INTACT CODING REGION OF THE SEROTONIN TRANSPORTER GENE IN OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Epidemiologic studies indicate that obsessivecompulsive disorder is ge netically transmitted in some families, although no genetic abnormalit ies have been identified in individuals with this disorder. The select ive response of obsessive-compulsive disorder to treatment with agents which block serotonin reuptake suggests the gene coding for the serot onin transporter as a candidate gene. The primary structure of the ser otonin-transporter coding region was sequenced in 22 patients with obs essive-compulsive disorder, using direct PCR sequencing of cDNA synthe sized from platelet serotonin-transporter mRNA, No variations in amino acid sequence were found among the obsessive-compulsive disorder patie nts or healthy controls, These results do not support a role for alter ation in the primary structure of the coding region of the serotonin-t ransporter gene in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.