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Influence of Life Stress on Depression: Moderation by a Polymorphism in the 5-HTT Gene

Avshalom Caspi, Karen Sugden, Terrie E. Moffitt, Ian Craig, HonaLee Harrington, Joseph L. McClay, Jonathan S. Mill, Judy Martin, Antony W. Braithwaite, Richie Poulton

Science · 2003 · 8,167 citations

doi.org/10.1126/science.1083968

Abstract

In a prospective-longitudinal study of a representative birth cohort, we tested why stressful experiences lead to depression in some people but not in others. A functional polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter (5-HT T) gene was found to moderate the influence of stressful life events on depression. Individuals with one or two copies of the short allele of the 5-HT T promoter polymorphism exhibited more depressive symptoms, diagnosable depression, and suicidality in relation to stressful life events than individuals homozygous for the long allele. This epidemiological study thus provides evidence of a gene-by-environment interaction, in which an individual's response to environmental insults is moderated by his or her genetic makeup.

Cite this paper

Caspi, A., Sugden, K., Moffitt, T. E., Taylor, A., Craig, I., Harrington, H., McClay, J. L., Mill, J. S., Martin, J., Braithwaite, A. W., & Poulton, R. (2003). Influence of life stress on depression: Moderation by a polymorphism in the 5-HTT gene. Science, 301(5631), 386–389. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1083968

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