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Association between polymorphisms in NOS3 and KCNH2 and social memory
Susanne Henningsson1, Anna Zettergren2, Daniel Hovey1
1Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg Gothenburg, Sweden.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|November 6, 2015
Summary
Genetic variations in NOS3 and KCNH2 influence social memory, impacting face and voice recognition. Uncommon gene variants were linked to better performance specifically in men.
Area of Science:
- Neurogenetics
- Behavioral Genetics
- Molecular Psychiatry
Background:
- Social memory, crucial for relationships, has a significant heritable basis.
- Identifying specific genes contributing to social memory variations remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate genetic variations associated with individual differences in social memory.
- To identify specific genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) linked to face and vocal recognition.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an exploratory sample (n=55) genotyped for ~200,000 SNPs and a validation sample (n=582) targeting 30 SNPs.
- Assessed face identity recognition, vocal sound recognition, and multimodal recognition (faces and sounds).
- Analyzed associations between specific SNPs (rs1800779 in NOS3, rs3807370 in KCNH2) and social memory performance.
Main Results:
- Two SNPs, rs1800779 (NOS3) and rs3807370 (KCNH2), showed significant associations with social memory across recognition tasks.
- Superior social memory performance was linked to uncommon alleles of these SNPs, particularly in men (p < 0.0002).
- An independent association was found between these SNPs and non-emotional word recognition.
Conclusions:
- Provides evidence for the association between NOS3 and KCNH2 gene variants and social memory.
- Highlights the role of specific genetic factors in the complex trait of social memory.
- Suggests potential sex-specific genetic influences on social cognitive abilities.
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