title: Polymorphism of the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) gene is associated with chimpanzee neuroticism.
abstract: In the brain, serotonin production is controlled by tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), a genotype. Previous studies found that mutations on the TPH2 locus in humans were associated with depression and studies of mice and studies of rhesus macaques have shown that the TPH2 locus was involved with aggressive behavior. We previously reported a functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the form of an amino acid substitution, Q468R, in the chimpanzee TPH2 gene coding region. In the present study we tested whether this SNP was associated with neuroticism in captive and wild-born chimpanzees living in Japan and Guinea, respectively. Even after correcting for multiple tests (Bonferroni p = 0.05/6 = 0.008), Q468R was significantly related to higher neuroticism (β = 0.372, p = 0.005). This study is the first to identify a genotype linked to a personality trait in chimpanzees. In light of the prior studies on humans, mice, and rhesus macaques, these findings suggest that the relationship between neuroticism and TPH2 has deep phylogenetic roots.
authors.affiliation: The United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Kyung-Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Naruki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morimura
authors.forename: Toshifumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Udono
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hayasaka
authors.forename: Tatyana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Humle
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murayama
authors.forename: Shin'ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue-Murayama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D016701:Guinea; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000235:genetics*; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase