George Dietz

Polygenic inheritance of Tourette syndrome, stuttering, attention deficit hyperactivity, conduct, and oppositional defiant disorder: The additive and subtractive effect of the three dopaminergic genes—DRD2, DβH, and DAT1

Polymorphisms of three different dopaminergic genes, dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (D beta H), and dopamine transporter (DAT1), were examined in Tourette syndrome (TS) probands, their relatives, and controls. Each gene individually showed a significant correlation with various behavioral variables in these subjects. The additive and substractive effects of the three genes were examined by genotyping all three genes in the same set of subjects. For 9 of 20 TS associated comorbid behaviors there was a significant linear association between the degree of loading for markers of three genes and the mean behavior scores. The behavior variables showing the significant associations were, in order attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), stuttering oppositional defiant, tics, conduct, obsessive-compulsive, mania, alcohol abuse and general anxiety-behaviors that constitute the most overt clinical aspects of TS. For 16 of the 20 behavior scores there was a linear progressive decrease in the mean score with progressively lesser loading for the three gene markers. These results suggest that TS, ADHD, stuttering oppositional defiant and conduct disorder, and other behaviors associated with TS, are polygenic, due in part to these three dopaminergic genes, and that the genetics of other polygenic psychiatric disorders may be deciphered using this technique.

Studies of the potential role of the dopamine D1 receptor gene in addictive behaviors.

Abnormalities in the dopaminergic reward pathways have frequently been implicated in substance abuse and addictive behaviors. Recent studies by Self and coworkers have suggested an important interaction between the dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in cocaine abuse. To test the hypothesis that the DRD1 gene might play a role in addictive behaviors we examined the alleles of the Dde I polymorphism in three independent groups of subjects with varying types of compulsive, addictive behaviors — Tourette syndrome probands, smokers and pathological gamblers. In all three groups there was a significant increase in the frequency of homozygosity for the DRD1 Dde I 1 or 2 alleles in subjects with addictive behaviors. The DRD1 11 or 22 genotype was present in 41.3% of 63 controls and 57.3% of 227 TS probands (P = 0.024). When 23 quantitative traits were examined by ANOVA those carrying the 11 genotype consistently had the highest scores. Based on these results, we examined the prevalence of the 11 genotype in controls, TS probands without a specific behavior, and TS probands with a specific behavior. There was a progressive, linear increase, significant at α ≤ 0.005 for scores for gambling, alcohol use and compulsive shopping. Problems with three additional behaviors, drug use, compulsive eating and smoking were significant at α ≤ 0.05. All six variables were related to addictive behaviors. In a totally separate group of controls and individuals attending a smoking cessation clinic, and smoking at least one pack per day, 39.3% of the controls versus 66.1% of the smokers carried the 11 or 22 genotype (P = 0.0002). In a third independent group of pathological gamblers, 55.8% carried the 11 or 22 genotype (P = 0.009 vs the combined controls). In the TS group and smokers there was a significant additive effect of the DRD1 and DRD2 genes. The results for both the DRD1 and DRD2 genes, which have opposing effects on cyclic AMP, were consistent with negative and positive heterosis, respectively. These results support a role for genetic variants of the DRD1 gene in some addictive behaviors, and an interaction of genetic variants at the DRD1 and DRD2 genes.

The additive effect of neurotransmitter genes in pathological gambling.

As access to gambling increases there is a corresponding increase in the frequency of addiction to gambling, known as pathological gambling. Studies have shown that a number of different neurotransmitters are affected in pathological gamblers and that genetic factors play a role. Polymorphisms at 31 different genes involved in dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, GABA and neurotransmitters were genotyped in 139 pathological gamblers and 139 age, race, and sex‐matched controls. Multivariate regression analysis was used with the presence or absence of pathological gambling as the dependent variable, and the 31 coded genes as the independent variables. Fifteen genes were included in the regression equation. The most significant were the DRD2, DRD4, DAT1, TPH, ADRA2C, NMDA1, and PS1 genes. The r2 or fraction of the variance was less than 0.02 for most genes. Dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine genes contributed approximately equally to the risk for pathological gambling. These results indicate that genes influencing a range of brain functions play an additive role as risk factors for pathological gambling. Multi‐gene profiles in specific individuals may be of assistance in choosing the appropriate treatment.

