Dopamine Transporter Gene Methylation is Associated with Nucleus Accumbens Activation During Reward Processing in Healthy but not Alcohol-Dependent Individuals.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Alcohol's reinforcement is mediated by dopamine signaling in the ventral striatum, which is modulated by the dopamine transporter (DAT). We hypothesized that methylomic variation in the DAT gene (DAT1/SLC6A3) affects DAT expression, thus contributing to differences in brain reward circuitry in individuals with alcohol dependence (ALC).

Methods

Blood from 45 recently detoxified ALC and 45 healthy control (HC) individuals was used to assess DNA methylation across 5 functional regions of SLC6A3. Participants completed the monetary incentive delay task in a 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Employing regression models, we examined effects of SLC6A3 methylation on nucleus accumbens (NAc) blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) responses during anticipation

SUBMITTER: Muench C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6010188 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature