Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Influence of life stress on depression: moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Caspi, A; Sugden, K; Moffitt, TE; Taylor, A; Craig, IW; Harrington, H; McClay, J; Mill, J; Martin, J; Braithwaite, A; Poulton, R
Published in: Science (New York, N.Y.)
July 2003

In a prospective-longitudinal study of a representative birth cohort, we tested why stressful experiences lead to depression in some people but not in others. A functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter (5-HT T) gene was found to moderate the influence of stressful life events on depression. Individuals with one or two copies of the short allele of the 5-HT T promoter polymorphism exhibited more depressive symptoms, diagnosable depression, and suicidality in relation to stressful life events than individuals homozygous for the long allele. This epidemiological study thus provides evidence of a gene-by-environment interaction, in which an individual's response to environmental insults is moderated by his or her genetic makeup.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Science (New York, N.Y.)

DOI

EISSN

1095-9203

ISSN

0036-8075

Publication Date

July 2003

Volume

301

Issue

5631

Start / End Page

386 / 389

Related Subject Headings

  • Suicide, Attempted
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Probability
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Monoamine Oxidase
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Caspi, A., Sugden, K., Moffitt, T. E., Taylor, A., Craig, I. W., Harrington, H., … Poulton, R. (2003). Influence of life stress on depression: moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene. Science (New York, N.Y.), 301(5631), 386–389. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1083968
Caspi, Avshalom, Karen Sugden, Terrie E. Moffitt, Alan Taylor, Ian W. Craig, HonaLee Harrington, Joseph McClay, et al. “Influence of life stress on depression: moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene.Science (New York, N.Y.) 301, no. 5631 (July 2003): 386–89. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1083968.
Caspi A, Sugden K, Moffitt TE, Taylor A, Craig IW, Harrington H, et al. Influence of life stress on depression: moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene. Science (New York, NY). 2003 Jul;301(5631):386–9.
Caspi, Avshalom, et al. “Influence of life stress on depression: moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene.Science (New York, N.Y.), vol. 301, no. 5631, July 2003, pp. 386–89. Epmc, doi:10.1126/science.1083968.
Caspi A, Sugden K, Moffitt TE, Taylor A, Craig IW, Harrington H, McClay J, Mill J, Martin J, Braithwaite A, Poulton R. Influence of life stress on depression: moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene. Science (New York, NY). 2003 Jul;301(5631):386–389.
Journal cover image

Published In

Science (New York, N.Y.)

DOI

EISSN

1095-9203

ISSN

0036-8075

Publication Date

July 2003

Volume

301

Issue

5631

Start / End Page

386 / 389

Related Subject Headings

  • Suicide, Attempted
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Probability
  • Polymorphism, Genetic
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Monoamine Oxidase
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Membrane Glycoproteins