Dopamine transporter, gender, and number of sexual partners among young adults

Abstract

The dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) codes for a dopamine transporter protein, which limits the level and duration of dopamine receptor activation. The DAT1 gene is a strong candidate gene for rewardseeking behavior. This article reports compelling evidence for the association between the 40 bp variable number of tandem repeats in the DAT1 gene and the self-reported number of sexual partners among young adults in the United States using the sibling subsample of more than 2500 individuals who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. We performed tests of genotypegender interaction as well as analyses stratified by gender. Among the males, possessing one or two alleles of the 10 repeat is associated with an 80-100% increase (Po0.0001, 2df) in the number of sexual partners as compared with the homozygotes for the 9 repeat. The association holds in race/ethnicity-stratified analyses, in Allison's procedure that tests population stratification, and in within-family fixed-effects models. Covariate adjustment for a standard set of socioeconomic factors including religiosity, family structure, parental education, marital and cohabitation history, and neighborhood poverty did not attenuate these associations. Discussion is provided why this finding is absent among females.

Dopamine Receptor Mediation of the Exploratory/Hyperactivity Effects of Modafinil

“…The influence of sex on the effects of stimulants on mutant mice is not always reported, clouding the reasons for sex differences in these studies. Sex can alter several gene-related behaviors including DAT-mediated changes in sexual behavior or dopamine drd1 influences on learning (Bay-Richter et al, 2009;Guo et al, 2007). One possible mechanism for sexrelated differences in the effect of modafinil is that females exhibit more DAT compared to males (Harrod et al, 2004).…”

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), substance use disorders, and criminality: a difficult problem with complex solutions

“…A gene × gene interaction between DRD2 and DRD4 has been linked to the appearance of CD and antisocial behavior in males (129). Similarly, an association between various DRD4 poly morphisms and ADHD susceptibility has been reported, while both DRD4-7 repeat allele and DAT1-10 repeat allele have been related with hazardous sensation seeking, antisocial behavior, and offenses (126,(130)(131)(132)(133). Conversely, a protective effect against risky behaviors has been reported with the 9R/9R genotype in the VNTR of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1), in comparison to the 10R/9R and 10R/10R genotypes.…”

Mesocorticolimbic dopamine functioning in primary psychopathy: A source of within-group heterogeneity

“…However, this difference slowly disappears at 9 years old, when transitioning into puberty (Young et al, 2002). Indeed, in adolescent and young-adult males, when mesolimbic DA activity is boosted and D2-receptor expression downregulated (Steinberg, 2008;McCutcheon and Marinelli, 2009;Luciana et al, 2012;Rothmond et al, 2012), the 10R-allele is more consistently related to antisocial behavior, impetuous risk-taking behavior, and delinquency (Guo et al, 2007a(Guo et al, , 2007bBeaver et al 2008b;Burt and Mikolaiewski, 2008;Guo et al, 2008;O'Brien et al, 2013). Therefore, samples that include both children and adolescents, or that do not differentiate between different age groups, fail to find a significant association between DAT1 and externalizing or impulsive behavior (Schulz-Heik et al, 2008;Sonuga-Barke et al, 2009;Richards et al, 2014).…”