Association Between DARPP-32 Gene Polymorphism and Personality Traits in Healthy Chinese-Han Subjects

Abstract

The 32-kDa dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein (DARPP-32) is a key signaling factor in several neurotransmitter pathways (including dopamine and serotonin) that impact personality traits. Therefore, different DARPP-32 alleles may influence the biological determination of distinct personality types. We established an association between the DARPP-32 gene polymorphisms (rs12601930C/T, rs879606A/G, and rs3764352A/G) and personality traits as measured by the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire in 502 healthy Chinese-Han subjects. Of the three polymorphic sites examined, rs12601930C/T was associated with novelty seeking (χ² = 13.06, P = 0.001), while both rs879606A/G and rs3764352A/G were associated with harm avoidance (rs879606: χ² = 7.74, P = 0.021; rs3764352: χ² = 8.53, P = 0.014). There was no significant association between reward dependence scores and DARPP-32 gene polymorphisms. Our results suggest that polymorphisms in the DARPP-32 gene are involved in the biological mechanisms that confer the traits of novelty seeking and harm avoidance.

Neurotensin Receptor 1 Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated with Personality Traits in Healthy Chinese Individuals

“…Numerous studies have also demonstrated that variants in the genes encoding proteins in the dopaminergic signaling system, including dopamine receptors, DRD2 [15,16], and DRD4 [12,13,17,18], dopamine transporter 1 [43], and COMT [10], have been linked to variability in NS trait scores in different healthy populations. Our team also showed an association between DARPP-32 polymorphisms and NS scores in a Chinese Han population [40]. However, our present study of total, male or female subjects identified no significant association between any of the 3 tested SNPs in the NTR1 gene, which is closely connected to the dopamine system, and NS scores, suggesting that NTR1 is not a defining factor in the NS temperament dimension, at least in the Chinese Han genetic background.…”

“…In addition, our recent study has also shown a significant association between HA scores and polymorphisms of DARPP-32, a key regulator of dopaminergic signaling, in a healthy Chinese Han population [40]. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that many polymorphisms in dopamine receptors are associated with the HA and RD TPQ dimensions.…”

Associations Between PPP1R1B Gene Polymorphisms and Anxiety Levels in the Chinese Population

“…It is known that psychological factors including cognition, reinforcement learning, emotion processing, personality traits, and defense mechanisms act as mediators or moderators of the effects of stressors on individual anxiety responses. Of interest, the rs879606 and rs3764352 genotypes, demonstrated to be associated with anxiety in the present study, are related to cognition [5], personality traits [8], and defense mechanisms [9], while the rs879606G/rs3764352T/rs907094A haplotype is involved in associative emotional learning [15]. Moreover, the rs907094 genotype of the PPP1R1B gene has been associated with reward learning [16] and the processing of anger [17].…”

“…A previous study by our team has demonstrated significant associations between the PPP1R1B intron single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs12601930C/T, rs879606A/G, and rs3764352A/G, and personality traits measured by the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire in healthy Han Chinese [8]. Because anxiety, especially trait anxiety, is considered to be an important and enduring dimension of personality, we examined its association with the above three SNPs based on their previously-established association with personality traits.…”

“…Written consent was given by all participants and venous blood samples were taken. The polymorphism genotyping experiments were performed according to the methods described in our previous studies [4,8,9].…”