Intact coding region of the serotonin transporter gene in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Epidemiologic studies indicate that obsessive-compulsive disorder is genetically transmitted in some families, although no genetic abnormalities have been identified in individuals with this disorder. The selective response of obsessive-compulsive disorder to treatment with agents which block serotonin reuptake suggests the gene coding for the serotonin transporter as a candidate gene. The primary structure of the serotonin-transporter coding region was sequenced in 22 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, using direct PCR sequencing of cDNA synthesized from platelet serotonin-transporter mRNA. No variations in amino-acid sequence were found among the obsessive-compulsive disorder patients or healthy controls. These results do not support a role for alteration in the primary structure of the coding region of the serotonin-transporter gene in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder.