Mohammed S, Grassia E, Smith S, Wekerle C. Adverse Childhood Experiences and Building Resilience With the JoyPop App: Evaluation Study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2021; 9:e25087. [PMID: 33393908 PMCID: PMC7813633 DOI: 10.2196/25087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on mental health, self-regulatory capacities, and overall resilience are well-known. Given such effects, ACEs may play a role in how individuals adjust to challenges later in life. Of interest in this study is the transition to university, a time of heightened stress when adapting to circumstances is required and when those with ACEs may need additional in-the-moment support to exercise resilience. A smartphone app may provide a worthwhile and readily accessible medium for a resilience intervention, provided behavioral outcomes are adequately evaluated. OBJECTIVE This study evaluates the impact of an innovative, smartphone app-based resilience intervention. The JoyPop app was designed to promote resilience through the use of self-regulatory skills such as emotion regulation and executive functioning. Among a sample of first-year undergraduate students, we explored whether use of the app would be associated with positive changes in resilience and related outcomes, and whether these benefits were influenced by level of childhood adversity. METHODS Participants (N=156) were requested to use the JoyPop app for 4 weeks, at least twice daily. Changes in resilience, emotion regulation, executive functioning, and depression were assessed after 2 and 4 weeks of app usage using multilevel modeling. RESULTS The sample of 156 participants included 123 females and 33 males, with a mean age of 19.02 years (SD 2.90). On average participants used the app on 20.43 of the possible 28 days (SD 7.14). App usage was associated with improvements in emotion regulation (χ21=44.46; P<.001), such that it improved by 0.25 points on the 18-point scale for each additional day of app usage, and symptoms of depression (χ21=25.12; P<.001), such that depression symptoms were reduced by .08 points on the 9-point scale with each additional day of app usage. An interaction between ACEs and days of app usage existed for emotion regulation, such that participants with more adversity evidenced a faster rate of change in emotion regulation (P=.02). CONCLUSIONS Results highlight that daily incorporation of an app-based resilience intervention can help youth who have experienced adversity to improve emotion regulation skills and experience reductions in depression. The JoyPop app represents an important step forward in the integration of resilience intervention research with a technology-based medium that provides in-the-moment support.
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Li M, Cui J, Xu B, Wei Y, Fu C, Lv X, Xiong L, Qin D. Sleep Disturbances and Depression Are Co-morbid Conditions: Insights From Animal Models, Especially Non-human Primate Model. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:827541. [PMID: 35145441 PMCID: PMC8821160 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.827541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence rates of depression are increasing year by year. As one of the main clinical manifestations of depression, sleep disorder is often the first complication. This complication may increase the severity of depression and lead to poor prognosis in patients. In the past decades, there have been many methods used to evaluate sleep disorders, such as polysomnography and electroencephalogram, actigraphy, and videography. A large number of rodents and non-human primate models have reproduced the symptoms of depression, which also show sleep disorders. The purpose of this review is to examine and discuss the relationship between sleep disorders and depression. To this end, we evaluated the prevalence, clinical features, phenotypic analysis, and pathophysiological brain mechanisms of depression-related sleep disturbances. We also emphasized the current situation, significance, and insights from animal models of depression, which would provide a better understanding for the pathophysiological mechanisms between sleep disturbance and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
| | - Jieqiong Cui
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
| | - Bonan Xu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wei
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
| | - Chenyang Fu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
| | - Xiaoman Lv
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
| | - Lei Xiong
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
| | - Dongdong Qin
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, Kunming, China
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Abstract
AbstractIn summary, genetics, as well as foetal and early life environmental factors shape the size or capacity of our monoamine systems, of which the serotonergic one might play a leading role. Those constitutional properties then form the biological basis for personality traits, such as impulsiveness and “sensation seeking”, which interact with psychosocial settings and life events to form a pattern of reactivity to a current life event or psychosocial situation, shown as a high or low order of magnitude of gene-environment interaction. In the present paper emphasis is put on the role of genotypes of the serotonin transporter, of monoamine oxidases A and B, and of platelet monoamine oxidase B activity, which all have been shown to be of importance for behaviour and with obvious effects of interactions with environment. Under unfortunate circumstances constitutional properties might be strong enough to result in vulnerability for suicide, even with a modest influence of environment.
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7
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Schiele MA, Bandelow B, Baldwin DS, Pini S, Domschke K. A neurobiological framework of separation anxiety and related phenotypes. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 33:45-57. [PMID: 32046934 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In the DSM-5, separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is newly classified in the chapter on anxiety, renewing research efforts into its etiology. In this narrative review, we summarize the current literature on the genetic, endocrine, physiological, neural and neuropsychological underpinnings of SAD per se, SAD in the context of panic disorder, separation anxiety symptoms, and related intermediate phenotypes. SAD aggregates in families and has a heritability of ~43%. Variants in the oxytocin receptor, serotonin transporter, opioid receptor µ1, dopamine D4 receptor and translocator protein genes have all been associated with SAD. Dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, dysfunctional cortico-limbic interaction and biased cognitive processing seem to constitute further neurobiological markers of separation anxiety. Hypersensitivity to carbon dioxide appears to be an endophenotype shared by SAD, panic disorder and anxiety sensitivity. The identification of biological risk markers and its multi-level integration hold great promise regarding the prediction of SAD risk, maintenance and course, and in the future may allow for the selection of indicated preventive and innovative, personalized therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam A Schiele
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Borwin Bandelow
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Germany
| | - David S Baldwin
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Stefano Pini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Center for Basics in NeuroModulation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.
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Staes N, Sherwood CC, Freeman H, Brosnan SF, Schapiro SJ, Hopkins WD, Bradley BJ. Serotonin Receptor 1A Variation Is Associated with Anxiety and Agonistic Behavior in Chimpanzees. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 36:1418-1429. [PMID: 31045220 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in regulating behavior and personality in humans and other mammals. Polymorphisms in genes coding for the serotonin receptor subtype 1A (HTR1A), the serotonin transporter (SLC6A4), and the serotonin degrading enzyme monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) are associated with anxiety, impulsivity, and neurotic personality in humans. In primates, previous research has largely focused on SLC6A4 and MAOA, with few studies investigating the role of HTR1A polymorphic variation on behavior. Here, we examined variation in the coding region of HTR1A across apes, and genotyped polymorphic coding variation in a sample of 214 chimpanzees with matched measures of personality and behavior. We found evidence for positive selection at three amino acid substitution sites, one in chimpanzees-bonobos (Thr26Ser), one in humans (Phe33Val), and one in orangutans (Ala274Gly). Investigation of the HTR1A coding region in chimpanzees revealed a polymorphic site, where a C/A single nucleotide polymorphism changes a proline to a glutamine in the amino acid sequence (Pro248Gln). The substitution is located in the third intracellular loop of the receptor, a region important for serotonin signal transduction. The derived variant is the major allele in this population (frequency 0.67), and is associated with a reduction in anxiety, decreased rates of male agonistic behavior, and an increase in socio-positive behavior. These results are the first evidence that the HTR1A gene may be involved in regulating social behavior in chimpanzees and encourage further systematic investigation of polymorphic variation in other primate populations with corresponding data on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicky Staes
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC.,Department of Biology, Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Hani Freeman
- Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastrop, TX
| | - Sarah F Brosnan
- Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastrop, TX.,Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.,Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Steven J Schapiro
- Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBastrop, TX
| | - William D Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.,Ape Cognition and Conservation Initiative, Des Moines, IA
| | - Brenda J Bradley
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
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Kinnally EL, Martinez SJ, Chun K, Capitanio JP, Ceniceros LC. Early Social Stress Promotes Inflammation and Disease Risk in Rhesus Monkeys. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7609. [PMID: 31110226 PMCID: PMC6527690 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43750-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Early social stress has potent lifelong health effects. We examined the association of early stress in the attachment relationship (low maternal sensitivity, low MS), lower maternal social hierarchy rank, and greater frequency of group-level social conflict, with biomarkers of inflammatory stress response in plasma (IL-8, MCP-1 and CRP collected two hours after temporary separation from mothers and social groups) and risk for developing a common macaques disease outcome (infectious colitis) in 170 socially-housed rhesus monkeys. We controlled for gene-environment correlations by comparing cross-fostered subjects with infants reared by their biological mothers. Low MS predicted higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and proteins at 3-4 months of age (F(3, 162) = 3.508, p = 0.002, partial eta2 = 0.061) and higher lifetime risk for developing colitis for up to twelve years of age (chi square = 5.919, p = 0.026). Lower maternal social rank (F (3, 162) = 3.789, p = 0.012, partial eta2 = 0.06) and higher rates of social conflict (F (3, 162) = 4.264, p = 0.006, partial eta2 = 0.074) each also predicted greater inflammation in infancy, but not lifetime colitis risk (both p > 0.05). The effects of low MS, lower social rank, and higher social conflict were significant in infants reared by biological mothers and cross-fostered infants, suggesting that our results did not arise from gene-environment correlations, but environmental stressors alone. We conclude that several types of early social stress confer risk for inflammation in infancy, but that stress in the mother-infant relationship may confer the longest-term risk for adverse health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Kinnally
- University of California Davis, Department of Psychology, Davis, USA.
