title: Role of serotonin transporter promoter repeat length polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in seasonality and seasonal affective disorder.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Mental Health, Clinical Psychobiology Branch, Bethesda, MD 20892-1390, USA. ner@box-n.nih.gov
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Mazzanti
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Hardin
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldman
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: 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