Genetic diagnostics of functional variants of the human dopamine D2 receptor gene.
BACKGROUND
The importance of dopamine D2 receptors (DRD2) for central nervous dopaminergic signalling makes variants in the DRD2 gene potential modulators of the risk or course of various behavioural, psychiatric or neurologic diseases (e.g. addiction, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease). We developed Pyrosequencing genetic screening assays for single nucleotide polymorphisms spanning the whole range of the DRD2 gene locus up to the functionally related ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1 gene (ANKK1) located at approximately 10 kb downstream of DRD2.


METHODS
Assays for 11 genetic variants with reported functional association were developed in DNA samples from 300 unrelated healthy Caucasians and validated by independent conventional sequencing.


RESULTS
In all DNA samples the DRD2/ANKK1 genetic variants were identified correctly as verified by the control samples. The observed frequencies of homozygous, heterozygous and noncarriers of the minor alleles were in agreement with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Observed minor allele frequencies were DRD2 rs12364283T>C: 6.5%, rs1799978A>G: 4.8%, rs1799732C del: 14.2%, rs4648317C>T: 12.8%, rs1079597G>A: 13.8%, rs1076560G>T: 14.5%, rs1800496C>T: 0.2%, rs1801028C>G: 3.0%, rs6275C>T: 32.7%, rs6277C>T: 53.0% and ANKK1 rs1800497C>T: 17.5%.


CONCLUSIONS
The presently developed Pyrosequencing assays are provided to facilitate further research toward personalized approaches to pathophysiological conditions involving behavioural, psychiatric and neurologic disorders including addiction, schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease.
Doehring
Alexandra
A
Pharmazentrum frankfurt/ZAFES, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Kirchhof
Anja
A
Lötsch
Jörn
J
D001483:Base Sequence; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000379:methods*
D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; C489948:ANKK1 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases