Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Association between the DRD2 gene Taq1A (C32806T) polymorphism and alcohol consumption in social drinkers

The Pharmacogenomics Journal volume 5, pages 96–101 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

An association between the DRD2 Taq1A (C32806T) polymorphism and social alcohol consumption in the opposite direction to that reported for alcoholism has recently been reported in a male Finnish sample. We attempted to replicate these findings in two independent samples, and extend on previous work by including female participants. The DRD2 A1 allele was significantly associated with reduced alcohol consumption in sample one (P=0.004) and sample two (P=0.015). In sample two there was a significant genotype × sex interaction (P=0.016), with the association of the A1 allele and reduced alcohol consumption significant in men only. This interaction was marginally significant (P=0.042) in a meta-analysis of combined data from both samples, and the main effect of genotype highly significant (P<0.001). Age at time of data collection and cigarette consumption were entered as covariates in all analyses. These results replicate recent previous findings and suggest a possibility that this association may exist in men only, or be stronger in men.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Koob GF, Le Moal M . Drug addiction, dysregulation of reward, and allostastis. Neuropsychopharmacology 2001; 24: 97–129.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lingford-Hughes A, Nutt D . Neurobiology of addiction and implications for treatment. Br J Psychiatry 2003; 182: 97–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Munafò MR, Johnstone E, Murphy MFG, Walton R . New directions in the genetic mechanisms underlying nicotine addiction. Addiction Biol 2001; 6: 109–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Blum K, Sheridan PJ, Wood RC, Braverman ER, Chen TJH, Comings DE . Dopamine D2 receptor gene variants: association and linkage studies in impulsive–addictive–compulsive behaviour. Pharmacogenetics 1995; 5: 121–141.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Thompson J, Thomas N, Singleton A, Piggott M, Lloyd S, Perry EK et al. D2 dopamine receptor gene (DRD2) Taq1 A polymorphism: reduced dopamine D2 receptor binding in the human striatum associated with the A1 allele. Pharmacogenetics 1997; 7: 479–484.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Noble EP, Blum K, Ritchie T, Montgomery A, Sheridan PJ . Allelic association of the D2 dopamine receptor gene with receptor-binding characteristics in alcoholism. Arch Gen Psychiatr 1991; 48: 648–654.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Noble EP, Gottschalk LA, Fallon JH, Ritchie TL, Wu JC . D2 dopamine receptor polymorphism and brain regional glucose metabolism. Am J Med Genet 1997; 74: 162–166.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Jönsson EG, Nothen MM, Grunhage F, Farde L, Nakashima Y, Propping P et al. Polymorphisms in the dopamine D2 receptor gene and their relationships to striatal dopamine receptor density of healthy volunteers. Mol Psychiatr 1999; 4: 290–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Pohjalainen T, Rinnie JO, Nagren K, Lehikoinen P, Anttila K, Syvälahti EK et al. The A1 allele of the human D2 dopamine receptor gene predicts low D2 receptor availability in healthy volunteers. Mol Psychiatr 1998; 3: 256–260.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Neville MJ, Johnstone EC, Walton RT . Identification and characterization of ANKK1: a novel kinase gene closely linked to DRD2 on chromosome band 11q23.1. Hum Mutat 2004; 23: 540–545.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Buckland PR . Genetic association studies of alcoholism—problems with the candidate gene approach. Alcohol Alcoholism 2001; 36: 99–103.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Comings DE . Why different rules are required for polygenic inheritance: lessons from studies of the DRD2 gene. Alcohol 1998; 16: 61–70.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Edenberg HJ, Foroud T, Koller DL, Goate A, Rice J, Van Eerdewegh P et al. A family based analysis of the association of the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) with alcoholism. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1998; 22: 505–512.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Noble EP . The D2 dopamine receptor gene: a review of association studies in alcoholism and phenotypes. Alcohol 1998; 16: 33–45.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Hietala J, Pohjalainen T, Heikkilä-Kallio U, West C, Salaspuro M, Syvälahti E . Allelic association between D2 but not D1 dopamine receptor gene and alcoholism in Finland. Psychiatr Genet 1997; 7: 19–25.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Pato CN, Macciardi F, Pato MT, Verga M, Kennedy JL . Review of the putative association of dopamine D2 receptor and alcoholism: a meta-analysis. Am J Med Genet 1993; 48: 78–82.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Cloninger CR . D2 dopamine receptor gene is associated but not linked with alcoholism. JAMA 1991; 266: 1833–1834.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Hallikainen T, Hietala J, Kauhanen J, Pohjalainen T, Syvälahti E, Salonen JT et al. Ethanol consumption and DRD2 gene TaqI A polymorphism among socially drinking males. Am J Med Genet 2003; 119A: 152–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Phillips TJ, Brown KJ, Burkhart-Kasch S, Wenger CD, Kelly MA, Rubinstein M et al. Alcohol preferences and sensitivity are markedly reduced in mice lacking dopamine D2 receptors. Nat Neurosci 1998; 1: 610–615.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Stranges S, Freudenheim JL, Muti P, Farinaro E, Russell M, Nochajski TH et al. Differential effects of alcohol drinking pattern on liver enzymes in men and women. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2004; 28: 949–956.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Greenfield TK, Room R . Situational norms for drinking and drunkenness: trends in the US adult population, 1979–1990. Addiction 1997; 92: 33–47.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Comings DR, Blum K . Reward deficiency syndrome: genetic aspects of behavioral disorders. Prog Brain Res 2000; 126: 325–341.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Madrid GA, MacMurray J, Lee JW, Anderson BA, Comings DE . Stress as a mediating factor in the association between the DRD2 Taq1 polymorphism and alcoholism. Alcohol 2001; 23: 117–122.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Johnstone EC, Yudkin PL, Griffiths SE, Fuller A, Murphy M, Walton RT . The dopamine D2 receptor C32806T polymorphism (DRD2 Taq1A RFLP) exhibits no association with smoking behaviour in a healthy UK population. Addiction Biol 2004; 9: 221–226.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Imperial Cancer Research Fund OXCHECK Study Group. Effectiveness of health checks conducted by nurses in primary care: final results of the OXCHECK study. Br Med J 1995; 310: 1099–1104.

