Genes for Severe Hereditary Depression Identified

Researchers have identified a locus of 19 genes on chromosome 2q that is linked to a variety of mental illnesses, including major depression and certain addictions.

Investigators at the University of Pittsburgh (PA, USA) surveyed the recently published human genome to find genes that affect the susceptibility of individuals for developing clinical depression. The survey was conducted in 81 families identified by individuals with recurrent, early-onset, major depressive disorder (RE-MDD), a severe form of hereditary depression.

The survey, published July 2, 2003, in the online edition of the American Journal of Medical Genetics, revealed 19 loci that appeared to influence susceptibility to depressive disorders. The loci were found in a small region of chromosome 2q containing the CREB1 gene, and apparently worked in concert to increase the vulnerability of women for developing depression.

CREB, which stands for cAMP response element binding protein, is a cellular controller of gene function related to long-term memory formation. Families carrying the 19 loci were profoundly affected; deceased members died at an age eight years younger than the general population and over 40% died before the age of 65.

"Tracking down the risk genes in these regions is an obvious priority, and we expect that the research will connect clinical depression and other medical disorders at their most fundamental levels,” said senior author Dr. George S. Zubenko, professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "The identification and characterization of susceptibility genes and their products will provide new opportunities for drug development and disease prevention, new information about the biology of mood and its regulation, and new insights into the interactions of mental illness and the human life span.”




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