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Cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) encodes the enzyme responsible for the majority of nicotine metabolism. Previous studies support that slow metabolizers smoke fewer cigarettes once nicotine dependent but provide conflicting results on the role of CYP2A6 in the development of dependence. By focusing on the critical period of young adulthood, this study examines the relationship of CYP2A6 variation and smoking milestones. A total of 1209 European American young adults enrolled in the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism were genotyped for CYP2A6 variants to calculate a previously well-validated metric that estimates nicotine metabolism. This metric was not associated with the transition from never smoking to smoking initiation nor with the transition from initiation to daily smoking (P > 0.4). But among young adults who had become daily smokers (n = 506), decreased metabolism was associated with increased risk of nicotine dependence (P = 0.03) (defined as Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence score ≥4). This finding was replicated in the Collaborative Genetic Study of Nicotine Dependence with 335 young adult daily smokers (P = 0.02). Secondary meta-analysis indicated that slow metabolizers had a 53 percent increased odds (OR = 1.53, 95 percent CI 1.11-2.11, P = 0.009) of developing nicotine dependence compared with normal metabolizers. Furthermore, secondary analyses examining four-level response of time to first cigarette after waking (>60, 31-60, 6-30, ≤5 minutes) demonstrated a robust effect of the metabolism metric in Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (P = 0.03) and Collaborative Genetic Study of Nicotine Dependence (P = 0.004), illustrating the important role of this measure of dependence. These findings highlight the complex role of CYP2A6 variation across different developmental stages of smoking behaviors.

The observed consistent association of rs16969968 with heavy smoking across multiple populations, combined with its known biological significance, suggests rs16969968 is most likely a functional variant that alters risk for heavy smoking. We interpret additional association results that differ across populations as providing evidence for additional functional variants, but we are unable to further localize the source of this association. Using the cross-population study paradigm provides valuable insights to narrow regions of interest and inform future biological experiments.

Background Peer smoking provides a socially reinforcing context of friends' encouragement and approval that contributes to smoking behavior. Twin studies show correlations and interactions between peer substance use and genetic liability for substance use. However, none examined specific genes. Here we test the hypothesis that the nicotinic receptor genes CHRNA5 (rs16969968), CHRNA3 (rs578776), CHRNB3 (rs13277254) and CHRND (rs12466358) modify the risk for nicotine dependence associated with peer smoking. Methods Cases of current nicotine dependence [Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) ≥ 4] and smoking-exposed (smoked 100+ cigarettes life-time), but non-dependent controls (life-time FTND = 0) came from the Collaborative Genetic Study of Nicotine Dependence (n = 2038). Peer smoking was assessed retrospectively for grades 9–12. Results Peer smoking and the four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with nicotine dependence. A statistically significant interaction was found between peer smoking and rs16969968 (P = 0.0077). Overall risk of nicotine dependence was highest for the rs16969968 AA genotype. However, variance in nicotine dependence attributable to peer smoking was substantially lower among those with the AA genotype at rs16969968 than the lower-risk genotypes: AA = 2.5%, GA/AG = 11.2%, GG = 14.2%; P ≤ 0.004. Conclusions Peer smoking had a substantially lower effect on nicotine dependence among those with the high-risk AA genotype at the functional SNP rs16969968 (CHRNA5) than among those with lower-risk genotypes. Such results highlight the possibility that given drug exposure those with specific genetic risks may be less affected by social contexts and intervention strategies focused upon social factors could have less influence on those at highest genetic risk.

Nicotine dependence is moderately heritable, but identified genetic associations explain only modest portions of this heritability. We analyzed 3,369 SNPs from 349 candidate genes, and investigated whether incorporation of SNP-by-environment interaction into association analyses might bolster gene discovery efforts and prediction of nicotine dependence. Specifically, we incorporated the interaction between allele count and age-at-onset of regular smoking (AOS) into association analyses of nicotine dependence. Subjects were from the Collaborative Genetic Study of Nicotine Dependence, and included 797 cases ascertained for Fagerstrom nicotine dependence, and 811 non-nicotine dependent smokers as controls, all of European descent. Compared with main-effect models, SNP x AOS interaction models resulted in higher numbers of nominally significant tests, increased predictive utility at individual SNPs, and higher predictive utility in a multi-locus model. Some SNPs previously documented in main-effect analyses exhibited improved fits in the joint-analysis, including rs16969968 from CHRNA5 and rs2314379 from MAP3K4. CHRNA5 exhibited larger effects in later-onset smokers, in contrast with a previous report that suggested the opposite interaction (Weiss et al, PLOS Genetics, 4: e1000125, 2008). However, a number of SNPs that did not emerge in main-effect analyses were among the strongest findings in the interaction analyses. These include SNPs located in GRIN2B (p=1.5 × 10−5), which encodes a subunit of the NMDA receptor channel, a key molecule in mediating age-dependent synaptic plasticity. Incorporation of logically chosen interaction parameters, such as AOS, into genetic models of substance-use disorders may increase the degree of explained phenotypic variation, and constitutes a promising avenue for gene-discovery.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have found replicable associations between nicotine dependence and specific variants in the nicotinic receptor genes CHRNA5(rs16969968) and CHRNA3(rs3743078). How these newly identified genetic risks combine with known environmental risks is unknown. This study examined whether the level of parent monitoring during early adolescence modified the risk of nicotine dependence associated with these genetic variants. METHODS: In a cross-sectional case control study of US-based community sample of 2027 subjects, we use a systematic series of regression models to examine the effect of parent monitoring on risk associated with two distinct variants in the nicotinic receptor genes CHRNA5(rs16969968) and CHRNA3(rs3743078). RESULTS: Low parent monitoring as well as the previously identified genetic variants were associated with an increased risk of nicotine dependence. An interaction was found between the SNP(rs16969968) and parent monitoring (p=0.034). The risk for nicotine dependence increased significantly with the risk genotype of SNP(rs16969968) when combined with lowest quartile parent monitoring. In contrast, there was no evidence of an interaction between SNP(rs3743078) and parent monitoring (p=0.80). CONCLUSIONS: The genetic risk of nicotine dependent associated with rs16969968 was modified by level of parent monitoring, while the genetic risk associated with rs3743078 was not, suggesting that the increased risk due to some genes may be mitigated by environmental factors such as parent monitoring.

We report on an initial genome screen of 540 individuals from 97 families collected as part of the NIMH Genetics Initiative Bipolar Group. Among the individuals studied, 232 were diagnosed with bipolar (BP) I, 72 with BPII, 88 with major depressive disorder-recurrent type (UPR), and 32 with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type (SA/BP). A total of 53 markers on chromosomes 2, 11, 13, 14, and X (average spacing: 11.5 cM) were studied at Johns Hopkins University. Tests for linkage were performed using nonparametric affected sib-pair and whole pedigree methods with three definitions of affected status. Three regions of interest were identified (13q14-32, Xp22, and Xq26-28). On chromosomes 2, 11, and 14, a disease locus with relative risk lambda(i) = 1.5 could be excluded in 1.9 in affected sister-sister pairs. The results on 13q14-32, Xp22, and Xq26-28 suggest areas of interest for further studies.