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, USA.
| | | | - Katie Chun
- University of California Davis, Department of Psychology, Davis, USA
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, USA
| | - John P Capitanio
- University of California Davis, Department of Psychology, Davis, USA
- California National Primate Research Center, Davis, USA
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10
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Modulation of glucocorticoids by the serotonin transporter polymorphism: A narrative review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 92:338-349. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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11
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Zhao M, Yang J, Wang W, Ma J, Zhang J, Zhao X, Qiu X, Yang X, Qiao Z, Song X, Wang L, Jiang S, Zhao E, Yang Y. Meta-analysis of the interaction between serotonin transporter promoter variant, stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16532. [PMID: 29184054 PMCID: PMC5705670 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15168-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress predicts the occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals harboring the serotonin transporter promoter variant 5-HTTLPR. We carried out a meta-analysis of studies investigating the interaction between 5-HTTLPR, stress, and PTSD to clarify the interrelatedness of these factors. We reviewed all relevant studies published in English before May 2016. The Lipták-Stouffer z-score method for meta-analysis was applied to combined data. The z score was separately calculated for the stressful life events, childhood adversity, bi- and triallelic loci, and cross-sectional and longitudinal studies subgroups. A total of 14 studies with 15,883 subjects met our inclusion criteria. We found strong evidence that the presence of 5-HTTLPR influenced the relationship between stress and PTSD (P = 0.00003), with the strongest effects observed in the cross-sectional and longitudinal groups (P = 0.01 and 2.0 × 10-6, respectively). Stressful life events and childhood adversity separately interacted with 5-HTTLPR in PTSD (P = 2.0 × 10-8 and 0.003, respectively). When the studies were stratified by locus classification, the evidence was stronger for the triallelic (P = 4.0 × 10-8) than for the biallelic (P = 0.054) locus subgroup. There was strong evidence that 5-HTTLPR influences the relationship between stress and PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhe Zhao
- Psychology Department of the Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, No. 157, Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Jiarun Yang
- Psychology Department of the Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, No. 157, Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Wenbo Wang
- Psychology Department of the Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, No. 157, Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Jingsong Ma
- Psychology Department of the Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, No. 157, Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Psychology Department of the Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, No. 157, Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Xueyan Zhao
- Psychology Department of the Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, No. 157, Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Xiaohui Qiu
- Psychology Department of the Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, No. 157, Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Xiuxian Yang
- Psychology Department of the Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, No. 157, Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Zhengxue Qiao
- Psychology Department of the Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, No. 157, Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Xuejia Song
- Psychology Department of the Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, No. 157, Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Psychology Department of the Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, No. 157, Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Shixiang Jiang
- Psychology Department of the Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, No. 157, Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Erying Zhao
- Psychology Department of the Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, No. 157, Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China
| | - Yanjie Yang
- Psychology Department of the Public Health Institute of Harbin Medical University, No. 157, Baojian Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, China.
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12
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Perry LM, Goldstein-Piekarski AN, Williams LM. Sex differences modulating serotonergic polymorphisms implicated in the mechanistic pathways of risk for depression and related disorders. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:737-762. [PMID: 27870440 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Revised: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Despite consistent observations of sex differences in depression and related emotional disorders, we do not yet know how these sex differences modulate the effects of genetic polymorphisms implicated in risk for these disorders. This Mini-Review focuses on genetic polymorphisms of the serotonergic system to illustrate how sex differences might modulate the neurobiological pathways involved in the development of depression. We consider the interacting role of environmental factors such as early-life stress. Given limited current knowledge about this topic, we highlight methodological considerations, challenges, and guidelines for future research. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- LeeAnn M Perry
- Neurosciences Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Andrea N Goldstein-Piekarski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.,Sierra-Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California
| | - Leanne M Williams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.,Sierra-Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California
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Early rearing history influences oxytocin receptor epigenetic regulation in rhesus macaques. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:11769-11774. [PMID: 29078292 PMCID: PMC5676889 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1706206114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetically programmed stress adaptation may be a conduit for informing offspring of environmental challenge. We employed ChIP-sequencing to examine effects of early environment on epigenetic regulation using hippocampal samples from macaques exposed to disruption in maternal care. We found decreased H3K4me3 binding at genes critical to behavioral stress response, the most robust being the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), for which we observed a corresponding decrease in RNA expression. Post hoc analysis showed that a gain-of-function OXTR SNP rescued behavioral differences in early stress-exposed subjects. Our data suggest that epigenetic down-modulation of OXTR in brain could contribute to behavioral differences observed in early stress-exposed subjects and that functional genetic variation plays a role. These could have translational implications for human psychiatric disease and personality disorders. Adaptations to stress can occur through epigenetic processes and may be a conduit for informing offspring of environmental challenge. We employed ChIP-sequencing for H3K4me3 to examine effects of early maternal deprivation (peer-rearing, PR) in archived rhesus macaque hippocampal samples (male, n = 13). Focusing on genes with roles in stress response and behavior, we assessed the effects of rearing on H3K4me3 binding by ANOVA. We found decreased H3K4me3 binding at genes critical to behavioral stress response, the most robust being the oxytocin receptor gene OXTR, for which we observed a corresponding decrease in RNA expression. Based on this finding, we performed behavioral analyses to determine whether a gain-of-function nonsynonymous OXTR SNP interacted with early stress to influence relevant behavioral stress reactivity phenotypes (n = 194), revealing that this SNP partially rescued the PR phenotype. PR infants exhibited higher levels of separation anxiety and arousal in response to social separation, but infants carrying the alternative OXTR allele did not exhibit as great a separation response. These data indicate that the oxytocin system is involved in social-separation response and suggest that epigenetic down-modulation of OXTR could contribute to behavioral differences observed in PR animals. Epigenetic changes at OXTR may represent predictive adaptive responses that could impart readiness to respond to environmental challenge or maintain proximity to a caregiver but also contribute to behavioral pathology. Our data also demonstrate that OXTR polymorphism can permit animals to partially overcome the detrimental effects of early maternal deprivation, which could have translational implications for human psychiatric disorders.
