Role of POMC gene expression changes for individual differences in analgesia and susceptibility to dependence

在先前的研究中，前阿片黑素皮质素(POMC)基因的单核苷酸多态性(SNP)被证实与阿片类药物镇痛和酒精依赖易感性的个体差异有关。POMC SNP不与其他基因多态性形成连锁不平衡阻断，提示该SNP可能直接影响个体在镇痛和依赖易感性上的差异。构建了含有SNP的POMC基因5‘侧翼区的表达载体。人类POMC基因由三个外显子组成，但在最后一个外显子中发现了等位基因不平衡经验(AIE)的有效多态。表达分析目前正在进行中，这些分析将阐明阿片类药物敏感性或依赖易感性个体差异的分子机制。

In the previous study, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene was identified to be associated with individual differences in opioid analgesia and susceptibility to alcohol dependence. The POMC SNP dose not form linkage disequilibrium block with other polymorphisms, suggesting that the SNP would directly affect on individual differences in analgesia and susceptibility to dependence. The expression vector was constructed with 5' flanking region of the POMC gene including the SNP. The human POMC gene consists of three exons, but effective polymorphisms for allelic imbalance experience (AIE) were identified in the last exon. The expression analyses are now on going, and molecular mechanisms underlying individual differences in opioid sensitivity or susceptibility to dependence would be elucidated by these analyses.