Personality traits and polymorphisms of genes coding neurotransmitter receptors or transporters: review of single gene and genome-wide association studies

Abstract Background The most popular tool used for measuring personality traits is the Five-Factor Model (FFM). It includes neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Many studies indicated the association of genes encoding neurotransmitter receptors/transporters with personality traits. The relationship connecting polymorphic DNA sequences and FFM features has been described in the case of genes encoding receptors of cannabinoid and dopaminergic systems. Moreover, dopaminergic system receives inputs from other neurotransmitters, like GABAergic or serotoninergic systems. Methods We searched PubMed Central (PMC), Science Direct, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and EBSCO databases from their inception to November 19, 2020, to identify original studies, as well as peer-reviewed studies examining the FFM and its association with gene polymorphisms affecting the neurotransmitter functions in central nervous system. Results Serotonin neurons modulate dopamine function. In gene encoding serotonin transporter protein, SLC6A4, was found polymorphism, which was correlated with openness to experience (in Sweden population), and high scores of neuroticism and low levels of agreeableness (in Caucasian population). The genome-wide association studies (GWASs) found an association of 5q34-q35, 3p24, 3q13 regions with higher scores of neuroticism, extraversion and agreeableness. However, the results for chromosome 3 regions are inconsistent, which was shown in our review paper. Conclusions GWASs on polymorphisms are being continued in order to determine and further understand the relationship between the changes in DNA and personality traits.

Download Full-text

Personality Traits Relate to Chronotype at Both the Phenotypic and Genetic Level

10.31234/osf.io/96bq5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anita Lenneis ◽

Uku Vainik ◽

Maris Teder-Laving ◽

Liisi Ausmees ◽

Sakari Lemola ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Personality Traits ◽

Factor Model ◽

Five Factor Model ◽

Association Studies ◽

Genetic Correlations ◽

Genome Wide Association Studies ◽

Neo Personality Inventory ◽

Genome Wide ◽

Genetic Level ◽

The Relationship

Introduction: Diurnal preferences have been linked to personality but often with mixed results. The present study examines the relationships between sleep timing (chronotype), diurnal preferences and the Five-Factor Model of personality traits at the phenotypic and genetic level. Methods: Self- and informant-reports of the NEO Personality Inventory-3, self-reports of the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, and DNA samples were available for 2,515 Estonian adults (Mage = 45.76 years; 59% females). Genetic correlations were obtained through summary statistics of genome-wide association studies. Results: Results showed that higher Conscientiousness and lower Openness to Experience were significant predictors of earlier chronotype. At the level of facets, we found that more straightforward (A2) and excitement-seeking (E5), yet less self-disciplined (C5) people were more likely to have later chronotypes. The nuance-level Polypersonality score was correlated with chronotype at r = .28 (p < .001). Conscientiousness and Openness were genetically related with diurnal preferences. The polygenic score for morningness-eveningness significantly predicted the Polypersonality score. Conclusion: Phenotypic measures of chronotype and personality showed significant associations at all three of levels of the personality hierarchy. Our findings indicate that the relationship between personality and morningness-eveningness is partly due to genetic factors. Future studies are necessary to further refine the relationship.

Download Full-text

Genome-wide association studies of impulsive personality traits (BIS-11 and UPPSP) and drug experimentation in up to 22,861 adult research participants identify loci in the CACNA1I and CADM2 genes

Journal of Neuroscience ◽

10.1523/jneurosci.2662-18.2019 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 2662-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Sandra Sanchez-Roige ◽

Pierre Fontanillas ◽

Sarah L. Elson ◽

Joshua C. Gray ◽

Harriet de Wit ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Personality Traits ◽

Association Studies ◽

Genome Wide Association ◽

Genome Wide Association Studies ◽

Research Participants ◽

Genome Wide

Download Full-text

Venous thromboembolism and prostate cancer: what about genetic markers?

Pharmacogenomics ◽

10.2217/pgs-2020-0094 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (6) ◽

pp. 365-373

Author(s):

Sofia Coelho Abreu ◽

Valéria Tavares ◽

Filipa Carneiro ◽

Rui Medeiros

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Venous Thromboembolism ◽

Genetic Markers ◽

Association Studies ◽

Genome Wide Association ◽

Clinical Implications ◽

Genome Wide Association Studies ◽

Genetic Determinants ◽

Genome Wide ◽

The Relationship

Aim & methods: To review the existing literature concerning the relationship between venous thromboembolism (VTE) and prostate cancer (PC) and explore the putative biological and clinical implications of VTE genetic markers on PC patients by screening the PubMed database. Results: Considering the roles of VTE genome-wide association studies-identified genetic determinants in disease development in the general population, these variants might also underlie the susceptibility for PC-related VTE. Therefore, they could help to identify those with a positive benefit-to-harm ratio for thromboprophylaxis approaches during cancer therapy management, thereby improving patient’s prognosis. Conclusion: Future studies are mandatory to explore the relationship between VTE and PC and dissect the predictive value of VTE genome-wide association studies-identified genetic determinants in PC patients, given their clinical implications.

