Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T13:32:18.478Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

New molecular genetic findings in the genetics of affective disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

Extract

Molecular genetics has now been widely incorporated into genetic epidemiological research in psychiatry. Affective disorders and, in particular, bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) have been examined in many molecular genetic studies which have covered a large part of the genome. Specific hypotheses such as mutations have also been studied. Most recent studies indicate that several chromosomal regions may be involved in the aetiology of BPAD. These include genes on chromosomes 18, 21, 4, 5, 11 and X. Other studies have reported the presence of anticipation in BPAD and in unipolar affective disorder (UPAD). This phenomenon describes the increase in clinical severity and decrease in age of onset observed in successive generations. This mode of transmission correlates with the presence of specific mutations (trinucleotide repeat sequences). Associations with these mutations have been reported in different populations of BPAD-patients and may represent a genetic factor involved in the transmission of the disorder.

These findings are all preliminary and require to be confirmed. Large multi-centres and multi-disciplinary projects are currently underway in Europe and in the US and hopefully will improve our understanding of the genetic factors involved in affective disorders. In addition, genetic approaches used in psychiatry are being combined with an assessment of non-genetic susceptibility factors. The investigation of interactions between gene and environment is one of the most promising areas dealing with complex multi-factorial diseases such as the affective disorders.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature

1.Mcinnis, MG, McMahon, FJ, Chase, GAet al.Anticipation in bipolar affective disorder. Am J hum Genet 1993;53:385–90.Google ScholarPubMed
2.Nylander, P-O, Engstrom, C, Chotai, J, et al.Anticipation in Swedish Families with Bipolar Affective Disorder. J med Genet 1994;9: 686–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Engström, C, Johansson, EL, Langström, M, et al.Anticipation in unipolar affective disorder. J affect Disord 1995;35:3140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Lindblad, K, Nylander, P-O, De Bruyn, Aet al.Expansion of trinucleotide CAG repeats detected in Bipolar Affective Disorder by the RED(rapid expansion detection)-method. Neurobiol Dis 1995;2:5562.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.O'Donovan, MC, Guy, C, Craddock, N, et al.Expanded CAG repeats in schizophrénie and bipolar disorder. Nat Genet 1995;10: 380–1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Berrettini, WH, Ferraro, TN, Goldin, LRet al.Chromosome 18 DNA markers and manic-depressive illness: Evidence for a susceptibility gene. Proc nat Acad Sci 1994;91:5918–22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Stine, C, Xu, J, Koskela, R, et al.Evidence for linkage of bipolar disorder to chromosome 18 with parent-of-origin effect. Am J hum Genet 1996;57:1384–94.Google Scholar
8.Gershon, ES, Badner, JA, Detera-Waldeigh, SD, et al.Maternal inheritance and chromosome 18 allele sharing in unilineal bipolar illness pedigrees. Am J med Genet 1996; (Neuropsychiatrie Genetics) 67:202–7.3.0.CO;2-N>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.De Bruyn, A, Souery, D, Mendelbaum, K, et al.Linkage analysis of 2 families with bipolar illness and chromosome 18 markers. Biol Psychiat 1996;39:679–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Freimer, N, Reus, V, Escamilla, M, et al.Genetic mapping using haplotype, association and linkage methods suggests a locus for severe bipolar disorder (BPI) at 18q22-q23. Nat Genet 1996;12: 436–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Souery, D, Papadimitriou, G, Mendlewicz, J. New genetic approaches in affective disorders. In: Papadimitriou, GN, Mendlewicz, J, eds. Genetics of mental Disorders Part I: Theoretical Aspects. Bailliere's Clinical Psychiatry, International Practice and Research. Vol. 1, No 1. London: Bailliere Tindall, 1996;97110.Google Scholar
12.Blackwood, D, He, L, Morris, S, et al.A locus for bipolar affective disorder on chromosome 4p. Nat Genet 1996;12:427–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Coon, H, Jensen, S, Hoff, M, et al.A genome-wide search for genes predisposing to manic-depression, assuming autosomal dominant inheritance. Am J hum Genet 1993;52:1234–49.Google ScholarPubMed
14.Straub, RE, Lehner, Th, Luo, Y, et al.A possible vulnerability locus for bipolar affective disorder on chromosome 21q22.3. Nat Genet 1994;8:291–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Mendlewicz, J, Simon, P, Sevy, S, et al.Polymorphic DNA marker on chromosome and manic-depression. Lancet 1987;1:1230–2.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Pekkarinen, P, Terwilliger, J, P-E, Bredbacka, et al.Evidence of a predisposing locus to bipolar disorder on Xq24-q27.1 in an extended Finnish pedigree. Genome Res 1995;5:105–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Ogilvie, AD, Battersby, S, Bubb, VJ, et al.Polymorphism in serotonin transporter gene associated with susceptibility to major depression. Lancet 1996;347:731–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Miwa, S. Triplet repeats strike again. Nat Genet 1994;6:35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar