Methylation of OPRL1 mediates the effect of psychosocial stress on binge drinking in adolescents.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Nociceptin is a key regulator linking environmental stress and alcohol drinking. In a genome-wide methylation analysis, we recently identified an association of a methylated region in the OPRL1 gene with alcohol-use disorders.

Methods

Here, we investigate the biological basis of this observation by analysing psychosocial stressors, methylation of the OPRL1 gene, brain response during reward anticipation and alcohol drinking in 660 fourteen-year-old adolescents of the IMAGEN study. We validate our findings in marchigian sardinian (msP) alcohol-preferring rats that are genetically selected for increased alcohol drinking and stress sensitivity.

Results

We found that low methylation levels in intron 1 of OPRL1 are associated with higher psychosocial stress and

SUBMITTER: Ruggeri B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5975104 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature