Epigenetic and epistatic interactions between serotonin transporter and brain-derived neurotrophic factor genetic polymorphism: insights in depression
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have shown significant results in the interaction between the functions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and 5-HT in mood disorders, such as major depressive disorder (MDD). The latest research has provided convincing evidence that gene transcription of these molecules is a target for epigenetic changes, triggered by stressful stimuli that starts in early childhood and continues throughout life, which are subsequently translated into structural and functional phenotypes culminating in depressive disorders. The short variants of 5-HTTLPR and BDNF-Met are seen as forms which are predisposed to epigenetic aberrations, which leads individuals to a susceptibility to environmental adversities, especially when subjected to stress in early life. Moreover, the polymorphic variants also feature epistatic interactions in directing the functional mechanisms elicited by stress and underlying the onset of depressive disorders. Also emphasized are works which show some mediators between stress and epigenetic changes of the 5-HTT and BDNF genes, such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), which is a cellular transcription factor. Both the HPA axis and CREB are also involved in epistatic interactions between polymorphic variants of 5-HTTLPR and Val66Met. This review highlights some research studying changes in the epigenetic patterns intrinsic to genes of 5-HTT and BDNF, which are related to lifelong environmental adversities, which in turn increases the risks of developing MDD.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Chronic stress throughout life involves biological changes that underlie MDD in many patients and in laboratory animals.
“Chronic stress throughout life involves several biological changes, which are underlying MDD in many patients and in laboratory animals [4],[6],[9].”
From Stress and serum cortisol levels in major depressive disorder: a cross-sectional study (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
Cites
Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: central role of the brain
McEwen, B. S. (2007) · Physiological Reviews · doi:10.1152/physrev.00041.2006 · Cited by 4,981 · see citing works
Serotonin transporter genetic variation and the response of the human amygdala.
Hariri, A. R., Mattay, V. S., Tessitore, A., Kolachana, B., Fera, F., Goldman, D., Egan, M. F., & Weinberger, D. R. (2002) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1071829 · Cited by 2,340 · see citing works
Allelic Variation of Human Serotonin Transporter Gene Expression
Heils, A., Teufel, A., Petri, S., Stöber, G., Riederer, P., Bengel, D., & Lesch, K. P. (1996) · Journal of Neurochemistry · doi:10.1046/j.1471-4159.1996.66062621.x · Cited by 2,221 · see citing works
A molecular and cellular theory of depression
Duman, R. S. (1997) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1997.01830190015002 · Cited by 2,129 · see citing works
Nibuya, M., Morinobu, S., & Duman, R. (1995) · The Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.15-11-07539.1995 · Cited by 2,109 · see citing works
Sustained hippocampal chromatin regulation in a mouse model of depression and antidepressant action
Tsankova, N. M., Berton, O., Renthal, W., Kumar, A., Neve, R. L., & Nestler, E. J. (2006) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn1659 · Cited by 1,780 · see citing works
Global burden of depressive disorders in the year 2000
Üstün, T. B., Ayuso-Mateos, J. L., Chatterji, S., Mathers, C., & Murray, C. J. L. (2004) · British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.184.5.386 · Cited by 1,735 · see citing works
Lasting epigenetic influence of early-life adversity on the BDNF gene
Roth, T. L., Lubin, F. D., Funk, A. J., & Sweatt, J. D. (2009) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.11.028 · Cited by 1,273 · see citing works
Conner, J. M., Lauterborn, J. C., Yan, Q., Gall, C. M., & Varon, S. (1997) · The Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.17-07-02295.1997 · Cited by 1,097 · see citing works
A Susceptibility Gene for Affective Disorders and the Response of the Human Amygdala
Hariri, A. R., Drabant, E. M., Munoz, K. E., Kolachana, B. S., Mattay, V. S., Egan, M. F., & Weinberger, D. R. (2005) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.2.146 · Cited by 815 · see citing works
Role of neurotrophic factors in depression
CASTREN, E., VOIKAR, V, & RANTAMAKI, T. (2007) · Current Opinion in Pharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.coph.2006.08.009 · Cited by 667 · see citing works
Increased BDNF Promoter Methylation in the Wernicke Area of Suicide Subjects
Keller, S., Sarchiapone, M., Zarrilli, F., Videtič, A., Ferraro, A., Carli, V., Sacchetti, S., Lembo, F., Angiolillo, A., Jovanovic, N., et al. (2010) · Archives of General Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.9 · Cited by 379 · see citing works
Fuchikami, M., Morinobu, S., Segawa, M., Okamoto, Y., Yamawaki, S., Ozaki, N., Inoue, T., Kusumi, I., Koyama, T., Tsuchiyama, K., et al. (2011) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0023881 · Cited by 378 · see citing works
Central administration of IGF-I and BDNF leads to long-lasting antidepressant-like effects
Hoshaw, B. A., Malberg, J. E., & Lucki, I. (2005) · Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2005.01.007 · Cited by 348 · see citing works
Philibert, R. A., Sandhu, H., Hollenbeck, N., Gunter, T., Adams, W., & Madan, A. (2008) · American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics · doi:10.1002/ajmg.b.30657 · Cited by 300 · see citing works
Low plasma BDNF is associated with suicidal behavior in major depression
Kim, Y.-K., Lee, H.-P., Won, S.-D., Park, E.-Y., Lee, H.-Y., Lee, B.-H., Lee, S.-W., Yoon, D., Han, C., Kim, D.-J., et al. (2007) · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2006.06.024 · Cited by 300 · see citing works
Lakshminarasimhan, H., & Chattarji, S. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0030481 · Cited by 253 · see citing works
DNA methylation and childhood maltreatment: From animal models to human studies
Lutz, P.-E., & Turecki, G. (2014) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.07.069 · Cited by 236 · see citing works
Alexander, N., Kuepper, Y., Schmitz, A., Osinsky, R., Kozyra, E., & Hennig, J. (2009) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.03.017 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
The role of inflammation and microglial activation in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders
Réus, G. Z., Fries, G. R., Stertz, L., Badawy, M., Passos, I. C., Barichello, T., Kapczinski, F., & Quevedo, J. (2015) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.05.018 · Cited by 594 · see citing works
Self-citationRéus, G. Z., Jansen, K., Titus, S., Carvalho, A. F., Gabbay, V., & Quevedo, J. (2015) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.05.007 · Cited by 221 · see citing works
Self-citationDNA methylation, early life environment, and health outcomes
Mitchell, C., Schneper, L. M., & Notterman, D. A. (2016) · Pediatric Research · doi:10.1038/pr.2015.193 · Cited by 146 · see citing works
Murínová, J., Hlaváčová, N., Chmelová, M., & Riečanský, I. (2017) · Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00101 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Schneider, I., Kugel, H., Redlich, R., Grotegerd, D., Bürger, C., Bürkner, P.-C., Opel, N., Dohm, K., Zaremba, D., Meinert, S., et al. (2018) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/npp.2017.273 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Stress and serum cortisol levels in major depressive disorder: a cross-sectional study
G Bertollo, A., 1 Laboratory of Physiology Pharmacology and Psychopathology, G. P. I. B. S., E Grolli, R., E Plissari, M., A Gasparin, V., Quevedo, J., Z Réus, G., D Bagatini, M., M Ignácio, Z., 2 Santa Catarina State University, W. H. E. C., et al. (2020) · AIMS Neuroscience · doi:10.3934/neuroscience.2020028 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Self-citationIgnácio, Z. M., Réus, G. Z., Abelaira, H. M., Maciel, A. L., de Moura, A. B., Matos, D., Demo, J. P., da Silva, J. B. I., Gava, F. F., Valvassori, S. S., et al. (2017) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2016.11.044 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Self-citationKahl, K. G., Stapel, B., & Frieling, H. (2019) · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.09.004 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
- Authors
- Ignácio, Z. M., Réus, G. Z., Abelaira, H. M., & Quevedo, J.
- Affiliations
- Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul (BR)
- Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense (BR)
- Corresponding author
- Réus, G.Z.
- Venue
- Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-09
- Volume
- 275
- Pages
- 455-468
- ISSN
- 0306-4522 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2020644015
- Cited by
- 65
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 4
- FWCI
- 1.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- CNPq
- FAPESC
- Instituto Cérebro e Mente
- UNESC
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- Keywords
- serotonin transporter, 5-HTTLPR, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, major depressive disorder, epigenetic regulation, epistasis, childhood adversity, early life stress, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, CREB, gene-environment interaction, depression risk
- MeSH terms
- Depression, Epistasis, Genetic, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Epigenesis, Genetic, Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review