Did you vote? Thank your dopamine gene

Political participation is at least partially under the purview of our genetic predisposition, according to the burgeoning field that might be dubbed politicomics. The quest to understand why individuals come to hold particular political views has prompted some investigators to drill down into the genetic contribution to partisan behaviors. Peter Hatemi, of Pennsylvania State University—who may be the only academic to hold joint appointments in departments of political science, microbiology, and biochemistry—along with Rose McDermott, of Brown University, reviewed the genetics of politics in the August 2012 issue of Trends in Genetics.

The concept that people have innate tendencies when it comes to political ideology is relatively novel, as social scientists have tended to view political views as the product of family, environment, and social interactions. Geneticists have added to the conversation by revealing that, for example, variants of dopamine (DRD2 and DRD4) and serotonin (5HTT) genes can influence whether people participate in political causes and turn out to vote. Unsurprisingly, no genetic studies have revealed a single significant variant that can account for political leanings. Rather, most researchers understand that political traits are influenced by the complex interplay of multiple genes and life experience. But the methods developed to integrate genetic research with complex human behavior should benefit a wide range of research endeavors, and perhaps even our political discourse, as we continue to wrestle with such contentious issues as allocation of health-care resources. —Karyn Hede, News Editor

Heel-stick DNA offers potential epigenetic bonanza, invites controversy

Researchers who study epigenetic changes over time and try to associate them with disease state have run into a classic chicken/egg conundrum: how to distinguish epige­netic changes that drive disease risk from incidental changes. Guthrie cards—those archived newborn blood spots—have now been shown in principle to be a source of epigenetic fingerprints documenting DNA methylation status acquired in the womb as well as a potential window into how epigenetic patterns change over time. In an article published online in Genome Research in August 2012, a team of European researchers describe their method for generating a complete map of DNA methylation patterns derived from Guthrie cards. The group then compared that “methylome” with one for the same individuals three years later and found that the pattern was stable for each individual and variable between individuals. The authors hint at the research potential offered by use of the cards, but that potential is tempered by recent controversy over ownership and research use of this potential archival DNA resource. Although newborn screening for genetic disorders is nearly universal in developed nations, informed consent from the newborn’s parent or guardian for research use has not been routinely obtained. Privacy concerns will probably lead to opt-in consent for research going forward, but the extent to which archival material can be used remains unclear. —Karyn Hede, News Editor

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