Abstract
The gene encoding the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) contains a regulatory variation that has been associated with anxiety-related traits and susceptibility for depression. Here we highlight recent discoveries related to allelic variation of 5-HTT function with respect to emotion regulation and social behavior, drawing from an interdisciplinary perspective of behavioral genetics and cognitive neuroscience. Following a reductionistic path that leads from gene-behavior association studies to neuroimaging and epigenetic studies, we compare two models of 5-HTT-dependent modulation of brain activity and discuss the role of life stress experience in modifying 5-HTT function in the brain. Integration of these findings suggests that the impact of the 5-HTT gene on behavior is much broader than is commonly appreciated and may have a role in social cognition.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank G. Lesch for designing graphics and artwork. The writing of this article and the authors' related research were supported by grants from the European Commission (NEWMOOD LSHM-CT-2003-503474), Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (IZKF 01 KS 9603) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 581, KFO 125) to K.-P.L. and by grants from the General Clinical Research Center (5-MO1-RR-10710) and the US National Science Foundation (BCS-0224221) to T.C.
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Canli, T., Lesch, KP. Long story short: the serotonin transporter in emotion regulation and social cognition. Nat Neurosci 10, 1103–1109 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1964
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1964
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