title: Cortisol responses to chronic stress in adult macaques: moderation by a polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene.
abstract: Accumulating evidence has shown that a polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) moderates the association between stress and depressive symptoms. However, the exact etiologies underlying this moderation are not well understood. Here it is reported that among adult female rhesus macaques, an orthologous polymorphism (rh5-HTTLPR) exerted an influence on cortisol responses to chronic stress. It was found that females with two copies of the short allele were associated with increased cortisol responses to chronic stress in comparison to their counterparts who have one or two copies of the long allele. In the absence of stress, no differences related to genotype were observed in these females. This genetic moderation was found without a genetic influence on exposure to stressful situations. Rather it was found to be a genetic modulation of cortisol responses to chronic stress. These findings indicate that the rh5-HTTLPR polymorphism is closely related to hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity, which may increase susceptibility to depression in females with low serotonin transporter efficiency and a history of stress.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. Electronic address: qindong108@163.com.
authors.forename: Dongdong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rizak
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Shangchuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Science and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Lichuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Xiaona
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Kunming Primate Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China.
authors.forename: Longbao
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences & Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China; Kunming Primate Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, Yunnan, China. Electronic address: xthu@mail.kiz.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Xintian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
keywords: Adult; Chronic stress; Cortisol; Female; Rh5-HTTLPR; Rhesus macaque