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Environment and the serotonergic system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

L. Oreland,
N. Nordquist,
J. Hallman,
J. Harro and
K.W. Nilsson
L. Oreland
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
N. Nordquist*
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
J. Hallman
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
J. Harro
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Estonian Center of Behavioral and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
K.W. Nilsson
Affiliation:
Center for Clinical Research Vasteras, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail address: niklas.nordquist@neuro.uu.se (N. Nordquist).
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Abstract

In summary, genetics, as well as foetal and early life environmental factors shape the size or capacity of our monoamine systems, of which the serotonergic one might play a leading role. Those constitutional properties then form the biological basis for personality traits, such as impulsiveness and “sensation seeking”, which interact with psychosocial settings and life events to form a pattern of reactivity to a current life event or psychosocial situation, shown as a high or low order of magnitude of gene-environment interaction. In the present paper emphasis is put on the role of genotypes of the serotonin transporter, of monoamine oxidases A and B, and of platelet monoamine oxidase B activity, which all have been shown to be of importance for behaviour and with obvious effects of interactions with environment. Under unfortunate circumstances constitutional properties might be strong enough to result in vulnerability for suicide, even with a modest influence of environment.

Keywords

SuicideSerotoninEnvironmentMonoamine oxidasePersonalityGene-environment interaction

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