Role of serotonin transporter promoter repeat length polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in seasonality and seasonal affective disorder.
Seasonal variations in mood and behavior (seasonality) and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) have been attributed to seasonal fluctuations in brain serotonin (5-HT). the short (s), as opposed to the long (l), allele of the 5-HT transporter linked polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) has been associated with neuroticism and depression. We hypothesized that this short allele would also be associated with SAD and with higher levels of seasonality. Ninety-seven SAD patients and 71 non-seasonal healthy controls with low seasonality levels were genotyped for 5-HTTLPR and compared statistically. Patients with SAD were less likely to have the l/l genotype (27.8% vs 47.9%; P < 0.01) and more likely to have the s allele (44.8% vs 32.4%; P < 0.02) as compared to controls. The three 5-HTTLPR genotypes were also differentially distributed in patients and controls (P < 0.03). The SAD patients with the l/l genotype had a lower mean seasonality score than did patients with the other two genotypes (mean +/- s.d. = 15.3 +/- 2.8 vs 17.1 +/- 3.4 respectively; P < 0.02). The 5-HTTLPR short allele contributes to the trait of seasonality and is a risk factor for SAD, providing further evidence for a relationship between genetic variation in the 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) and behavior.
Rosenthal
N E
NE
National Institute of Mental Health, Clinical Psychobiology Branch, Bethesda, MD 20892-1390, USA. ner@box-n.nih.gov
Mazzanti
C M
CM
Barnett
R L
RL
Hardin
T A
TA
Turner
E H
EH
Lam
G K
GK
Ozaki
N
N
Goldman
D
D
D000339:Affect; D000483:Alleles; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D010507:Periodicity; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D016574:Seasonal Affective Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D012621:Seasons; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493230:SLC6A4 protein, human; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012701:Serotonin