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Doherty TS, Blaze J, Keller SM, Roth TL. Phenotypic outcomes in adolescence and adulthood in the scarcity-adversity model of low nesting resources outside the home cage. Dev Psychobiol 2017; 59:703-714. [PMID: 28767135 PMCID: PMC5569321 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Early life adversity is known to disrupt behavioral trajectories and many rodent models have been developed to characterize these stress-induced outcomes. One example is the scarcity-adversity model of low nesting resources. This model employs resource scarcity (i.e., low nesting materials) to elicit adverse caregiving conditions (including maltreatment) toward rodent neonates. Our lab utilizes a version of this model wherein caregiving exposures occur outside the home cage during the first postnatal week. The aim of this study was to determine adolescent and adult phenotypic outcomes associated with this model, including assessment of depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors and performance in different cognitive domains. Exposure to adverse caregiving had no effect on adolescent behavioral performance whereas exposure significantly impaired adult behavioral performance. Further, adult behavioral assays revealed substantial differences between sexes. Overall, data demonstrate the ability of repeated exposure to brief bouts of maltreatment outside the home cage in infancy to impact the development of several behavioral domains later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany S. Doherty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware,
Newark DE 19716
| | | | | | - Tania L. Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware,
Newark DE 19716
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15
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Geary DC. Evolution of Sex Differences in Trait- and Age-Specific Vulnerabilities. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2016; 11:855-876. [DOI: 10.1177/1745691616650677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Traits that facilitate competition for reproductive resources or that influence mate choice generally have a heightened sensitivity to stressors. They have evolved to signal resilience to infectious disease and nutritional and social stressors, and they are compromised by exposure to man-made toxins. Although these traits can differ from one species or sex to the next, an understanding of the dynamics of competition and choice can in theory be used to generate a priori predictions about sex-, age-, and trait-specific vulnerabilities for any sexually reproducing species. I provide a review of these dynamics and illustrate associated vulnerabilities in nonhuman species. The age- and sex-specific vulnerability of such traits is then illustrated for stressor-related disruptions of boys’ and girls’ physical growth and play behavior, as well as for aspects of boys’ and girls’ and men’s and women’s personality, language, and spatial abilities. There is much that remains to be determined, but enough is now known to reframe trait sensitivity in ways that will allow scientists and practitioners to better identify and understand vulnerable human traits, and eventually ameliorate or prevent their expression.
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Gressier F, Calati R, Serretti A. 5-HTTLPR and gender differences in affective disorders: A systematic review. J Affect Disord 2016; 190:193-207. [PMID: 26519640 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Revised: 09/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) variants have been extensively studied in psychiatric disorders. Although gender effects have been reported, they have not been comprehensively reviewed. The aim of our study was to summarize literature findings on 5-HTTLPR and gender differences in affective disorders. METHODS A systematic search of PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, and PsycINFO databases was performed for dates until January 2015. The included articles (n=78) analyzed the association between 5-HTTLPR and affective spectrum disorders, taking into account gender. The quality of each study was assessed through STROBE and CONSORT. RESULTS 5-HTTLPR modulation of affective disorders varied by gender. The S allele (or SS genotype) seemed to be differently associated with an increased risk of depression, depressive symptoms, anxiety traits and symptoms, and symptoms of internalizing behavior among women and an increased risk of aggressiveness, conduct disorder and symptom counts of externalizing behavior among men. Moreover, the presence of stressful life events reinforced the association. Interestingly, these differences seemed to begin with adolescence and were not consistent among the elderly, suggesting a plausible role of hormonal fluctuations. LIMITATIONS The review is limited by the small number of included papers, due to the paucity of information in the literature regarding 5-HTTLPR and gender. CONCLUSIONS 5-HTTLPR variants may exert a differential modulation on a number of features depending on gender. Further studies are needed to more deeply investigate the effect of 5-HTTLPR×gender on the modulation of affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Gressier
- INSERM UMR 1178, Univ Paris Sud, Department of Psychiatry, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Bicêtre University Hospital, 78 rue du Général Leclerc, 94275 Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France.
| | - R Calati
- INSERM U1061, University of Montpellier, FondaMental Foundation, Montpellier, France
| | - A Serretti
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Science, University of Bologna, Viale Carlo Pepoli 5, 40123 Bologna, Italy
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Driscoll CA, Barr CS. Studying longitudinal trajectories in animal models of psychiatric illness and their translation to the human condition. Neurosci Res 2015; 102:67-77. [PMID: 26276350 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2015.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Many forms of psychopathology and/or psychiatric illness can occur through the pathways of altered environmental sensitivity, impulsivity, social functioning, and anxious responding. While these traits are also heritable, environmental conditions are known to play a critical role. The genetic factors that contribute to these traits may be adaptive in certain contexts, but can - under the environmental conditions commonly faced among modern humans - also be key moderators of risk for psychopathological outcomes. This article will discuss how animal studies inform us of the various environmental mechanisms through which prenatal or early postnatal environmental challenge can produce long-term effects on behavior and will briefly address how pre-copulatory, pre-natal and early postnatal epigenetic effects can contribute to persistent alterations in offspring behavior. Its main focus will be how nonhuman primate studies have helped us to understand how genetic vulnerability factors can moderate responses to early environmental factors, suggesting pathways through which early stress might produce long-term effects, thus pointing to systems that might moderate risk for psychiatric illnesses in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Driscoll
- Section of Comparative Behavioral Genomics, NIH/NIAAA/LNG, 5625 Fishers Lane, 3S-32, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA
| | - Christina S Barr
- Section of Comparative Behavioral Genomics, NIH/NIAAA/LNG, 5625 Fishers Lane, 3S-32, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA.
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18
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van Strien T, Levitan RD, Engels RC, Homberg JR. Season of birth, the dopamine D4 receptor gene and emotional eating in males and females. Evidence of a genetic plasticity factor? Appetite 2015; 90:51-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2015.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Revised: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Mak L, Streiner DL, Steiner M. Is serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) allele status a predictor for obsessive-compulsive disorder? A meta-analysis. Arch Womens Ment Health 2015; 18:435-45. [PMID: 25896187 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-015-0526-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The serotonin transporter polymorphism has been implicated in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, molecular genetic association studies have yielded inconsistent results. Variation may be due to lack of OCD subtype classification. The goal of this systematic review is to investigate the association of the S-allele of the serotonin transporter polymorphism with OCD and OCD subtypes. A total of 69 studies were initially found through a systematic search of the literature but only 13 with sufficient information to compute odds ratios were suitable for review. A total of 1991 participants with OCD and their 5-HTTLPR allele status were examined. The primary outcome measures were allele frequency and OCD diagnosis. A full meta-analysis was completed comparing the L- and S-alleles using a random effects model in RevMan 5.2.1. Further, a secondary meta-analysis stratified by sex and late-onset was conducted for S- versus L-allele frequency. In the primary meta-analysis, OCD was not associated with the S-allele of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism (Z = 0.07, p = 0.94). Moreover, late-onset OCD was not associated with the S-allele (Z = 1.45, p = 0.15). However, when stratified by sex, there is an emerging sex-specific relationship. There was a trending association between the S-allele and OCD status in females (Z = 1.62, p = 0.10) but not in males (Z = 0.69, p = 0.49). The findings provide further support for the need of subtype classification of this heterogeneous disorder. Future studies should clearly examine sex differences and OCD age-of-onset. In particular, emphasis should be placed on the effect of female reproductive milestones on OCD onset and symptom exacerbation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Mak
- MiNDS Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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20
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Epigenetic and transgenerational reprogramming of brain development. Nat Rev Neurosci 2015; 16:332-44. [PMID: 25921815 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 321] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental programming - the implementation of the genetic and epigenetic blueprints that guide and coordinate normal brain development - requires tight regulation of transcriptional processes. During prenatal and postnatal time periods, epigenetic processes fine-tune neurodevelopment towards an end product that determines how an organism interacts with and responds to exposures and experiences throughout life. Epigenetic processes also have the ability to reprogramme the epigenome in response to environmental challenges, such as maternal stress, making the organism more or less adaptive depending on the future challenges presented. Epigenetic marks generated within germ cells as a result of environmental influences throughout life can also shape future generations long before conception occurs.
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21
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Meredith SL. Comparative perspectives on human gender development and evolution. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2014; 156 Suppl 59:72-97. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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22
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Qin D, Rizak J, Feng X, Yang S, Yang L, Fan X, Lü L, Chen L, Hu X. Cortisol responses to chronic stress in adult macaques: moderation by a polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene. Behav Brain Res 2014; 278:280-5. [PMID: 25311283 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2014] [Revised: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/04/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence has shown that a polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) moderates the association between stress and depressive symptoms. However, the exact etiologies underlying this moderation are not well understood. Here it is reported that among adult female rhesus macaques, an orthologous polymorphism (rh5-HTTLPR) exerted an influence on cortisol responses to chronic stress. It was found that females with two copies of the short allele were associated with increased cortisol responses to chronic stress in comparison to their counterparts who have one or two copies of the long allele. In the absence of stress, no differences related to genotype were observed in these females. This genetic moderation was found without a genetic influence on exposure to stressful situations. Rather it was found to be a genetic modulation of cortisol responses to chronic stress. These findings indicate that the rh5-HTTLPR polymorphism is closely related to hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity, which may increase susceptibility to depression in females with low serotonin transporter efficiency and a history of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Qin
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Joshua Rizak
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoli Feng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Shangchuan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Lichuan Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiaona Fan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Longbao Lü
- Kunming Primate Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China
| | - Lin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xintian Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China; Kunming Primate Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China.
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23
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Munafò MR, Zammit S, Flint J. Practitioner review: A critical perspective on gene-environment interaction models--what impact should they have on clinical perceptions and practice? J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2014; 55:1092-101. [PMID: 24828285 PMCID: PMC4961234 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychiatric disorders run in families, and early twin, family and adoption studies confirmed that this was due in part to shared genetic inheritance. While candidate gene studies largely failed to reliably identify genetic variants associated with psychiatric disorders, genome-wide association studies are beginning to do so. However, the proportion of phenotypic variance explained remains well below what would be expected from previous heritability estimates. SCOPE We review possible reasons for this 'missing heritability', and whether incorporating gene by environment interactions into our models will substantially improve our understanding of the aetiology of psychiatric disorders, and inform clinical perceptions and practice. FINDINGS We discuss potential limitations of the gene by environment interaction approach. In particular, we discuss whether these are likely to be a major contributor to psychiatric disorders at the level of the specific interaction (as opposed to at an aggregate level). CONCLUSIONS Gene by environment interaction studies offered initial promise that a far greater proportion of phenotypic variance could be explained by incorporating measures of environmental exposures into genetic studies. However, in our opinion, there are few (if any) clear examples of gene by environment interactions in psychiatry, and their scope for informing either our understanding of disease pathology or clinical practice remains limited at present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus R. Munafò
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, UK,UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, University of Bristol, UK,School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, UK
| | - Stanley Zammit
- School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK,MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, UK
| | - Jonathan Flint
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, UK
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24
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van der Doelen RHA, Deschamps W, D'Annibale C, Peeters D, Wevers RA, Zelena D, Homberg JR, Kozicz T. Early life adversity and serotonin transporter gene variation interact at the level of the adrenal gland to affect the adult hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. Transl Psychiatry 2014; 4:e409. [PMID: 25004389 PMCID: PMC4119224 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2014.57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2014] [Revised: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The short allelic variant of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) promoter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) has been associated with the etiology of major depression by interaction with early life stress (ELS). Furthermore, 5-HTTLPR has been associated with abnormal functioning of the stress-responsive hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Here, we examined if, and at what level, the HPA-axis is affected in an animal model for ELS × 5-HTTLPR interactions. Heterozygous and homozygous 5-HTT knockout rats and their wild-type littermates were exposed daily at postnatal days 2-14 to 3 h of maternal separation. When grown to adulthood, plasma levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and the major rat glucocorticoid, corticosterone (CORT), were measured. Furthermore, the gene expression of key HPA-axis players at the level of the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands was assessed. No 5-HTT genotype × ELS interaction effects on gene expression were observed at the level of the hypothalamus or pituitary. However, we found significant 5-HTT genotype × ELS interaction effects for plasma CORT levels and adrenal mRNA levels of the ACTH receptor, such that 5-HTT deficiency was associated under control conditions with increased, but after ELS with decreased basal HPA-axis activity. With the use of an in vitro adrenal assay, naïve 5-HTT knockout rats were furthermore shown to display increased adrenal ACTH sensitivity. Therefore, we conclude that basal HPA-axis activity is affected by the interaction of 5-HTT genotype and ELS, and is programmed, within the axis itself, predominantly at the level of the adrenal gland. This study therefore emphasizes the importance of the adrenal gland for HPA-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- R H A van der Doelen
- Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands,Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 21 (route 126), 6525 EZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands. E-mail:
| | - W Deschamps
- Department of Cellular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - C D'Annibale
- Department of Cellular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - D Peeters
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands,Department of Cellular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - R A Wevers
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - D Zelena
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - J R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - T Kozicz
- Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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25
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TAYLOR JACKH, MUSTOE AARYNC, FRENCH JEFFREYA. Behavioral responses to social separation stressor change across development and are dynamically related to HPA activity in marmosets. Am J Primatol 2014; 76:239-48. [PMID: 24532179 PMCID: PMC5375030 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Revised: 09/21/2013] [Accepted: 10/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Psychosocial stressors activate two distinct stress-response systems, a central, behavioral response, and a peripheral, endocrine response. Both behavioral and endocrine responses to stressors are subject to individual and developmental variables, but it is not known whether stressor induced behaviors are stable across development, and how they correspond with changes in the endocrine component of the stress response. We characterized the development and stability of behavioral responses to a mild psychosocial stressor in marmosets (Callithrix geoffroyi), and assessed the degree to which the behavioral and endocrine stress-response systems were co-activated. The behavioral response to stressors was stable within individuals, but only some stressor-induced behaviors changed as the monkeys developed. Overall, there was more variability in the development of behavioral responses compared to stress-induced endocrine profiles found previously [French et al., 2012. Horm Behav 61:196-203]. In young marmosets, only increased alarm calling was correlated with increased cortisol reactivity, and in older marmosets increased cage manipulations and motor activity were associated with poorer post-stressor cortisol regulation. Because these relationships were so few, we conclude that while the behavioral and endocrine systems follow a similar developmental trajectory, each system maintains a level of independence. Furthermore, the relationship between stressor-induced behaviors and HPA activity changes across development.
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Affiliation(s)
- JACK H. TAYLOR
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska—Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska
- Callitrichid Research Center, Department of Psychology, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - AARYN C. MUSTOE
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska—Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska
- Callitrichid Research Center, Department of Psychology, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - JEFFREY A. FRENCH
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska—Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska
- Callitrichid Research Center, Department of Psychology, Omaha, Nebraska
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska—Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska
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26
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Fawcett GL, Dettmer AM, Kay D, Raveendran M, Higley JD, Ryan ND, Cameron JL, Rogers J. Quantitative Genetics of Response to Novelty and Other Stimuli by Infant Rhesus Macaques ( Macaca mulatta) Across Three Behavioral Assessments. INT J PRIMATOL 2014; 35:325-339. [PMID: 24701001 DOI: 10.1007/s10764-014-9750-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Primate behavior is influenced by both heritable factors and environmental experience during development. Previous studies of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) examined the effects of genetic variation on expressed behavior and related neurobiological traits (heritability and/or genetic association) using a variety of study designs. Most of these prior studies examined genetic effects on the behavior of adults or adolescent rhesus macaques, not in young macaques early in development. To assess environmental and additive genetic variation in behavioral reactivity and response to novelty among infants, we investigated a range of behavioral traits in a large number (N = 428) of pedigreed infants born and housed in large outdoor corrals at the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC). We recorded the behavior of each subject during a series of brief tests, involving exposure of each infant to a novel environment, to a social threat without the mother present, and to a novel environment with its mother present but sedated. We found significant heritability (h2 ) for willingness to move away from the mother and explore a novel environment (h2 = 0.25 ± 0.13; P = 0.003). The infants also exhibited a range of heritable behavioral reactions to separation stress or to threat when the mother was not present (h2 = 0.23 ± 0.13-0.24 ± 0.15, P < 0.01). We observed no evidence of maternal environmental effects on these traits. Our results extend knowledge of genetic influences on temperament and reactivity in nonhuman primates by demonstrating that several measures of behavioral reactivity among infant rhesus macaques are heritable.