Download Full-text

LD Score Regression Distinguishes Confounding from Polygenicity in Genome-Wide Association Studies

10.1101/002931 ◽

2014 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Brendan K. Bulik-Sullivan ◽

Po-Ru Loh ◽

Hilary Finucane ◽

Stephan Ripke ◽

Jian Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Association Studies ◽

Genome Wide Association ◽

Large Sample Size ◽

Genome Wide Association Studies ◽

Test Statistics ◽

Test Statistic ◽

Confounding Bias ◽

Genome Wide ◽

The Relationship ◽

True Signal

AbstractBoth polygenicity1,2 (i.e. many small genetic effects) and confounding biases, such as cryptic relatedness and population stratification3, can yield inflated distributions of test statistics in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, current methods cannot distinguish between inflation from bias and true signal from polygenicity. We have developed an approach that quantifies the contributions of each by examining the relationship between test statistics and linkage disequilibrium (LD). We term this approach LD Score regression. LD Score regression provides an upper bound on the contribution of confounding bias to the observed inflation in test statistics and can be used to estimate a more powerful correction factor than genomic control4–14. We find strong evidence that polygenicity accounts for the majority of test statistic inflation in many GWAS of large sample size.

Download Full-text

Genome-wide association studies of impulsive personality traits (BIS-11 and UPPSP) and drug Experimentation in up to 22,861 adult research participants

10.1101/414854 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sandra Sanchez-Roige ◽

Pierre Fontanillas ◽

Sarah L. Elson ◽

Michelle Agee ◽

Babak Alipanahi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Personality Traits ◽

Genetic Variants ◽

Sensation Seeking ◽

Association Studies ◽

Risk Tolerance ◽

Genome Wide Association ◽

European Ancestry ◽

Genome Wide Association Studies ◽

Research Participants ◽

Genome Wide

AbstractBackgroundImpulsive personality traits are complex heritable traits that are governed by frontal-subcortical circuits and are associated with numerous neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly drug abuse.MethodsIn collaboration with the genetics company 23andMe, Inc., we performed several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on measures of impulsive personality traits (the short version of the UPPSP Impulsive Behavior Scale, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale [BIS-11]) and drug experimentation (the number of drug classes an individual has tried in their lifetime) in up to 22,861 male and female adult research participants of European ancestry.ResultsImpulsive personality traits and drug experimentation showed SNP-heritabilities that ranged from 5 to 11%. Genetic variants in the CADM2 locus were significantly associated with the UPPSP Sensation Seeking subscale (P = 8.3 × 10-9, rs139528938) and showed a suggestive association with drug experimentation (P = 3.0 × 10-7, rs2163971; r2 = 0.68 with rs139528938); CADM2 has been previously associated with measures of risky behaviors and self-reported risk tolerance, cannabis initiation, alcohol consumption, as well as information speed processing, body mass index (BMI) variation and obesity. Furthermore, genetic variants in the CACNA1I locus were significantly associated with the UPPSP Negative Urgency subscale (P = 3.8 × 10-8, rs199694726). Multiple subscales from both UPPSP and BIS showed strong genetic correlations (>0.5) with drug experimentation and other substance use traits measured in independent cohorts, including smoking initiation, and lifetime cannabis use. Several UPPSP and BIS subscales were genetically correlated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (rg = 0.30-0.51, p < 8.69 x 10-3), supporting their validity as endophenotypes.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate a role for common genetic contributions to individual differences in impulsivity. Furthermore, our study is the first to provide a genetic dissection of the relationship between different types of impulsive personality traits and various psychiatric disorders.

Download Full-text

Molecular Trait Psychology

Using Basic Personality Research to Inform Personality Pathology ◽

10.1093/med-psych/9780190227074.003.0011 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 237-254

Author(s):

Turhan Canli

Keyword(s):

Molecular Biology ◽

Personality Traits ◽

Candidate Gene ◽

Genome Editing ◽

Association Studies ◽

Genome Wide Association ◽

Genome Wide Association Studies ◽

Genome Wide ◽

Candidate Gene Studies

This chapter discusses the field of molecular psychology, which applies the tools of molecular biology (e.g., candidate gene studies, genome-wide association studies, optogenetics, genome editing) to the study of behavior and its underlying neural structures and functions. Specifically, the chapter reports on research that applies these tools to personality traits.

Download Full-text