Serotonin transporter gene 5-HTTLPR VNTR allele frequency distribution in Africa and Eurasia

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Abstract

Background. VNTR-polymorphism at 5 HTTLPR regulatory region of human serotonin transporter gene SLC6A4, which is associated with some psychiatric diseases and personality traits, is presented by two alleles, S and L, affecting the gene transcription level. A correlation between the S allele frequency in populations of European and Asian origin and a Hofstede’s individualism-collectivism index was revealed and a hypothesis of culture-gene coevolution was suggested (Chiao, Blizinsky, 2010). Methods. As another reason for the correlation we examined underlying population genetic substructure, which may affect genetic association level. Results. We have experimentally established the 5 HTTLPR genotypes for 2144 individuals to calculate S and L allele frequencies in 21 populations of Eurasia and Africa. In contrast to Eurasia populations, we have found low S allele frequencies in all four African populations studied, although the collectivism index in the populations was high. The total set of Eurasian and African populations analysis does not confirm the correlation (R= 0.263, p=0.146). We have applied principal component (PC) analysis to check a correlation between S allele frequency distribution and a frequency distribution for alleles which are supposed to be neutral. PC analysis for 68 alleles of five CODIS STR loci revealed correlation between PC2 and S allele frequency (R= 0.820, p<0.0001). The correlation means that S allele frequency distribution corresponds to general genetic variability distribution in the human populations studied. The correlation between the Hofestede’s index and frequency of four out of 68 STR alleles is even higher than the correlation with S allele frequency in the same populations. Conclusion. Our findings do not support the hypothesis on culture-gene coevolution of “individualism-collectivism” and the S allele frequency of serotonin transporter gene.

About the authors

Aleksey Sergeyevich Gureyev

Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS

Author for correspondence.
Email: alexy31@yandex.ru
Researcher. Laboratory of genome analysis

Anna Aleksandrovna Kim

Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS

Email: annaalexa@ya.ru
Junior Researcher. Laboratory of genome analysis

Yekaterina Dmitriyevna Sanina

Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS

Email: lady.skeit@yandex.ru
Researcher. Laboratory of genome analysis

Vyacheslav Ivanovich Shirmanov

Peoples' Friendship University of Russia

Email: 777doktor@bk.ru
Lecturer of Tuberculosis Department

Vladimir Anatolyevich Koshechkin

Peoples' Friendship University of Russia

Email: asept@starnet.ru
Doct. Med. Sci., prof. The head of Tuberculosis Department

Oleg Pavlovich Balanovskiy

Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS

Email: balanovsky@inbox.ru
Doct Sci (Biol), Head of Laboratory of Genome

Nikolay Kazimirovich Yankovskiy

Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS

Email: yankovsky@vigg.ru
Doct Sci (Biol.), Prof. The head of lab. of genome analysis. Director of Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS

Svetlana Aleksandrovna Borinskaya

Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS

Email: borinskaya@vigg.ru
PhD., Doct Sci (Biol), leading scientist. Lab of genome analysis

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Copyright (c) 2014 Gureyev A.S., Kim A.A., Sanina Y.D., Shirmanov V.I., Koshechkin V.A., Balanovskiy O.P., Yankovskiy N.K., Borinskaya S.A.

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