Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026

Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Quantification of Social Behavior in Adult Rats
Published on: December 14, 2014
Serotonin transporter gene promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and alcohol use in general population: interaction effect
Mariliis Vaht1, Liis Merenäkk, Jarek Mäestu
1Department of Psychology, Estonian Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
Rationale And Objective:
Prevalence of alcohol use is markedly influenced by socioeconomic conditions and is therefore subject to cohort effects. The common genetic variation 5-HTTLPR (serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region) has been related to several aspects of alcohol use and addiction but with mixed results, probably due to different environmental interaction effects. We aimed at assessing whether the association between alcohol use and 5-HTTLPR genotype is subject to cohort effects as birth cohorts may be raised in significantly different environments.
Methods:
We used the database of the Estonian Children Personality Behaviour and Health Study (beginning in 1998). Cohorts of initially 9-year-old (recalled at ages 15 and 18) and 15-year-old (recalled at ages 18 and 25) children provided self-reports on their alcohol use in all data collection waves (complete data available n = 1,075).
Results:
A significant genotype × gender × cohort interaction effect on the age of consuming the first alcoholic drink was found [F(2, 1,063) = 7.2, p < 0.001]. Females with the s/s genotype in the older cohort were the latest experimenters with alcohol, while the s/s females of younger cohort had tried alcohol earlier than any other group. In males, there was no significant cohort × genotype interaction, but the 5-HTTLPR genotype was associated with alcohol use, the s/s subjects reporting the highest consumption.
Conclusion:
Expression of genetic vulnerability to alcohol use is influenced by birth cohort effects. The 5-HTTLPR genotype is associated with alcohol consumption in general population, but the effect depends on gender and birth cohort.
More Related Videos
15:27Construction of Vapor Chambers Used to Expose Mice to Alcohol During the Equivalent of all Three Trimesters of Human Development
Published on: July 13, 2014
07:28An Inexpensive, Scalable Behavioral Assay for Measuring Ethanol Sedation Sensitivity and Rapid Tolerance in Drosophila
Published on: April 15, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu
Human Genetics
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Transporters: P-Glycoprotein and Solute Carrier Transporters
Gene-Environment Interactions
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Metabolism: Overview