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Affiliation(s)
- G L Fawcett
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - A M Dettmer
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - D Kay
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610
| | - M Raveendran
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - J D Higley
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602
| | - N D Ryan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
| | - J L Cameron
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213; and Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, Oregon 97006
| | - J Rogers
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
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27
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Abstract
Aggressive behavior can have adaptive value in certain environmental contexts, but when extreme or executed inappropriately, can also lead to maladaptive outcomes. Neurogenetic studies performed in nonhuman primates have shown that genetic variation that impacts reward sensitivity, impulsivity, and anxiety can contribute to individual differences in aggressive behavior. Genetic polymorphisms in the coding or promoter regions of the Mu-Opioid Receptor (OPRM1), Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH), Monoamine Oxidase A (MAOA), Dopamine D4 Receptor (DRD4), and Serotonin Transporter (SLC6A4) genes have been shown to be functionally similar in humans and rhesus macaques and have been demonstrated to contribute to individual differences in aggression. This body of literature suggests mechanisms by which genetic variation that promotes aggressivity could simultaneously increase evolutionary success while making modern humans more vulnerable to psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina S Barr
- Section of Comparative Behavioral Genomics, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, NIH/NIAAA, Rockville, MD, USA,
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28
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Abstract
Depression causes significant morbidity in the human population. The Diathesis-Stress/Two-Hit model of depression hypothesizes that stress interacts with underlying (probably genetic) predispositions to produce a central nervous system that is primed to express psychopathology when confronted with stressful experiences later in life. Nonhuman primate (NHP) studies have been extensively utilized to test this model. NHPs are especially useful for studying effects of early experience, because many aspects of NHP infancy are similar to humans, whereas development occurs at an accelerated rate and therefore allows for more rapid assessment of experimental variables. In addition, the ability to manipulate putative risk factors, including introducing experimental stress during development, allows inference of causality not possible with human studies. This manuscript reviews experimental paradigms that have been utilized to model early adverse experience in NHPs, including peer-rearing, maternal separation, and variable foraging. It also provides examples of how this model has been used to investigate the effects of early experience on later neurobiology, physiology, and behavior associated with depression. We conclude that the NHP offers an excellent model to research mechanisms contributing to the Diathesis-Stress/Two-Hit model of depression.
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Sorenson AN, Sullivan EC, Mendoza SP, Capitanio JP, Higley JD. Serotonin transporter genotype modulates HPA axis output during stress: effect of stress, dexamethasone test and ACTH challenge. TRANSLATIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHIATRY 2013; 1:21130. [PMID: 25068032 PMCID: PMC4109987 DOI: 10.3402/tdp.v1i0.21130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies show that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is dysregulated in depression. Some studies suggest that variation in the serotonin transporter genotype (hereafter 5HTT) modulates both risk for depression and psychopathological HPA axis responsiveness. Rhesus monkeys are well suited to model such relationships. Rhesus macaque models of human psychopathology have assessed the effect of the serotonin transporter (rh5HTT) on levels of cortisol in stressed subjects. These studies show that that under conditions of stress, heterozygous females (Ls) reared under adversity exhibit high levels of cortisol. Studies have not to our knowledge, however, assessed the potential additive effect on the cortisol response in a number of macaque subjects homozygous for the serotonin transporter short allele (ss). Moreover, little is known about the level of the central or peripheral nervous system at which the 5HTT genotype acts to modulate the cortisol response. METHODS This study assesses a relatively large number of subjects homozygous and heterozygous for the rh5HTT short and long alleles (a) during stress; (b) following a dexamethasone suppression test; and (c) following an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge. Subjects included 190 infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta - 84 males and 106 females; 118 LL, 60 Ls, and 12 ss subjects), obtaining two blood plasma samples during the stress of separation from their mothers. Then on the following day, we obtained a blood sample following a dexamethasone test, and later that day we obtained a blood sample after an ACTH challenge test. Subjects ranged in age between 90 and 128 days, with a mean age of 107 days. RESULTS Subjects homozygous for the short allele had significantly higher levels of cortisol across all test conditions, when compared to those homozygous for the long allele, or those heterozygous with Ls alleles. Subsequent analyses showed a high correlation between individual cortisol levels across the three different tests. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that subjects homozygous for the short allele are more likely to show dysregulated cortisol levels in response to stress. Given the correlation in individual responses of the HPA axis across the different tests, our data suggest that the effect of the 5HTT genotype shows some commonality in its regulation of stress, feedback, and ACTH-stimulated cortisol output. Our data suggest that under conditions of stress, the serotonin transporter may modulate HPA axis psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erin C. Sullivan
- Department of Psychology, California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Sally P. Mendoza
- Department of Psychology, California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - John P. Capitanio
- Department of Psychology, California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - J. Dee Higley
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
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The serotonin transporter gene is a substrate for age and stress dependent epigenetic regulation in rhesus macaque brain: potential roles in genetic selection and gene × environment interactions. Dev Psychopathol 2013; 24:1391-400. [PMID: 23062305 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579412000788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In humans, it has been demonstrated that the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) genotype moderates risk in the face of adversity. One mechanism by which stress could interact with genotype is via epigenetic modifications. We wanted to examine whether stress interacted with genotype to predict binding of a histone 3 protein trimethylated at lysine 3 (H3K4me3) that marks active promoters. The brains (N = 61) of male rhesus macaques that had been reared in the presence or absence of stress were archived and the hippocampusi dissected. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was performed with an antibody against H3K4me3 followed by sequencing on a SolexaG2A. The effects of age, genotype (5-HTTLPR long/long vs. short), and stress exposure (peer-reared vs. mother-reared) on levels of H3K4me3 binding were determined. We found effects of age and stress exposure. There was a decline in H3K4me3 from preadolescence to postadolescence and lower levels in peer-reared monkeys and no effects of genotype. When we controlled for age, however, we found that there were effects of 5-HTTLPR genotype and rearing condition on H3K4me3 binding. In a larger sample, we observed that cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels were subject to interactive effects among age, rearing history, and genotype. Genes containing both genetic selection and epigenetic regulation may be particularly important in stress adaptation and development. We find evidence for selection at the solute carrier family C6 member 4 gene and observe epigenetic reorganization according to genotype, stress, and age. These data suggest that developmental stage may moderate effects of stress and serotonin transporter genotype in the emergence of alternative adaptation strategies and in the vulnerability to developmental or psychiatric disorders.
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Influence of serotonin transporter promoter variation on the effects of separation from parent/partner on depression. J Affect Disord 2013; 144:216-24. [PMID: 22884012 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2012.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2011] [Revised: 06/16/2012] [Accepted: 06/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Loss of parent during childhood or loss of partner has been associated with adulthood depression. The serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) has been reported to moderate stress sensitivity reflected for example in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depression. Therefore, the effect of 5-HTT promoter variation on the relationship between the loss of parent or partner and depression was examined. METHOD 411 depressive cases and 1347 control subjects from a large well-characterized longitudinal population-based sample of adult Swedes with data on life history and life situation, including psychiatric diagnostic instruments, were studied. Their DNA was genotyped for the mini-haplotype 5-HTTLPR-rs25531. RESULTS Individuals with low 5-HTT activity variants had an increased risk of depression given loss of partner last year compared to those with high activity variants. Conversely, 5-HTT activity variation appeared not to strongly influence the risk of depression given loss of parent during childhood. LIMITATION Small sample size for those with losses of both parent and partner. Limited power to detect small interaction effects. CONCLUSION The increased risk of depression given last year loss of partner appeared to be influenced by genetic variation regulating 5-HTT activity. This adds to previous findings of 5-HTT x stressful life events interactions on depression and is in agreement with stronger GxE effects when using objective environmental measures.
