Analysis of variations in the glutamate receptor, N-methyl D-aspartate 2A (GRIN2A) gene reveals their relative importance as genetic susceptibility factors for heroin addiction.

ABSTRACT: The glutamate receptor, N-methyl D-aspartate 2A (GRIN2A) gene that encodes the 2A subunit of the N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor was recently shown to be involved in the development of opiate addiction. Genetic polymorphisms in GRIN2A have a plausible role in modulating the risk of heroin addiction. An association of GRIN2A single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with heroin addiction was found earlier in African Americans. To identify markers that contribute to the genetic susceptibility to heroin addiction, we examined the potential association between heroin addiction and forty polymorphisms of the GRIN2A gene using the MassARRAY system and GeneScan in this study. The frequency of the (GT)26 repeats (rs3219790) in the heroin addiction group was significantly higher than that in the

SUBMITTER: Zhao B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3733659 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature