TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hohmann, Sarah
A1  - Zohsel, Katrin
A1  - Buchmann, Arlette F.
A1  - Blomeyer, Dorothea
A1  - Holz, Nathalie
A1  - Boecker-Schlier, Regina
A1  - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine
A1  - Rietschel, Marcella
A1  - Witt, Stephanie H.
A1  - Schmidt, Martin H.
A1  - Esser, Günter
A1  - Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas
A1  - Banaschewski, Tobias
A1  - Brandeis, Daniel
A1  - Hohm, Erika
A1  - Laucht, Manfred
T1  - Interacting effect of MAOA genotype and maternal prenatal smoking on aggressive behavior in young adulthood
JF  - Journal of neural transmission
N2  - Findings on the etiology of aggressive behavior have provided evidence for an effect both of genetic factors, such as variation in the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene, and adverse environmental factors. Recent studies have supported the existence of gene × environment interactions, with early experiences playing a key role. In the present study, the effects of prenatal nicotine exposure, MAOA genotype and their interaction on aggressive behavior during young adulthood were examined. In a sample of 272 young adults (129 males, 143 females) from an epidemiological cohort study, smoking during pregnancy was measured with a standardized parent interview at the offspring’s age of 3 months. Aggressive behavior was assessed between the ages of 19 and 25 years using the Young Adult Self-Report. DNA was genotyped for the MAOA 5′ untranslated region variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism (VNTR). Results revealed a significant interaction between MAOA and smoking during pregnancy, indicating higher levels of aggressive behavior in young adults carrying the MAOA low-expressing genotype who had experienced prenatal nicotine exposure (n = 8, p = .025). In contrast, in carriers of the MAOA high-expressing genotype, maternal smoking during pregnancy had no effect on aggressive behavior during young adulthood (n = 20, p = .145). This study extends earlier findings demonstrating an interaction between MAOA genotype and prenatal nicotine exposure on aggressive behavior into young adulthood. The results point to the long-term adverse effects of smoking during pregnancy on the offspring’s mental health, possibly underlining the importance of smoking cessation during pregnancy. According to the nature of the study (particularly sample size and power), analyses are exploratory and results need to be interpreted cautiously.
KW  - MAOA
KW  - Smoking during pregnancy
KW  - Interaction
KW  - Aggression
KW  - Longitudinal
KW  - Young adulthood
Y1  - 2016
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-016-1582-x
SN  - 0300-9564
SN  - 1435-1463
VL  - 123
SP  - 885
EP  - 894
PB  - Springer
CY  - Wien
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Buchmann, Arlette F.
A1  - Zohsel, Katrin
A1  - Blomeyer, Dorothea
A1  - Hohm, Erika
A1  - Hohmann, Sarah
A1  - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine
A1  - Treutlein, Jens
A1  - Becker, Katja
A1  - Banaschewski, Tobias
A1  - Schmidt, Martin H.
A1  - Esser, Günter
A1  - Brandeis, Daniel
A1  - Poustka, Luise
A1  - Zimmermann, Ulrich S.
A1  - Laucht, Manfred
T1  - Interaction between prenatal stress and dopamine D4 receptor genotype in predicting aggression and cortisol levels in young adults
JF  - Psychopharmacology
N2  - Considerable evidence suggests that genetic factors combine with environmental influences to impact on the development of aggressive behavior. A genetic variant that has repeatedly been reported to render individuals more sensitive to the presence of adverse experiences, including stress exposure during fetal life, is the seven-repeat allele of the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) gene.
 The present investigation concentrated on the interplay of prenatal maternal stress and DRD4 genotype in predicting self-reported aggression in young adults. As disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system has been discussed as a pathophysiological pathway to aggression, cortisol stress reactivity was additionally examined.
 As part of an epidemiological cohort study, prenatal maternal stress was assessed by maternal interview 3 months after childbirth. Between the ages of 19 and 23 years, 298 offspring (140 males, 158 females) completed the Young Adult Self-Report to measure aggressive behavior and were genotyped for the DRD4 gene. At 19 years, 219 participants additionally underwent the Trier Social Stress Test to determine cortisol reactivity.
 Extending earlier findings with respect to childhood antisocial behavior, the results revealed that, under conditions of higher prenatal maternal stress, carriers of the DRD4 seven-repeat allele displayed more aggression in adulthood (p = 0.032). Moreover, the same conditions which seemed to promote aggression were found to predict attenuated cortisol secretion (p = 0.028).
 This is the first study to indicate a long-term impact of prenatal stress exposure on the cortisol stress response depending on DRD4 genotype.
KW  - Prenatal stress
KW  - Aggression
KW  - Cortisol
KW  - DRD4
KW  - Gene-environment interaction
Y1  - 2014
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-014-3484-7
SN  - 0033-3158
SN  - 1432-2072
VL  - 231
IS  - 16
SP  - 3089
EP  - 3097
PB  - Springer
CY  - New York
ER  -