Citation

Zhang Y, Ming QS, Yi JY, Wang X, Chai QL, Yao SQ. Front. Behav. Neurosci. 2017; 11: e17.

Affiliation

Medical Psychological Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University Changsha, China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Frontiers Research Foundation)

DOI

10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00017

PMID

28203149

PMCID

PMC5285338

Abstract

Gene-environment interactions that moderate aggressive behavior have been identified independently in the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene and monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA). The aim of the present study was to investigate epistasis interactions between MAOA-variable number tandem repeat (VNTR), 5-HTTlinked polymorphism (LPR) and child abuse and the effects of these on aggressive tendencies in a group of otherwise healthy adolescents. A group of 546 Chinese male adolescents completed the Child Trauma Questionnaire and Youth self-report of the Child Behavior Checklist. Buccal cells were collected for DNA analysis. The effects of childhood abuse, MAOA-VNTR, 5-HTTLPR genotypes and their interactive gene-gene-environmental effects on aggressive behavior were analyzed using a linear regression model. The effect of child maltreatment was significant, and a three-way interaction among MAOA-VNTR, 5-HTTLPR and sexual abuse (SA) relating to aggressive behaviors was identified. Chinese male adolescents with high expression of the MAOA-VNTR allele and 5-HTTLPR "SS" genotype exhibited the highest aggression tendencies with an increase in SA during childhood. The findings reported support aggression being a complex behavior involving the synergistic effects of gene-gene-environment interactions.

Language: en

Keywords

5-HTTLPR; MAOA-VNTR; adolescent; aggression; child abuse; gene × gene × environmental interaction