Comparative Expression Analysis of Genes Encoding Neurotransmitter Receptors Between Entrepreneurs and Non-Entrepreneurs

Abstract

Introduction and Purpose: Recent studies revealed that different behavioral and physiological processes are closely related to different receptor levels in humans. On the other hand, there weren’t any studies that investigated neurotransmitter activity and entrepreneurship relationships. Little is known about how genes expressed in the blood are associated with entrepreneurship. In this study, we measured the expression of 84 genes encoding neurotransmitter receptors between the entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs (n=25) using RT-PCR arrays to monitor differentially expressed genes for exploring molecular mechanism behind the entrepreneurship mindset. Materials and Methods: After determining whether participants are entrepreneurs or not, blood samples were collected. Blood samples were collected in Vacutainer® EDTA tubes as 10 ml and RNA isolation was performed at the Erzurum Technical University, Cell Culture Laboratory. Trizol® solution for RNA isolation (Thermo®, USA) was applied according to the manufacturer's instructions. Concentrations of RNA samples were measured at 260 nm using a spectrophotometer (Epoch®, Biotek). Then, total RNA was reverse transcribed into cDNA by using High-Capacity cDNA Reverse Transcription Kit (Thermo®). Total 84 genes were analyzed via RT² Profiler™ Human Neurotransmitter Receptors PCR Array (Qiagen®, USA) in Rotor-Gene Q real-time PCR cycler (Qiagen®, USA). Findings: The gene expression results obtained from RT-PCR were compared between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs, and presented as Fold Changes (FC). According to our results, positive FC values indicated an increase in the expression of the genes and negative FC values indicated decrease in gene expression levels in entrepreneurs. Results: These 84 different genes regulate neurotransmitter biosynthesis, uptake, transport, and signaling via neurotransmitter receptors. According to gene expression analyses, gene expressions that could be related to the entrepreneur behavior might be connected to not only undesired psychological outcomes like various addictions and also neurological cases such as schizophrenia and depressive disorder. Our results firstly indicated that entrepreneurship was not only associated with neurotransmitter release but also with receptor levels. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurs, Genes, Neurotransmitter Receptors, RT-PCR Array