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Common variants in DRD2 are associated with sleep duration: the CARe consortium
Brian E Cade1, Daniel J Gottlieb2, Diane S Lauderdale3
1Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders and Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA, bcade@partners.org.
Human Molecular Genetics
|October 15, 2015
Summary
Genetic variations in the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) significantly influence sleep duration. This research highlights DRD2
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Sleep Science
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Sleep duration is linked to chronic diseases and mortality.
- The genetic underpinnings of sleep duration remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify novel genetic factors influencing habitual sleep duration.
- To investigate genetic associations in a multi-ethnic population.
Main Methods:
- Meta-analysis of genetic associations with self-reported sleep duration across seven cohorts (>25,000 individuals).
- Genotyping of ~50,000 SNPs in candidate heart, lung, blood, and sleep genes.
- Exploratory analysis using polysomnography data and genome-wide genotypes for African-Americans.
Main Results:
- A significant association was found between a SNP (rs17601612) in the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) and sleep duration (P = 9.8 × 10(-7)).
- A second DRD2 signal with opposing effects on sleep duration was identified.
- Suggestive association of rs17601612 with sleep latency and a link between schizophrenia GWAS loci and longer sleep duration.
Conclusions:
- The dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) plays a role in regulating sleep duration.
- Findings suggest a genetic overlap between sleep traits and neuropsychiatric disorders.
- Motivates further research into dopaminergic pathway interactions and pharmacogenetics.