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Serotonintransportergen und Stressreagibilität bei unipolarer Depression. DER NERVENARZT 2013; 85:336-8, 340-3. [DOI: 10.1007/s00115-012-3702-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Ferguson B, Hunter JE, Luty J, Street SL, Woodall A, Grant KA. Genetic load is associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation in macaques. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2012; 11:949-57. [PMID: 22998353 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2012.00856.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2012] [Revised: 08/24/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis pathway is associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia and alcohol abuse. Studies have demonstrated an association between HPA axis dysfunction and gene variants within the cortisol, serotonin and opioid signaling pathways. We characterized polymorphisms in genes linked to these three neurotransmitter pathways and tested their potential interactions with HPA axis activity, as measured by dexamethasone (DEX) suppression response. We determined the percent DEX suppression of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol in 62 unrelated, male rhesus macaques. While DEX suppression of cortisol was robust amongst 87% of the subjects, ACTH suppression levels were broadly distributed from -21% to 66%. Thirty-seven monkeys from the high and low ends of the ACTH suppression distribution (18 'high' and 19 'low' animals) were genotyped at selected polymorphisms in five unlinked genes (rhCRH, rhTPH2, rhMAOA, rhSLC6A4 and rhOPRM). Associations were identified between three variants (rhCRH-2610C>T, rhTPH2 2051A>C and rh5-HTTLPR) and level of DEX suppression of ACTH. In addition, a significant additive effect of the 'risk' genotypes from these three loci was detected, with an increasing number of 'risk' genotypes associated with a blunted ACTH response (P = 0.0009). These findings suggest that assessment of multiple risk alleles in serotonin and cortisol signaling pathway genes may better predict risk for HPA axis dysregulation and associated psychiatric disorders than the evaluation of single gene variants alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Ferguson
- Division of Neurosciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - J E Hunter
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - J Luty
- Division of Neurosciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - S L Street
- Division of Neurosciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - A Woodall
- Division of Neurosciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - K A Grant
- Division of Neurosciences, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Beaverton, OR, USA.,Behavioral Neurosciences Department, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
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Gunter TD, Chibnall JT, Antoniak SK, McCormick B, Black DW. Relative contributions of gender and traumatic life experience to the prediction of mental disorders in a sample of incarcerated offenders. BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW 2012; 30:615-30. [PMID: 22991312 DOI: 10.1002/bsl.2037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to quantify the relative contributions of gender and traumatic life experience to psychiatric disorders in a sample of 320 offenders entering a state prison. Women were more likely than men to report traumatic events and personal and family mental health treatment histories; and were more likely to meet criteria for posttraumatic stress, borderline personality, and eating disorders. People reporting traumatic life experiences were more likely than those not so reporting to have family mental histories and to meet criteria for mood, anxiety, psychotic, antisocial personality, and borderline personality disorders, as well as elevated suicide risk. With both gender and trauma included in the logistic regression models, only trauma was a significant predictor of mood, anxiety, psychotic, attention deficit hyperactivity, and antisocial personality disorders, as well as suicide risk. Trauma-informed programming, regardless of gender, is important for incarcerated offenders. To the extent that trauma is also criminogenic, these data suggest that women and men share the risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy D Gunter
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202-7176, USA.
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Alexander N, Klucken T, Koppe G, Osinsky R, Walter B, Vaitl D, Sammer G, Stark R, Hennig J. Interaction of the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region and environmental adversity: increased amygdala-hypothalamus connectivity as a potential mechanism linking neural and endocrine hyperreactivity. Biol Psychiatry 2012; 72:49-56. [PMID: 22418015 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2011] [Revised: 01/10/2012] [Accepted: 01/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gene by environment (G×E) interaction between genetic variation in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region [5-HTTLPR]) and stressful life events (SLEs) has been extensively studied in the context of depression. Recent findings suggest increased neural and endocrine stress sensitivity as a possible mechanism conveying elevated vulnerability to psychopathology. Furthermore, these G×E mediated alterations very likely reflect interrelated biological processes. METHODS In the present functional magnetic resonance imaging study, amygdala reactivity to fearful stimuli was assessed in healthy male adults (n = 44), who were previously found to differ with regard to endocrine stress reactivity as a function of 5-HTTLPR × SLEs. Furthermore, functional connectivity between the amygdala and the hypothalamus was measured as a potential mechanism linking elevated neural and endocrine responses during stressful/threatening situations. The study sample was carefully preselected regarding 5-HTTLPR genotype and SLEs. RESULTS We report significant G×E interaction on neural response patterns and functional amygdala-hypothalamus connectivity. Specifically, homozygous carriers of the 5-HTTLPR S' allele with a history of SLEs (S'S'/high SLEs group) displayed elevated bilateral amygdala activation in response to fearful faces. Within the same sample, a comparable G×E interaction effect has previously been demonstrated regarding increased cortisol reactivity, indicating a cross-validation of heightened biological stress sensitivity. Furthermore, S'S'/high SLEs subjects were characterized by an increased functional coupling between the right amygdala and the hypothalamus, thus indicating a potential link between neural and endocrine hyperreactivity. CONCLUSIONS The present findings contribute to the ongoing debate on 5-HTTLPR × SLEs interaction and are discussed with respect to clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Alexander
- Department of Biological Psychology, Technische Universität, Dresden, Germany.
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Interaction of serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region and childhood neglect on criminal behavior and substance use for males and females. Dev Psychopathol 2012; 24:181-93. [PMID: 22293003 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579411000769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Childhood neglect has been cited as a risk factor for later substance abuse and criminal behavior. However, a large body of literature shows that a substantial percentage of neglected and abused individuals do not go on to abuse substances or engage in criminal behavior. The current study investigates whether a genetic variant (serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region [5-HTTLPR]) in the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HTT) gene moderates the effect of childhood neglect on alcohol use problems, marijuana use, and criminal behavior. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health shows that 5-HTTLPR conditions the effect of neglect on marijuana use for females, but not for males. Findings also reveal a significant gene-environment correlation between 5-HTTLPR and neglect for females only. These results suggest that 5-HTTLPR is associated with an increased risk of neglect for females, and it also increases neglected females' risk of abusing marijuana.
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Greenberg GD, van Westerhuyzen JA, Bales KL, Trainor BC. Is it all in the family? The effects of early social structure on neural-behavioral systems of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Neuroscience 2012; 216:46-56. [PMID: 22561732 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.04.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2012] [Revised: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 04/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The transition to parenthood is generally associated with a reduction in anxiety or anxiety-like behavior across a wide range of species. In some species, juveniles provide supplementary parental care for younger siblings, a behavior known as alloparenting. Although the fitness consequences of alloparenting behavior have been a focus of evolutionary research, less is known about how alloparenting behavior impacts affective states. In the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster), most juveniles exhibit alloparenting behavior, making the species an ideal model for examining the effects of alloparenting on future behavioral outcomes. We randomly assigned juvenile voles to alloparenting (AL) or no alloparenting (NoAL) groups and behaviorally phenotyped them for anxiety-like and social behaviors using the elevated plus maze (EPM), open field test (OFT), startle box, social interaction test, juvenile affiliation test, and partner preference test. AL voles displayed more anxiety-like and less exploratory behaviors than NoAL voles, spending significantly less time in the open arms of the EPM and center of an open field. We dissected the CA1 region of the hippocampus and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) from brains of behaviorally phenotyped voles and nontested siblings as well. Decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in CA1 has generally been associated with increased anxiety-like behavior in other rodents, while an anxiogenic role for BDNF in BNST is less established. Western blot analyses showed that alloparenting experience increased expression of BDNF in the BNST but decreased BDNF expression in the CA1 region of hippocampus (CA1) of nontested voles. There were similar differences in BNST BDNF of behaviorally phenotyped voles, and BDNF levels within this region were negatively correlated with exploratory behavior (i.e. time in center of OFT). Our results suggest that BDNF signaling in BNST and CA1 fluctuate with alloparenting experience, and they contribute to an increasingly complex "BDNF hypothesis" in which behavioral effects of this molecule are region-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- G D Greenberg
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Social environment is associated with gene regulatory variation in the rhesus macaque immune system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:6490-5. [PMID: 22493251 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1202734109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 212] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in the social environment is a fundamental component of many vertebrate societies. In humans and other primates, adverse social environments often translate into lasting physiological costs. The biological mechanisms associated with these effects are therefore of great interest, both for understanding the evolutionary impacts of social behavior and in the context of human health. However, large gaps remain in our understanding of the mechanisms that mediate these effects at the molecular level. Here we addressed these questions by leveraging the power of an experimental system that consisted of 10 social groups of female macaques, in which each individual's social status (i.e., dominance rank) could be experimentally controlled. Using this paradigm, we show that dominance rank results in a widespread, yet plastic, imprint on gene regulation, such that peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression data alone predict social status with 80% accuracy. We investigated the mechanistic basis of these effects using cell type-specific gene expression profiling and glucocorticoid resistance assays, which together contributed to rank effects on gene expression levels for 694 (70%) of the 987 rank-related genes. We also explored the possible contribution of DNA methylation levels to these effects, and identified global associations between dominance rank and methylation profiles that suggest epigenetic flexibility in response to status-related behavioral cues. Together, these results illuminate the importance of the molecular response to social conditions, particularly in the immune system, and demonstrate a key role for gene regulation in linking the social environment to individual physiology.
