Serotonin transporter gene polymorphism, differential early rearing, and behavior in rhesus monkey neonates.
A polymorphism in the serotonin (5-HT) transporter gene regulatory region (5-HTTLPR) is associated with measures of 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) expression and 5-HT-mediated behaviors in humans. An analogous length variation of the 5-HTTLPR has been reported in rhesus monkeys (rh5-HTTLPR). A retrospective association study was conducted on 115 rhesus macaque infants either homozygous for the long 5HTTLPR variant (l/l) or heterozygous for the short and long form (l/s). To assess contributions of genotype and early rearing environment, 36 mother-reared monkeys (l/l = 26, l/s = 10) and 79 nursery-reared monkeys (l/l = 54, l/s = 25) were assessed on days 7, 14, 21, and 30 of life on a standardized primate neurobehavioral test designed to measure orienting, motor maturity, reflex functioning, and temperament. Both mother-reared and nursery-reared heterozygote animals demonstrated increased affective responding relative to l/l homozygotes. Nursery-reared, but not mother-reared, l/s infants exhibited lower orientation scores than their l/l counterparts. These results demonstrate the contributions of rearing environment and genetic background, and their interaction, in a nonhuman primate model of behavioral development.
Champoux
M
M
Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH Animal Center, Poolesville, MD 20837, USA. champoum@lce.nichd.nih.gov
Bennett
A
A
Shannon
C
C
Higley
J D
JD
Lesch
K P
KP
Suomi
S J
SJ
D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000235:genetics; D005810:Multigene Family; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009949:Orientation; D010375:Pedigree; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins