This indicates that an interaction of vulnerable genotypes (i.e., A allele of OXTRrs53576) with an environmental burden (i.e. maternal postpartum depression) may be one of the potential elements that predisposes the infant to developing behavioural problems early in life.
Here, we review studies that investigated how oxytocin receptor (OXTR) interacts with early parental care experiences to influence the development of psychiatric disorders.
The physiology of the oxytocin receptor has increasingly become a focus of scientific investigation due to its connection with social behavior and psychiatric disorders with impairments in social funciton.
We examined the role of serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and oxytocin receptor (OXTR) genes in explaining differences in sensitive parenting in a community sample of 159 Caucasian, middle-class mothers with their 2-year-old toddlers at risk for externalizing behavior problems, taking into account maternal educational level, maternal depression and the quality of the marital relationship.
This region of chromosome 3p contains genes which contribute to obesity and behavioral problems, most notably, ghrelin (GHRL), an oxytocin receptor (OXTR), solute carrier family six members (gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter transporters, SLC6A1 and SLC6A11), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG).
Animal models and linkage data from genome screens indicate that the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) is an excellent candidate for research concerning psychiatric disorders, particularly those involving social impairments, such as autism.