Epigenetic modification of OXT and human sociability
Epigenetic modification of OXT and human sociability
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DOI：
10.1073/pnas.1602809113
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发表时间：
2016-07-05
影响因子：
11.1
通讯作者：
Smith，Alicia K.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Haas，Brian W.;Filkowski，Megan M.;Smith，Alicia K.
许多哺乳动物物种都存在促进社交倾向的遗传和生物系统。催产素是一种神经肽，参与人类和其他哺乳动物的社交行为。尽管有大量越来越多的证据表明催产素信号基因与人类社交能力相关，但目前对于催产素（OXT）结构基因如何赋予人类社交能力个体差异的方式知之甚少。在这项研究中，我们采用了一种综合方法来研究通过 DNA 甲基化进行的 OXT 表观遗传修饰与社会处理的公开测量（包括自我报告、行为以及大脑功能和结构）之间的关联。通过唾液样本收集遗传数据并进行分析，以靶向和量化 OXT 启动子区域的 DNA 甲基化。我们观察到各种社交测量结果的一致模式。与表现出较高OXTDNA甲基化的人相比，表现出较低OXTDNA甲基化（可能与较高OXT表达有关）的人表现出更安全的依恋风格、更高的识别情绪面部表情的能力、在两项社会认知功能MRI任务期间更大的颞上沟活动以及更大的梭状回灰质体积。这些发现提供了经验证据，证明OXT的表观遗传修饰与人类社交能力的几种明显测量有关，并有助于推动转化社会神经科学研究的进展，以更好地理解正常和异常人类社交能力的进化和遗传基础。
Across many mammalian species there exist genetic and biological systems that facilitate the tendency to be social. Oxytocin is a neuropeptide involved in social-approach behaviors in humans and others mammals. Although there exists a large, mounting body of evidence showing that oxytocin signaling genes are associated with human sociability, very little is currently known regarding the way the structural gene for oxytocin (OXT) confers individual differences in human sociability. In this study, we undertook a comprehensive approach to investigate the association between epigenetic modification ofOXTvia DNA methylation, and overt measures of social processing, including self-report, behavior, and brain function and structure. Genetic data were collected via saliva samples and analyzed to target and quantify DNA methylation across the promoter region ofOXT. We observed a consistent pattern of results across sociability measures. People that exhibit lowerOXTDNA methylation (presumably linked to higherOXTexpression) display more secure attachment styles, improved ability to recognize emotional facial expressions, greater superior temporal sulcus activity during two social-cognitive functional MRI tasks, and larger fusiform gyrus gray matter volume than people that exhibit higherOXTDNA methylation. These findings provide empirical evidence that epigenetic modification ofOXTis linked to several overt measures of sociability in humans and serve to advance progress in translational social neuroscience research toward a better understanding of the evolutionary and genetic basis of normal and abnormal human sociability.