Serotonergic genes and personality traits in the Korean population.

Serotonergic genes have been implicated in mood disorders, alcoholism and certain personality traits. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits and several important genes in the serotonin system. The participants included 146 healthy adults with no history of psychiatric disorders or other physical illness during the last 6 months. All participants were tested by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and genotyped serotonin transporter, serotonin receptors (5-HT(2A) and 5-HT(6)) and tryptophan hydroxylase gene polymorphisms. Genotyping was analyzed with polymerase chain reaction. Differences in TCI dimensions and sub-scales among three groups were examined with ANOVA. Our result suggested that 5-HT(2A) receptor gene polymorphism (A-1438G) appears to be associated with self-determinism and self-transcendence (ST). Our result also indicated a significant relationship between 5-HT(6) receptor gene polymorphism (C267T) and ST. Further studies of polymorphisms of other genes and their interactions may clarify the complex relationship between personality and genes.