Association of Personal Anxiety with Dopamine Receptor D4 (DRD4), DAT Genes Polymorphism

Abstract

Modern studies in the world have attached high priority to the role of genetics in human psychosocial stress. People who have strong biochemical responses to stress are more inclined to develop acute and posttraumatic stress disorders. Why do such unusually strong biological reactions occur in certain people? Psychogenetics focuses on many aspects: personality traits that can affect human behavior directly. Their individual variability has been found to be a genetic trait. At present we already know a number of genes, certain allelic variants and genotypes associated with some neuropsychological characters. Among these are genes encoding intracellular and plasma protein neurotransmitter transporters and their receptors; to date, there are only several dozen genes. Of particular interest are dopaminergic system genes. However, information about the polymorphism of known genes associated with personality traits is quite limited and contradictory for open population. Under these circumstances, the chapter is devoted to the association of polymorphisms of candidate genes of the dopaminergic system with anxiety in the open population.

DRD4 Exon 3 Gene Polymorphisms in Patients Diagnosed with Polysubstance Use Disorder and Co-Occurrence of a Depressive Episode

“…A considerable number of studies indicate that there is a link between depression and the dopaminergic system. On the one hand, a meta-analysis of 12 studies of VNTR of the DRD4 gene polymorphism with depression performed by López León et al (2005) revealed that the short allele 2 is associated with depression [22], but on the other hand, Gafarov et al [23] found that male carriers of the 4R/6R genotype of the DRD4 gene were more likely to be found amongst subjects with a severe level of anxiety and depression and the carriers of the DRD4 allele 6R were more common among males diagnosed with depression. The number of tandem turns of the VNTR of the DRD4 gene polymorphism was on the increase.…”

“…The level of vital exhaustion also increased. The authors [23] claim that it is so because amongst people with the long allele of the DRD4 exon 3 polymorphism, the affinity of dopamine with the receptor is reduced, and therefore, that group is less sensitive to dopamine. Hence, there is a high frequency of genotypes with the long allele of the DRD4 exon 3 in males with anxiety, depression, and vital exhaustion.…”

Insights into the Promising Prospect of G Protein and GPCR-Mediated Signaling in Neuropathophysiology and Its Therapeutic Regulation

“…Several studies have provided contradicting reports on the impact of lithium on function of the muscarinic receptor. It has been reported [ 77 ] that lithium obstructs the super sensitivity of the muscarinic receptor despite influencing the quantity of receptor within restricted areas, suggesting that it works at a postreceptor site [ 78 , 79 ].…”

The Advent of Nutrigenomics: A Narrative Review with an Emphasis on Psychological Disorders

“…It has also been observed that the affinity of dopamine toward the receptor is diminished in individuals with the long-form (i.e., when the number of repeats exceeds six). This gene’s genotype 4/6 is strongly associated with anxiety and depressive disorders ( Gafarov et al, 2020 ).…”