Comparison of the role of dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline genes in ADHD, ODD and conduct disorder: multivariate regression analysis of 20 genes

The present study is based on the proposal that complex disorders resulting from the effects of multiple genes are best investigated by simultaneously examining multiple candidate genes in the same group of subjects. We have examined the effect of 20 genes for dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenergic metabolism on a quantitative score for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 336 unrelated Caucasian subjects. The genotypes of each gene were assigned a score from 0 to 2, based on results from the literature or studies in an independent set of subjects (literature‐based scoring), or results based on analysis of variance for the sample (optimized gene scoring). Multivariate linear regression analysis with backward elimination was used to determine which genes contributed most to the phenotype for both coding methods. For optimized gene scoring, three dopamine genes contributed to 2.3% of the variance, p=0.052; three serotonin genes contributed to 3%, p=0.015; and six adrenergic genes contributed to 6.9%, p=0.0006. For all genes combined, 12 genes contributed to 11.6% of the variance, p=0.0001. These results indicate that the adrenergic genes play a greater role in ADHD than either the dopaminergic or serotonergic genes combined. The results using literature‐based gene scoring were similar. An examination of two additional comorbid phenotypes, conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), indicated they shared genes with ADHD. For ODD different genotypes of the same genes were often used. These results support the value of the simultaneous examination of multiple candidate genes.

Multivariate analysis of associations of 42 genes in ADHD, ODD and conduct disorder

In a previous study (Comings DE et al. Comparison of the role of dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenergic genes in ADHD, ODD and conduct disorder. Multivariate regression analysis of 20 genes. Clin Genet 2000: 57: 178–196) we examined the role of 20 dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine genes in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD), using a multivariate analysis of associations (MAA) technique. We have now brought the total number of genes examined to 42 by adding an additional 22 candidate genes. These results indicate that even with the inclusion of these additional genes the noradrenergic genes still played a greater role in ADHD than any other group. Six other neurotransmitter genes were included in the regression equation – cholinergic, nicotinic, alpha 4 receptor (CHNRA4), adenosine A2A receptor (ADOA2A), nitric oxide synthase (NOS3), NMDAR1, GRIN2B, and GABRB3. In contrast to ADHD and ODD, CD preferentially utilized hormone and neuropeptide genes These included CCK, CYP19 (aromatase cytochrome P‐450), ESR1, and INS (p=0.005). This is consistent with our prior studies indicating a role of the androgen receptor (AR) gene in a range of externalizing behavors. We propose that the MAA technique, by focusing on the additive effect of multiple genes and on the cummulative effect of functionally related groups of genes, provides a powerful approach to the dissection of the genetic basis of polygenic disorders.

A multivariate analysis of 59 candidate genes in personality traits: the temperament and character inventory

Cloninger (Cloninger CR. Neurogenetic adaptive mechanisms in alcoholism. Science 1987: 236: 410–416) proposed three basic personality dimensions for temperament: novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and reward dependence. He suggested that novelty seeking primarily utilized dopamine pathways, harm avoidance utilized serotonin pathways, and reward dependence utilized norepinephrine pathways. Subsequently, one additional temperament dimension (persistence) and three character dimensions (cooperativeness, self‐directedness, and self‐transcendence) were added to form the temperament and character inventory (TCI). We have utilized a previously described multivariate analysis technique (Comings DE, Gade‐Andavolu R, Gonzalez N et al. Comparison of the role of dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenergic genes in ADHD, ODD and conduct disorder. Multivariate regression analysis of 20 genes. Clin Genet 2000: 57: 178–196; Comings DD, Gade‐Andavolu R, Gonzalez N et al. Multivariate analysis of associations of 42 genes in ADHD, ODD and conduct disorder. Clin Genet 2000: in press) to examine the relative role of 59 candidate genes in the seven TCI traits and test the hypothesis that specific personality traits were associated with specific genes. While there was some tendency for this to be true, a more important trend was the involvement of different ratios of functionally related groups of genes, and of different genotypes of the same genes, for different traits.

A New Synaptosomal Biosynthetic Pathway of Glutamate and GABA from Ornithine and Its Negative Feedback Inhibition by GABA

Abstract: In sonicates of mouse brain synaptosomes, we demonstrated that γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) can be formed from l‐ornithine (Orn) through l‐glutamic acid (Glu), but not through putrescine (Put). Incubation of these sonicates with [3H]ORN yielded not only [3H]Glu and [3H]l‐proline(Pro) but also produced [3H]GABA from the [3H]Glu. Formation of each of these three major amino acids from [3H]Orn was strongly inhibited by the addition of GABA (1‐5 mM). The likely enzymatic site of this negative feedback inhibition by GABA appeared to be ornithine δ‐amhotransferase (OAT). A radiometric procedure was employed to study the effects of the three amino acids cited above and of others found in the free form in brain on the activity of a 30‐fold‐purified OAT from rat brain. Enzyme activity was measured in the presence of low concentrations of Orn, such as might occur in vivo. OAT was inhibited by GABA to a considerably greater extent than by Glu, l‐glutamine, or Put; no inhibition was found with Pro, glycine, aspartarte, taurine, or β‐alanine. The inhibition by GABA was competitive with Orn. These results clearly show that one of the molecular mechanisms underlying the negative feedback inhibition of synaptosomal GABA biosynthesis from Om is a competitive inhibition by GABA of the brain OAT activity that is responsible for the formation of l‐glutamic‐γ‐semialdehyde ⇌l‐Δ1‐pyrroline‐5‐carboxylicacid from Orn. Thus, the results suggest that GABA may play an important role in restricting the metabolic flow from Orn to Glu and thence to GABA. It was confirmed that l‐canaline (δ‐aminooxy‐l‐α‐aminobutyric acid) is a potent and specific inhibitor of brain OAT, whereas much weaker inhibition was observed with two other carbonyl‐trapping agents, aminooxyacetic acid and hydrazine.

Exon and intron variants in the human tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase gene: potential association with Tourette syndrome, substance abuse and other disorders.

Defects in serotonin metabolism, and abnormalities in both blood serotonin and tryptophan levels, have been reported in many psychiatric disorders. Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2) is the rate limiting enzyme for the breakdown of tryptophan to N-formyl kenurenine. Functional variants of this gene could account for the observed simultaneous increases or decreases of both serotonin and tryptophan in various disorders. We have identified four different polymorphisms of the human TDO2 gene. Association studies show a significant association of one or more of these polymorphisms and Tourette syndrome (TS), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and drug dependence. The intron 6G-->T variant was significantly associated with platelet serotonin levels. Only the association with TS was significant with a Bonferroni correction (p = 0.005). Our purpose here is not to claim these associations are proven, but rather to report preliminary results and show that easily testable polymorphisms are available. We hope to encourage additional research into the potential role the TDO2 gene in these and other psychiatric disorders.

Dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) haplotypes and the defense style questionnaire in substance abuse, Tourette syndrome, and controls

The defence style questionnaire (DSQ) was administered to Caucasian males consisting of 123 subjects from a V.A. addiction treatment unit (ATU), 42 Tourette syndrome (TS) subjects, and 49 controls. For the ATU and TS subjects, there was a significant decrease in the mean score for mature defenses and a significant increase in mean score for immature defenses compared to controls. Many of the individual subscores showed the same significant differences. Dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene haplotypes, identified by allele specific polymerase chain reaction of two mutations (G/T and C/T) 241 base pairs apart, were determined in 57 of the ATU subjects and 42 of the controls. Subjects with the 1 haplotype tended to show a decrease in mature and an increase in neurotic and immature defense styles compared to those without the 1 haplotype. Of the eight times that the subscale scores were significant for haplotype 1 versus non-1, they were always in this direction. There results suggest that the DRD2 locus is one factors controlling defense styles. The difference in the mean scores between controls and substance abuse subjects indicates that other genes and environmental factors also play a role.

The proenkephalin gene (PENK) and opioid dependence.

We tested the hypothesis that the alleles at the (CA)n repeat of the proenkephalin gene (PENK) might be associated with opioid addiction in 31 non-Hispanic Caucasian subjects with opioid dependence (heroin), 89 ethnically matched subjects with substance dependence other than opioid dependence and 132 controls. Among the subjects with opioid dependence, 66% carried the > or = 81 bp allele compared with 40% of subjects with other types of substance abuse (chi2 = 11.31, p < 0.004) and 49% of controls (chi2 = 6.0, p < 0.015). These results are consistent with a role of the PENK gene in opioid dependence.