2004 - 2005 Publications > Genetics of Alcohol Dependence

Recent Findings

Genetics of Alcohol Dependence

• Edenberg et al have shown that variations in GABRA2, encoding the alpha 2 subunit of the GABA(A) receptor, are associated with alcohol dependence and with brain oscillations. Am J Hum Genet. 2004 Apr;74(4):705-14
• Wang et al  have identified two different haplotypes of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M2 (CHRM2) gene  are associated with alcohol dependence and major depressive syndrome.   Hum Mol Genet. 2004 Sep 1;13(17):1903-11
• Shirley et al have shown that the expression of mpdz was significantly associated with severities of withdrawal from alcohol and pentobarbatol, such that lower expression of mpdz was genetically correlated with greater withdrawal seizure susceptibility.  Findings may help to identify new targets for pharmacotherapies for withdrawal.  Nat. Neuroscience, 7:699, 2004.)
• Bart et al  reports that the A118G variant of the mu opioid receptor is associated with alcohol dependence in Swedish population. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2005 Feb;30(2):417-22.
• Lin et al have shown that haplotypes in the vesicular monoamine transporter2 are protective against becoming an alcoholic.  This is demonstration that many complex disorders will be defects in regulation of gene expression instead of being mediated by an amino acid change in the protein. Hum Mol Genet. 2005 May 15;14(10):1393-404.
• Hinrichs et al report that a functional variant in the bitter taste receptor (hTASR15) that decreases the perception of bitter taste increases the risk of alcohol dependence Am J Hum Genet. 2006 Jan;78(1):103-11. 

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