NO ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SCHIZOPHRENIA AND POLYMORPHISMS WITHIN THE GENES FOR DEBRISOQUINE 4-HYDROXYLASE (CYP2D6) AND THE DOPAMINE TRANSPORTER (DAT)

It has been suggested that the cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenase, debriso quine 4-hydrogylase, is involved in the catabolism and processing of n eurotransmitters subsequent to their reuptake into target cells. It is also thought to be related to the dopamine transporter that acts to t ake released dopamine back up into presynaptic terminals. The present study used the association approach to test the hypothesis that mutati ons in the genes for debrisoquine 4-hydrogylase (CYP2D6) and the dopam ine transporter (DAT) confer susceptibility to schizophrenia. There we re no differences in allele or genotype frequencies between patients a nd controls ill the mutations causing the poor metaboliser phenotype i n CYP2D6. In addition there was no association found between schizophr enia and a 48bp repeat within the 3' untranslated region of DAT. (C) 1 995 Wiley Liss, Inc.