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

Published In
DOI
EISSN
ISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
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