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Whole-cell Patch-clamp Recordings in Brain Slices

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Vulnerability genes or plasticity genes?

J Belsky¹, C Jonassaint, M Pluess

¹Institute for the Study of Children, Families and Social Issues, Birkbeck University of London, London, UK. j.belsky@bbk.ac.uk

Molecular Psychiatry

|May 21, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Individuals with certain genetic makeups are not just vulnerable to adversity but also more receptive to positive environments. This suggests some "risk alleles" may function as "plasticity genes."

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Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Behavioral Genetics
Developmental Psychology

Background:

The diathesis-stress model is foundational in psychiatric research on gene-environment interactions.
This model posits that certain individuals possess genetic vulnerabilities that increase their susceptibility to adverse outcomes when exposed to stress.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose and explore the alternative framework of 'differential susceptibility' in gene-environment interactions.
To re-evaluate the concept of 'vulnerability genes' as potentially 'plasticity genes' that mediate environmental influences.

Main Methods:

Review of recent gene-environment (G x E) interaction findings.
Focus on specific genetic polymorphisms: monoamine oxidase-A, 5-HTTLPR (5-hydroxytryptamine-linked polymorphic region polymorphism), and dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4).

Main Results:

Findings support the differential susceptibility hypothesis.
Genetic polymorphisms like 5-HTTLPR and DRD4 illustrate how individuals can be more susceptible to both negative and positive environmental influences.

Conclusions:

The concept of 'risk alleles' may be better understood as 'plasticity genes'.
These genes confer heightened sensitivity to environmental factors, leading to differential outcomes based on experiences, both positive and negative.