A REEXAMINATION OF THE EFFECTS OF CULTURE AND DOPAMINE D4 RECEPTOR GENE INTERACTION ON SOCIAL ORIENTATION

Abstract Background Evidence for the impact of the food retailing environment on food-related and obesity outcomes remains equivocal, but only a few studies have attempted to identify sub-populations for whom this relationship might be stronger than others. Genetic polymorphisms related to dopamine signalling have been associated with differences in responses to rewards such as food and may be candidate markers to identify such sub-populations. This study sought to investigate whether genetic variation of the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4 exon III 48 bp VNTR polymorphism) moderated the association between local exposure to food retailers on BMI and diet in a sample of 4 to12-year-old children. Methods Data collected from a birth cohort and a community cross-sectional study conducted in Montreal, Canada, were combined to provide DRD4 VNTR polymorphism data in terms of presence of the 7-repeat allele (DRD4-7R) for 322 children aged between 4 and 12 (M (SD): 6.8(2.8) y). Outcomes were Body Mass Index (BMI) for age and energy density derived from a Food Frequency Questionnaire. Food environment was expressed as the proportion of local food retailers classified as healthful within 3 km of participants’ residence. Linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, income, cohort, and geographic clustering were used to test gene*environment interactions. Results A significant gene*food environment interaction was found for energy density with results indicating that DRD4-7R carriers had more energy dense diets than non-carriers, with this effect being more pronounced in children living in areas with proportionally more unhealthy food retailers. No evidence of main or interactive effects of DRD4 VNTR and food environment was found for BMI. Conclusions Results of the present study suggest that a genetic marker related to dopamine pathways can identify children with potentially greater responsiveness to unhealthy local food environment. Future studies should investigate additional elements of the food environment and test whether results hold across different populations.

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Dopamine D4 receptor gene variation impacts self-reported altruism

Molecular Psychiatry ◽

10.1038/mp.2012.49 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 402-403 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

K Anacker ◽

S Enge ◽

A Reif ◽

K-P Lesch ◽

A Strobel

Keyword(s):

Receptor Gene ◽

Dopamine D4 Receptor ◽

Gene Variation ◽

D4 Receptor

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Revisiting the Functional Role of Dopamine D4 Receptor Gene Polymorphisms: Heteromerization-Dependent Gain of Function of the D4.7 Receptor Variant

Molecular Neurobiology ◽

10.1007/s12035-018-1413-1 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 56 (7) ◽

pp. 4778-4785 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Marta Sánchez-Soto ◽

Hideaki Yano ◽

Ning-Sheng Cai ◽

Verònica Casadó-Anguera ◽

Estefanía Moreno ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Polymorphisms ◽

Functional Role ◽

Receptor Gene ◽

Dopamine D4 Receptor ◽

Gain Of Function ◽

D4 Receptor ◽

Receptor Gene Polymorphisms

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Cultural variation in the gray matter volume of the prefrontal cortex is moderated by the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4)

Cerebral Cortex ◽

10.1093/cercor/bhy271 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 29 (9) ◽

pp. 3922-3931 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Qinggang Yu ◽

Nobuhito Abe ◽

Anthony King ◽

Carolyn Yoon ◽

Israel Liberzon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽

Receptor Gene ◽

Cultural Influences ◽

Dopamine D4 Receptor ◽

East Asians ◽

European Americans ◽

The Difference ◽

D4 Receptor ◽

The Brain

Abstract Recent evidence suggests a systematic cultural difference in the volume/thickness of prefrontal regions of the brain. However, origins of this difference remain unclear. Here, we addressed this gap by adopting a unique genetic approach. People who carry the 7- or 2-repeat (7/2-R) allele of the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) are more sensitive to environmental influences, including cultural influences. Therefore, if the difference in brain structure is due to cultural influences, it should be moderated by DRD4. We recruited 132 young adults (both European Americans and Asian-born East Asians). Voxel-based morphometry showed that gray matter (GM) volume of the medial prefrontal cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex was significantly greater among European Americans than among East Asians. Moreover, the difference in GM volume was significantly more pronounced among carriers of the 7/2-R allele of DRD4 than among non-carriers. This pattern was robust in an alternative measure assessing cortical thickness. A further exploratory analysis showed that among East Asian carriers, the number of years spent in the U.S. predicted increased GM volume in the orbitofrontal cortex. The present evidence is consistent with a view that culture shapes the brain by mobilizing epigenetic pathways that are gradually established through socialization and enculturation.

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