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The CLOCK gene and mood disorders: a case-control study and meta-analysis

Taro Kishi1, Reiji Yoshimura, Yasuhisa Fukuo

  • 1Department of Psychiatry Research, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, New York, USA. tarok@fujita-hu.ac.jp

Chronobiology International
|November 15, 2011
PubMed

Insights

The CLOCK gene is not significantly associated with bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder risk in the Japanese population. A meta-analysis also found no link between the rs1801260 variant and mood disorders, suggesting CLOCK is not a major factor.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Psychiatry
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • The CLOCK gene is a candidate for mood disorder pathophysiology.
  • The CLOCK rs1801260 polymorphism may affect circadian rhythms.
  • Previous studies suggest a potential link between CLOCK and mood disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between CLOCK single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the risk of bipolar disorder (BP) and major depressive disorder (MDD) in a Japanese population.
  • To conduct an updated meta-analysis on the association between the CLOCK rs1801260 polymorphism and mood disorder risk.

Main Methods:

  • Case-control study of three CLOCK tagging SNPs (rs3736544, rs1801260, rs3749474) in 867 BP, 139 MDD patients, and 889 controls.
  • Allele, genotype, and haplotype analyses were performed.
  • Updated meta-analysis of nine genetic association studies involving 3321 mood disorder cases and 3574 controls.

Main Results:

  • No significant associations were found between the studied CLOCK tagging SNPs and the risk of BP or MDD in the Japanese population.
  • The rs1801260 polymorphism was not associated with BP, MDD, or any mood disorders in the meta-analysis.
  • Global p-values for BP and MDD were .605 and .211, respectively, indicating no statistical significance.

Conclusions:

  • The CLOCK gene does not appear to play a major role in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder.
  • The findings do not support the hypothesis linking CLOCK gene variations to increased risk of these mood disorders.
  • Further research may be needed to explore other genetic factors contributing to mood disorder development.

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