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AGTR1 gene variation: association with depression and frontotemporal morphology
Warren D Taylor1, Sophiya Benjamin, Douglas R McQuoid
1Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. warren.taylor@duke.edu
Psychiatry Research
|June 19, 2012
Summary
Genetic variations in the AGTR1 gene are linked to depression and altered brain structure, specifically in the hippocampus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, in elderly individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Psychiatry
Background:
- The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a role in stress responses, but its connection to psychiatric disorders is unclear.
- The AGTR1 gene, encoding the angiotensin II type 1 receptor, is a key component of the RAS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between AGTR1 gene variations and depression.
- To examine the relationship between AGTR1 variations and brain morphology, including white matter hyperintensities and frontotemporal volumes.
Main Methods:
- Haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphism (htSNP) analysis was used to assess AGTR1 gene variation in 257 depressed and 116 non-depressed elderly Caucasians.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was employed to measure white matter hyperintensities, hippocampal, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) volumes.
Main Results:
- Two htSNPs (rs10935724 and rs12721331) showed significant frequency differences between depressed and non-depressed groups.
- Significant differences in dlPFC and hippocampus volumes were observed for several htSNPs.
- A specific genetic variant associated with smaller dlPFC volume was linked to larger hippocampal volume.
Conclusions:
- Genetic variation in AGTR1 is associated with depression.
- AGTR1 gene variations correlate with structural differences in frontotemporal brain regions, including the hippocampus and dlPFC.
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