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Drabant EM, Ramel W, Edge MD, Hyde LW, Kuo JR, Goldin PR, Hariri AR, Gross JJ. Neural mechanisms underlying 5-HTTLPR-related sensitivity to acute stress. Am J Psychiatry 2012; 169:397-405. [PMID: 22362395 PMCID: PMC3761065 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.10111699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Many studies have shown that 5-HTTLPR genotype interacts with exposure to stress in conferring risk for psychopathology. However, the specific neural mechanisms through which this gene-by-environment interaction confers risk remain largely unknown, and no study to date has directly examined the modulatory effects of 5-HTTLPR on corticolimbic circuit responses during exposure to acute stress. METHOD An acute laboratory stressor was administered to 51 healthy women during blood-oxygen-level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging. In this task, participants were threatened with electric shocks of uncertain intensity, which were unpredictably delivered to the wrist after a long anticipatory cue period of unpredictable duration. RESULTS Relative to women carrying the L allele, those with the SS genotype showed enhanced activation during threat anticipation in a network of regions, including the amygdala, hippocampus, anterior insula, thalamus, pulvinar, caudate, precuneus, anterior cingulate cortex, and medial prefrontal cortex. Individuals with the SS genotype also displayed enhanced positive coupling between medial prefrontal cortex activation and anxiety experience, whereas enhanced negative coupling between insula activation and perceived success at regulating anxiety was observed in individuals carrying the L allele. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that during stress exposure, neural systems that enhance fear and arousal, modulate attention toward threat, and perseverate on emotional salience of the threat may be engaged preferentially in individuals with the SS genotype. This may be one mechanism underlying the risk for psychopathology conferred by the S allele upon exposure to life stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Drabant
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA,Neurosciences Program, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Wiveka Ramel
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Michael D Edge
- Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Luke W Hyde
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Janice R Kuo
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Philippe R Goldin
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Ahmad R Hariri
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - James J Gross
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Spinelli S, Schwandt ML, Lindell SG, Heilig M, Suomi SJ, Higley JD, Goldman D, Barr CS. The serotonin transporter gene linked polymorphic region is associated with the behavioral response to repeated stress exposure in infant rhesus macaques. Dev Psychopathol 2012; 24:157-65. [PMID: 22293001 PMCID: PMC3506168 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579411000745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The short allele of the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) moderates the effects of stress on vulnerability to mood and anxiety disorders. The mechanism by which this occurs may relate to differential sensitivity to stressful life events. Here we explored whether 5-HTTLPR and sex affected behavioral responses to repeated maternal separation in infant rhesus macaques. Behaviors were collected during the acute (Day 1) and the chronic (Days 2-4) phases of the separation, and the effects of duration of separation (acute vs. chronic), genotype (long/long vs. short allele), and sex (male vs. female) on behavioral responses were analyzed across four successive separations. Males increased their levels of locomotion with repeated maternal separation, whereas females exhibited an increase in frequency of self-directed behavior, a measure of "depression-like" behavior. The short-allele predicted increased environmental exploration, particularly during the chronic phase of social separation, indicative of higher arousal. In addition, the short-allele carriers were more likely to increase their levels of self-directed behavior during the chronic phase of separation, as a function of repeated exposures. These findings suggest that the short allele may increase reactivity to repeated, chronic stressors, leaving them more vulnerable to affective psychopathology, with females particularly vulnerable.
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Simons RL, Lei MK, Stewart EA, Brody GH, Beach SRH, Philibert RA, Gibbons FX. SOCIAL ADVERSITY, GENETIC VARIATION, STREET CODE, AND AGGRESSION: A GENETICLLY INFORMED MODEL OF VIOLENT BEHAVIOR. YOUTH VIOLENCE AND JUVENILE JUSTICE 2012; 10:3-24. [PMID: 23785260 PMCID: PMC3684565 DOI: 10.1177/1541204011422087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Elijah Anderson (1997, 1999) argues that exposure to extreme community disadvantage, residing in "street" families, and persistent discrimination encourage many African Americans to develop an oppositional culture that he labels the "code of the street." Importantly, while the adverse conditions described by Anderson increase the probability of adopting the code of the street, most of those exposed to these adverse conditions do not do so. The present study examines the extent to which genetic variation accounts for these differences. Although the diathesis-stress model guides most genetically informed behavior science, the present study investigates hypotheses derived from the differential susceptibility perspective (Belsky & Pluess, 2009). This model posits that some people are genetically predisposed to be more susceptible to environmental influence than others. An important implication of the model is that those persons most vulnerable to adverse social environments are the same ones who reap the most benefit from environmental support. Using longitudinal data from a sample of several hundred African American males, we examined the manner in which variants in three genes - 5-HTT, DRD4, and MAOA - modulate the effect of community and family adversity on adoption of the street code and aggression. We found strong support for the differential susceptibility perspective. When the social environment was adverse, individuals with these genetic variants manifested more commitment to the street code and aggression than those with other genotypes, whereas when adversity was low they demonstrated less commitment to the street code and aggression than those with other genotypes.
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Building conditions, 5-HTTLPR genotype, and depressive symptoms in adolescent males and females. J Adolesc Health 2011; 49:379-85. [PMID: 21939868 PMCID: PMC3179607 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2010] [Revised: 01/21/2011] [Accepted: 01/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Emerging work suggests that both environmental and genetic factors contribute to risk of depression in adolescents, and that these factors may differ between genders. We assessed whether features of the social environment (SE), measured at varying levels, and genetic factors jointly contribute to the risk of depression in adolescent males and females. METHODS Using data from a national survey of U.S. adolescents, we applied cross-sectional, multilevel mixed models to assess the contribution of: (i) 5-HTTLPR genotype and respondent-level building conditions to depressive symptom score (DSS); and (ii) 5-HTTLPR genotype and neighborhood-level building conditions to DSS. Models testing potential gene-SE interactions were also conducted. All models were stratified by gender and adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, family structure, parental education, and social support. RESULTS Among females, adjusted analyses indicated that sl genotype carriers enjoyed a marginally significant (p = .07) protective effect against higher DSS in models assessing respondent-level building conditions. In contrast, among males, adjusted analyses predicted significantly higher DSS for residents of neighborhoods with relatively poor building conditions (p < .01). No significant gene-SE interactions were detected for either gender. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that adverse, macro-level SE factors increase risk of depression to a greater extent in adolescent males than in females. Intervention strategies designed to improve mental health in adolescent populations should consider a growing body of work suggesting that the contextual factors conferring increased risk of depression differ among males and females.
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Margoob MA, Mushtaq D. Serotonin transporter gene polymorphism and psychiatric disorders: is there a link? Indian J Psychiatry 2011; 53:289-99. [PMID: 22303036 PMCID: PMC3267339 DOI: 10.4103/0019-5545.91901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Though still in infancy, the field of psychiatric genetics holds great potential to contribute to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic options to treat these disorders. Among a large number of existing neurotransmitter systems, the serotonin system dysfunction has been implicated in many psychiatric disorders and therapeutic efficacy of many drugs is also thought to be based on modulation of serotonin. Serotonin transporter gene polymorphism is one of the most extensively studied polymorphisms in psychiatric behavioral genetics. In this article, we review the status of evidence for association between the serotonin gene polymorphism and some common mental disorders like affective disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, suicide, autism, and other anxiety and personality disorders. Going beyond traditional association studies, gene-environment interaction, currently gaining momentum, is also discussed in the review. While the existing information of psychiatric genetics is inadequate for putting into practice genetic testing in the diagnostic work-up of the psychiatric patient, if consistent in future research attempts, such results can be of great help to improve the clinical care of a vast majority of patients suffering from such disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mushtaq A Margoob
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences-Kashmir, Kashmir, India.
