Subsequent to its vesicular release, the level of serotonin is maintained by the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) that actively clears it from the synapse, returning it to the presynaptic neuron where it can be degraded or released at a later time. Identification of possible candidate genes and polymorphisms for the serotoninergic system may therefore be important, as this system is known to influence mood, emotion, and cognition. Serotonergic system dysfunction has been implicated in common psychiatric syndromes, and the therapeutic efficacy of several psychopharmological agents is thought to be based on modulation of serotonin.
Among the large number of existing neurotransmitters, serotonin modulates a wide variety of physiological processes including sleep, appetite, thermoregulation, pain perception, respiration, and proper functioning of bowel. Understanding these correlates and susceptibility loci linked to respective familial predisposition has substantially increased our knowledge of the neurobiological foundations of complex psychiatric disorders during the previous decade. Specific mental disorders are believed to be related to different sets of genes. In recent years, attempts to investigate the genetic influence for development of these disorders have emerged as one of the prominent areas of medical molecular biology. Major impediments in appropriate, evidence-based treatment of mental disorders are lack of biological markers that could play an important role in the early identification and management of many of them. Global research efforts to underpin factors relevant to precise etiology of various psychiatric disorders continue to be confronted with ambiguity. While the existing information of psychiatric genetics is inadequate for putting into practice genetic testing in the diagnostic work-up of the psychiatric patient, if consistent in future research attempts, such results can be of great help to improve the clinical care of a vast majority of patients suffering from such disorders.
Going beyond traditional association studies, gene-environment interaction, currently gaining momentum, is also discussed in the review. In this article, we review the status of evidence for association between the serotonin gene polymorphism and some common mental disorders like affective disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, suicide, autism, and other anxiety and personality disorders. Serotonin transporter gene polymorphism is one of the most extensively studied polymorphisms in psychiatric behavioral genetics. Among a large number of existing neurotransmitter systems, the serotonin system dysfunction has been implicated in many psychiatric disorders and therapeutic efficacy of many drugs is also thought to be based on modulation of serotonin. Though still in infancy, the field of psychiatric genetics holds great potential to contribute to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic options to treat these disorders.
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