Role of genotype in the cycle of violence in maltreated children.
We studied a large sample of male children from birth to adulthood to determine why some children who are maltreated grow up to develop antisocial behavior, whereas others do not. A functional polymorphism in the gene encoding the neurotransmitter-metabolizing enzyme monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) was found to moderate the effect of maltreatment. Maltreated children with a genotype conferring high levels of MAOA expression were less likely to develop antisocial problems. These findings may partly explain why not all victims of maltreatment grow up to victimize others, and they provide epidemiological evidence that genotypes can moderate children's sensitivity to environmental insults.
Caspi
Avshalom
A
Medical Research Council Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London SE5 8AF, UK.
McClay
Joseph
J
Moffitt
Terrie E
TE
Mill
Jonathan
J
Martin
Judy
J
Craig
Ian W
IW
Taylor
Alan
A
Poulton
Richie
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004777:Environment; D005824:Genetics, Behavioral; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*
D008995:Monoamine Oxidase