  26. Johnstone EC, Yudkin PL, Hey K, Roberts SJ, Welch SJ, Murphy MFG et al. Genetic variation in dopaminergic pathways and short-term effectiveness of the nicotine patch. Pharmacogenetics 2004; 14: 83–90.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Imperial Cancer Research Fund General Practice Research Group. Randomised trial of nicotine patches in general practice: results at one year. BMJ 1994; 308: 1476–1477.

  28. Munafò MR, Clark TG, Johnstone EC, Murphy MFG, Walton R . The genetic basis for smoking behaviour: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nicotine Tobacco Res 2004; 6: 583–597.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Bunce M, Fanning GC, Welsh KI . Comprehensive, serologically equivalent DNA typing for HLA-B by PCR using sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP). Tissue Antigens 1995; 45: 81–90.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Siân-Elin Griffiths for assistance with DNA extraction and genotyping. This work was funded by a Cancer Research UK Programme Grant. Marcus Munafò and Elaine Johnstone hold Cancer Research UK Research Fellowships.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer Research UK General Practice Research Group, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    M R Munafò, E C Johnstone, K I Welsh & R T Walton

  2. Clinical Genomics Group, Royal Brompton Hospital, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, UK

    K I Welsh

Authors
  1. M R Munafò
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E C Johnstone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. K I Welsh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R T Walton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M R Munafò.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Munafò, M., Johnstone, E., Welsh, K. et al. Association between the DRD2 gene Taq1A (C32806T) polymorphism and alcohol consumption in social drinkers. Pharmacogenomics J 5, 96–101 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.tpj.6500294

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.tpj.6500294

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links