2004 - 2005 Publications > Genetics of Cannabinoid System

Recent Findings

Genetics of Cannabinoid System

• Chiang et al at Scripps show the first evidence that a natural genetic polymorphism P129T in the human FAAH gene associated with problem drug use produces a mutant enzyme with defective biochemical and cellular properties.  Human Mol. Genetics, 13:2113, 2004.)
• Zhang et al report association between CB1/Cnr1 haplotypes and substance abuse phenotypes. Mol Psychiatry. 2004 Oct;9(10):916-31
• Soria showed SR141716A-precipitated THC withdrawal and the rewarding effects of THC are signicantly reduced in Adenosine A2 receptor knockout mice   Eur J Neurosci. 2004 Oct;20(8):2203-13.
• Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) in activates anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid.  The FAAH 385 A/A missense polymorphism is associated with obesity in American with European and African ancestry but not with Asian ancestry.  These results suggest that the endocannabinoid system plays a role in regulating body weight.  Sipe et al. Int J Obes (Lond). 2005 Jul;29(7):755-9.
• Comorbidity between cannabis dependence and depression largely due to shared genetic and environmental vulnerabilities predisposing to both outcomes. Lynskey et al Arch General Psychiatry, 2004, 61: 1026-32
• Jo et al found that endocannabinoid signaling functions with leptin to modulate feeding behavior.  Neuron. 2005 Dec 22;48(6):1055-66
• Kreitzer and Malenka (Stanford U Med Sch)    Found  that dopamine regulates long term synaptic plasticity in the dorsal striatum (brain structure important for reinforcement learning) via endogenous cannabinoids J Neurosci. 2005 Nov 9;25(45):10537-45
• Van Sickle et al Identified CB2 cannabinoid receptor mRNA and functional protein in central nervous system neurons Science. 2005 Oct 14;310(5746):329-32

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