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Williams SK, Lauder JM, Johns JM. Prenatal Cocaine Disrupts Serotonin Signaling-Dependent Behaviors: Implications for Sex Differences, Early Stress and Prenatal SSRI Exposure. Curr Neuropharmacol 2011; 9:478-511. [PMID: 22379462 PMCID: PMC3151602 DOI: 10.2174/157015911796557957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2010] [Revised: 12/31/2010] [Accepted: 01/07/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal cocaine (PC) exposure negatively impacts the developing nervous system, including numerous changes in serotonergic signaling. Cocaine, a competitive antagonist of the serotonin transporter, similar to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), also blocks dopamine and norepinephrine transporters, leaving the direct mechanism through which cocaine disrupts the developing serotonin system unclear. In order to understand the role of the serotonin transporter in cocaine's effect on the serotonergic system, we compare reports concerning PC and prenatal antidepressant exposure and conclude that PC exposure affects many facets of serotonergic signaling (serotonin levels, receptors, transporters) and that these effects differ significantly from what is observed following prenatal SSRI exposure. Alterations in serotonergic signaling are dependent on timing of exposure, test regimens, and sex. Following PC exposure, behavioral disturbances are observed in attention, emotional behavior and stress response, aggression, social behavior, communication, and like changes in serotonergic signaling, these effects depend on sex, age and developmental exposure. Vulnerability to the effects of PC exposure can be mediated by several factors, including allelic variance in serotonergic signaling genes, being male (although fewer studies have investigated female offspring), and experiencing the adverse early environments that are commonly coincident with maternal drug use. Early environmental stress results in disruptions in serotonergic signaling analogous to those observed with PC exposure and these may interact to produce greater behavioral effects observed in children of drug-abusing mothers. We conclude that based on past evidence, future studies should put a greater emphasis on including females and monitoring environmental factors when studying the impact of PC exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K Williams
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Jean M Lauder
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Josephine M Johns
- Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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Chistyakova NV, Savost’yanov KV. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and genetic variants affecting its reactivity. RUSS J GENET+ 2011. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795411080035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Ramchandani VA, Umhau J, Pavon FJ, Ruiz-Velasco V, Margas W, Sun H, Damadzic R, Eskay R, Schoor M, Thorsell A, Schwandt ML, Sommer WH, George DT, Parsons LH, Herscovitch P, Hommer D, Heilig M. A genetic determinant of the striatal dopamine response to alcohol in men. Mol Psychiatry 2011; 16:809-17. [PMID: 20479755 PMCID: PMC2925052 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2010.56] [Citation(s) in RCA: 231] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Excessive alcohol use, a major cause of morbidity and mortality, is less well understood than other addictive disorders. Dopamine release in ventral striatum is a common element of drug reward, but alcohol has an unusually complex pharmacology, and humans vary greatly in their alcohol responses. This variation is related to genetic susceptibility for alcoholism, which contributes more than half of alcoholism risk. Here, we report that a functional OPRM1 A118G polymorphism is a major determinant of striatal dopamine responses to alcohol. Social drinkers recruited based on OPRM1 genotype were challenged in separate sessions with alcohol and placebo under pharmacokinetically controlled conditions, and examined for striatal dopamine release using positron emission tomography and [(11)C]-raclopride displacement. A striatal dopamine response to alcohol was restricted to carriers of the minor 118G allele. To directly establish the causal role of OPRM1 A118G variation, we generated two humanized mouse lines, carrying the respective human sequence variant. Brain microdialysis showed a fourfold greater peak dopamine response to an alcohol challenge in h/mOPRM1-118GG than in h/mOPRM1-118AA mice. OPRM1 A118G variation is a genetic determinant of dopamine responses to alcohol, a mechanism by which it likely modulates alcohol reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay A. Ramchandani
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - John Umhau
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Francisco J. Pavon
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Victor Ruiz-Velasco
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033
| | - Wojciech Margas
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033
| | - Hui Sun
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ruslan Damadzic
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Robert Eskay
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Annika Thorsell
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Melanie L. Schwandt
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Wolfgang H. Sommer
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David T. George
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Loren H. Parsons
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Peter Herscovitch
- PET Department, Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Daniel Hommer
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Markus Heilig
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA,To whom correspondence should be addressed.
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Narayanan V, Heiming RS, Jansen F, Lesting J, Sachser N, Pape HC, Seidenbecher T. Social defeat: impact on fear extinction and amygdala-prefrontal cortical theta synchrony in 5-HTT deficient mice. PLoS One 2011; 6:e22600. [PMID: 21818344 PMCID: PMC3144906 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2011] [Accepted: 06/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotions, such as fear and anxiety, can be modulated by both environmental and genetic factors. One genetic factor is for example the genetically encoded variation of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) expression. In this context, the 5-HTT plays a key role in the regulation of central 5-HT neurotransmission, which is critically involved in the physiological regulation of emotions including fear and anxiety. However, a systematic study which examines the combined influence of environmental and genetic factors on fear-related behavior and the underlying neurophysiological basis is missing. Therefore, in this study we used the 5-HTT-deficient mouse model for studying emotional dysregulation to evaluate consequences of genotype specific disruption of 5-HTT function and repeated social defeat for fear-related behaviors and corresponding neurophysiological activities in the lateral amygdala (LA) and infralimbic region of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in male 5-HTT wild-type (+/+), homo- (−/−) and heterozygous (+/−) mice. Naive males and experienced losers (generated in a resident-intruder paradigm) of all three genotypes, unilaterally equipped with recording electrodes in LA and mPFC, underwent a Pavlovian fear conditioning. Fear memory and extinction of conditioned fear was examined while recording neuronal activity simultaneously with fear-related behavior. Compared to naive 5-HTT+/+ and +/− mice, 5-HTT−/− mice showed impaired recall of extinction. In addition, 5-HTT−/− and +/− experienced losers showed delayed extinction learning and impaired recall of extinction. Impaired behavioral responses were accompanied by increased theta synchronization between the LA and mPFC during extinction learning in 5-HTT-/− and +/− losers. Furthermore, impaired extinction recall was accompanied with increased theta synchronization in 5-HTT−/− naive and in 5-HTT−/− and +/− loser mice. In conclusion, extinction learning and memory of conditioned fear can be modulated by both the 5-HTT gene activity and social experiences in adulthood, accompanied by corresponding alterations of the theta activity in the amygdala-prefrontal cortex network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venu Narayanan
- Institute of Physiology I, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany
| | - Rebecca S. Heiming
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany
| | - Friederike Jansen
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany
| | - Jörg Lesting
- Institute of Physiology I, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany
| | - Norbert Sachser
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany
| | - Hans-Christian Pape
- Institute of Physiology I, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Seidenbecher
- Institute of Physiology I, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
The process of addiction is often studied in the neurosciences as a function of the quantity or type of substance consumed, with the ultimate goal of counteracting these effects by other pharmacological means. However, epidemiology and clinical research have extensively demonstrated that most individuals who use drugs do not develop dependence. Numerous factors may explain an individual's propensity to addiction. This review discusses these paradigms and summarizes research on individual differences that encompass cultural and sociodemographic factors, psychiatric or psychological vulnerability, and biological or genetic propensity to addiction. Although these different factors often interact in the expression of vulnerable phenotypes, it is possible to alter or control specific sources of vulnerability. For these reasons, integrating individual vulnerability to addiction across different research disciplines is likely to provide the greatest advances for intervention and prevention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Swendsen
- National Center for Scientific Research-CNRS, Université Victor Segalen, Bordeaux, France.
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50
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Sjöberg RL, Blomstedt P. The psychological neuroscience of depression: implications for understanding effects of deep brain stimulation. Scand J Psychol 2011; 52:411-9. [PMID: 21585392 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2011.00891.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In this article it is suggested that current psychological theories of depression presuppose that this condition will develop as a result of a vicious circle involving negatively biased communication between systems of emotional stress-/alarm-signaling, executive functions and mood regulation. These systems may from a neuroanatomical point of view be located in the limbic system, the orbitofrontal and lateral prefrontal cortex and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA-) axis respectively. The theoretical and practical implications of this model for the understanding of pharmacological treatments of depression are briefly discussed and this theory is related to the catecholamine hypothesis of depression. The model is furthermore discussed in relation to deep brain stimulation (DBS) of treatment resistant major depression. Similarities and differences between this perspective and the one advocated by the "homeostatic theory" of depression are discussed. It is concluded that a topographical psychological theory may offer a useful heuristic in thinking about depression and that it offers several testable predictions about treatments of the disorder.
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