Serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) has been shown to play an important role in the pathophysiology of mood disorders including poststroke depression (PSD).
Serotonin transporter promoter length polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of mood disorders and in the therapeutic response to serotonergic drugs.
Several studies have implicated an insertion/deletion polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4; 5-HTT) in the development of mood disorders.
Such alterations suggest a broad role of the 5-HTT gene in brain function that may be associated with the genetic susceptibility for mood disorders such as depression.
The alleged association between the serotonin-transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) and amygdala activation forms a cornerstone of the common view that carrying the short allele of this polymorphism is a potential risk factor for affective disorders.
The different 5-HT (serotonin) receptors including the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) are candidate genes for affective disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD).
The main conclusions of the review are: i) there is an association between TPH2 and genetically defined behavioral variations, ii) the haplotypes, including some human TPH2 gene SNPs, can predict the risk of affective disorders and the sensitivity to antidepressant therapeutics, iii) mutations decreasing TPH2 activity produce negative effects on behavior and, possibly, on survival, iv) the effect of dietary tryptophan manipulations on human mood and behavior is modest compared with that of inhibitors of 5-HT transporter and monoamine oxidase.
The serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene is considered to be a promising candidate for genetic involvement in some mood disorders owing to its role in the regulation of serotoninergic neurotransmission.
The serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene contains a variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) domain within intron 2 that is often associated with a number of neurological conditions, including affective disorders.
The serotonin transporter (5HTT) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of mood disorders and may also be involved in suicidal behaviour since 5HTT binding is decreased in the brain of suicide completers.
The serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene polymorphisms have been associated with risk for affective disorders and functional variability of the amygdala.
The serotonin transporter (SERT) gene is a particularly interesting candidate for genetic involvement in affective disorders owing to its role in both the regulation of serotonergic neurotransmission and the mechanism of action of many antidepressant drugs.
The serotonin transporter gene promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) has been repeatedly associated with antidepressant response in mood disorder patients, but findings are not consistent across studies.
There is evidence for an association between two different polymorphisms of the human serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) and the personality trait of neuroticism and affective disorder.
There is some evidence suggesting that a polymorphism of variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) in the second intron of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene and another variation which lies 1.2 kb upstream of the promoter of the gene (5-HTTLPR) are associated with affective disorders.