THE GENE ENCODING THE 5-HT1A RECEPTOR IS INTACT IN MOOD DISORDERS

We studied the 5-HT1A receptor gene in 50 mood disorders and 50 normal volunteers. The 5-HT1A receptor gene was amplified by polymerase chai n reaction and sequenced by the dideoxy method. The sequence of the 5- HT1A receptor encodes a protein of 422 amino acids, that is, one amino acid longer than the reported sequence (Kobilka et al. 1987). The DNA sequence at positions 454 to 459 is CGC GCC GCT, not CCG CGT, and the amino acids sequence at these positions is changing from proline argi nine to arginine alanine alanine. These differences, however, were obs erved in both mood disorders and controls. One silent polymorphism, CT (G) under bar to GT (A) under bar at position 294, was found. These r esults suggest that the 5-HT1A receptor gene is intact in mood disorde rs.