Association of the muscarinic cholinergic 2 receptor (CHRM2) gene with major depression in women.
Cholinergic neurons have been implicated in depression and in the disorders of REM sleep in depression. We examined a common A-> T 1890 polymorphism in the 3' UTR of the cholinergic muscarinic receptor 2 (CHRM2) gene. There was a significant increase in the frequency of 11 homozygotes in 126 women with major depression (43.7%) compared to 304 women without major depression (25.7%), P =.001. There was no increase in the frequency of 11 homozygotes in 52 men with depression (26.9%) compared to 278 men without depression (27.7%). Regression analysis, scoring subjects with the 11 genotype as 1, and those with other genotypes as 0, showed that in women r(2) =.030, F = 13.37, P =.0003. By contrast, in men r(2) =.00001, F = 0.002, P =.96. These results are consistent with a gender-specific role of the CHRM2 gene in depression in women.
Department of Medical Genetics, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA. dcomings@earthlink.net
David E
DE
Comings
Sujihan
S
Wu
M
M
Rostamkhani
Matt
M
McGue
William G
WG
Iacono
James P
JP
MacMurray
D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D043585:Receptor, Muscarinic M2; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000235:genetics*; D012737:Sex Factors
D043585:Receptor, Muscarinic M2; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic