TY - JOUR
T1 - Smoking status and the human dopamine transporter variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism
T2 - Failure to replicate and finding that never-smokers may be different
AU - Vandenbergh, David J.
AU - Bennett, Christina J.
AU - Grant, Michael D.
AU - Strasser, Andrew A.
AU - O'Connor, Richard
AU - Stauffer, Rebecca L.
AU - Vogler, George P.
AU - Kozlowski, Lynn T.
PY - 2002/8
Y1 - 2002/8
N2 - Cigarette smoking, like many addictive behaviors, has been shown to have a genetic component. The dopamine transporter (DA7) gene (SLC6A3) encodes a protein that regulates synaptic levels of dopamine in the brain and is a candidate gene for addictive behaviors. We have collected smoking information from a national probability sample of 3383 adult volunteers contacted via a random-digit dialing telephone interview. A subset of individuals provided DNA from cheek swabs returned via the mail for subsequent genetic analysis of self-reported smoking behavior. DNA samples were genotyped at a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism in the 3′-untranslated region of the DAT gene. If we classify smokers as non- (<100 cigarettes), former and current, we fail to replicate both Lerman et al. (Health Psychology 18:14-20, 1999) and Sabol et al. (Health Psychology 18:7-13, 1999) and support the absence of effects found by Jorm et al. (American Journal of Medical Genetics (Neuropsychiatric Genetics) 96:331-334, 2000). When we distinguish between never-smokers (no cigarettes ever) and non-smokers (1-99 in lifetime), we find a reliable trend essentially in the opposite direction from Lerman et al. (1999), with the 10-copy allele being more frequent in never-smokers. Biobehavioral research on cigarette smoking should distinguish between never- and non-smokers. We have also developed an improved set of polymerase chain reaction conditions to increase the frequency of successful amplification of DAT's VNTR, which is a long, G+C-rich repeat.
AB - Cigarette smoking, like many addictive behaviors, has been shown to have a genetic component. The dopamine transporter (DA7) gene (SLC6A3) encodes a protein that regulates synaptic levels of dopamine in the brain and is a candidate gene for addictive behaviors. We have collected smoking information from a national probability sample of 3383 adult volunteers contacted via a random-digit dialing telephone interview. A subset of individuals provided DNA from cheek swabs returned via the mail for subsequent genetic analysis of self-reported smoking behavior. DNA samples were genotyped at a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism in the 3′-untranslated region of the DAT gene. If we classify smokers as non- (<100 cigarettes), former and current, we fail to replicate both Lerman et al. (Health Psychology 18:14-20, 1999) and Sabol et al. (Health Psychology 18:7-13, 1999) and support the absence of effects found by Jorm et al. (American Journal of Medical Genetics (Neuropsychiatric Genetics) 96:331-334, 2000). When we distinguish between never-smokers (no cigarettes ever) and non-smokers (1-99 in lifetime), we find a reliable trend essentially in the opposite direction from Lerman et al. (1999), with the 10-copy allele being more frequent in never-smokers. Biobehavioral research on cigarette smoking should distinguish between never- and non-smokers. We have also developed an improved set of polymerase chain reaction conditions to increase the frequency of successful amplification of DAT's VNTR, which is a long, G+C-rich repeat.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036670080&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0036670080&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/14622200210142689
DO - 10.1080/14622200210142689
M3 - Article
C2 - 12215242
AN - SCOPUS:0036670080
SN - 1462-2203
VL - 4
SP - 333
EP - 340
JO - Nicotine and Tobacco Research
JF - Nicotine and Tobacco Research
IS - 3
ER -