BACKGROUND: Studies have found that genomic variation in the gene SNCA, which encodes the protein alpha-synuclein, may contribute to the variation in alcohol consumption in an inbred rat model of alcohol preference. Studies in humans have provided support for an association between SNCA and craving for alcohol. METHODS: To examine the role of this gene in alcohol dependence and related phenotypes, 30 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped across the SNCA gene in a sample of 219 multiplex alcoholic families of European American descent. Two phenotypes, alcohol dependence and alcohol craving, were analyzed using the pedigree disequilibrium test. RESULTS: There was no evidence of association between any of the SNCA SNPs and alcohol dependence (p>or=0.13). In contrast, 8 SNPs provided evidence of association (p<0.05) with the phenotype of alcohol craving. Haplotype analysis further supported evidence of an association with alcohol craving; a haplotype encompassing SNPs in intron 4 through the region downstream of the gene was overtransmitted to cravers and a second haplotype was overtransmitted to noncravers. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that variation in SNCA contributes to alcohol craving, a common, although not uniform, feature of alcohol dependence.
BACKGROUND: Studies have found that genomic variation in the gene SNCA, which encodes the protein alpha-synuclein, may contribute to the variation in alcohol consumption in an inbred rat model of alcohol preference. Studies in humans have provided support for an association between SNCA and craving for alcohol. METHODS: To examine the role of this gene in alcohol dependence and related phenotypes, 30 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped across the SNCA gene in a sample of 219 multiplex alcoholic families of European American descent. Two phenotypes, alcohol dependence and alcohol craving, were analyzed using the pedigree disequilibrium test. RESULTS: There was no evidence of association between any of the SNCA SNPs and alcohol dependence (p>or=0.13). In contrast, 8 SNPs provided evidence of association (p<0.05) with the phenotype of alcohol craving. Haplotype analysis further supported evidence of an association with alcohol craving; a haplotype encompassing SNPs in intron 4 through the region downstream of the gene was overtransmitted to cravers and a second haplotype was overtransmitted to noncravers. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that variation in SNCA contributes to alcohol craving, a common, although not uniform, feature of alcohol dependence.
Authors: Kavita Prasad; Elizabeth Tarasewicz; Pamela A Ohman Strickland; Michael O'Neill; Stephen N Mitchell; Kalpana Merchant; Samnang Tep; Kathryn Hilton; Akash Datwani; Manuel Buttini; Sarah Mueller-Steiner; Eric K Richfield Journal: Eur J Neurosci Date: 2011-01-28 Impact factor: 3.386
Authors: Jennifer G Plebani; Lara A Ray; Meghan E Morean; William R Corbin; James MacKillop; Michael Amlung; Andrea C King Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2012-02-06 Impact factor: 3.455
Authors: Gursharan Kalsi; Po-Hsiu Kuo; Fazil Aliev; Jeffry Alexander; Omari McMichael; Diana G Patterson; Dermot Walsh; Zhongming Zhao; Marc Schuckit; John Nurnberger; Howard Edenberg; John Kramer; Victor Hesselbrock; Jay A Tischfield; Vladimir Vladimirov; Carol A Prescott; Danielle M Dick; Kenneth S Kendler; Brien P Riley Journal: Hum Mol Genet Date: 2010-03-23 Impact factor: 6.150
Authors: Rohan H C Palmer; Leslie A Brick; Yi-Ling Chou; Arpana Agrawal; John E McGeary; Andrew C Heath; Laura Bierut; Matthew C Keller; Eric Johnson; Sarah M Hartz; Marc A Schuckit; Valerie S Knopik Journal: Drug Alcohol Depend Date: 2019-06-14 Impact factor: 4.492
Authors: John P Spence; Tiebing Liang; Lixiang Liu; Philip L Johnson; Tatiana Foroud; Lucinda G Carr; Anantha Shekhar Journal: Curr Drug Abuse Rev Date: 2009-05
Authors: Claire E Wilcox; Eric D Claus; Sara K Blaine; Marilee Morgan; Kent E Hutchison Journal: J Stud Alcohol Drugs Date: 2013-03 Impact factor: 2.582