Association between the HTR2B gene and the personality trait of fun seeking

Bi Zhu,Chuansheng Chen,Robert K Moyzis,Qi Dong,Chunhui Chen,Qinghua He,Jin Li,Xuemei Lei,Chongde Lin

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2012.07.026

Abstract

Previous research reported that a rare serotonin receptor 2B gene (HTR2B) stop codon mutation predisposes subjects to severe impulsivity and novelty seeking. In this study, we expanded this previous work by testing six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the HTR2B gene for potential associations with the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and the three components of the behavioral approach systems (BAS: fun seeking, drive, and reward responsiveness) in a Han Chinese sample (N=478). Association analysis for individual SNPs indicated that four of the six SNPs (i.e., rs6437000, rs10194776, rs16827801, and rs1549339) were significantly associated with BAS fun seeking (p=.0003–.0022). Haplotype-based association analysis revealed that fun seeking was positively associated with haplotype A–A–G–A for SNPs rs6437000–rs10194776–rs16827801–rs1549339 (p=.0002), which survived Bonferroni correction. Except for the association between BAS reward responsiveness and rs16827801 (p=.005), no other association was found for BAS drive, BAS reward responsiveness, or BIS. This study provides the first evidence for the involvement of the HTR2B gene in BAS fun seeking. A better understanding of the genetic basis of the BIS and BAS would allow us to develop more effective diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of impulsive behavioral problems.

Highlights

According to Gray’s reinforcement sensitivity theory (Gray, 1987), there are two major behavioral systems, i.e., the behavioral approach system (BAS) and the behavioral inhibition system (BIS)
BAS fun seeking refers to impulsive approach of rewards and sensation seeking, BAS drive refers to the persistent pursuit of desired goals, and BAS reward responsiveness refers to the positive response to reward
Zhu et al / Personality and Individual Differences 53 (2012) 1029–1033 recent studies have shown that variation in the serotonin receptor 2B (HTR2B) gene is associated with impulsivity, a trait highly related to BAS fun seeking as mentioned earlier

Summary

Introduction

According to Gray’s reinforcement sensitivity theory (Gray, 1987), there are two major behavioral systems, i.e., the behavioral approach system (BAS) and the behavioral inhibition system (BIS). Recent studies suggested that BAS fun seeking is more closely linked to rash impulsiveness, while BAS drive and reward responsiveness are more closely related to. Zhu et al / Personality and Individual Differences 53 (2012) 1029–1033 recent studies have shown that variation in the serotonin receptor 2B (HTR2B) gene is associated with impulsivity, a trait highly related to BAS fun seeking as mentioned earlier. We analyzed six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) selected to cover the whole HTR2B gene, in order to explore whether there exists an association of the HTR2B gene with the BAS and BIS in a Han Chinese sample

Participants

Genotyping

Behavioral assessment

Data analyses

Results

Discussion