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Odintsova VV, Hagenbeek FA, van der Laan CM, van de Weijer S, Boomsma DI. Genetics and epigenetics of human aggression. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 197:13-44. [PMID: 37633706 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821375-9.00005-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
There is substantial variation between humans in aggressive behavior, with its biological etiology and molecular genetic basis mostly unknown. This review chapter offers an overview of genomic and omics studies revealing the genetic contribution to aggression and first insights into associations with epigenetic and other omics (e.g., metabolomics) profiles. We allowed for a broad phenotype definition including studies on "aggression," "aggressive behavior," or "aggression-related traits," "antisocial behavior," "conduct disorder," and "oppositional defiant disorder." Heritability estimates based on family and twin studies in children and adults of this broadly defined phenotype of aggression are around 50%, with relatively small fluctuations around this estimate. Next, we review the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) which search for associations with alleles and also allow for gene-based tests and epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) which seek to identify associations with differently methylated regions across the genome. Both GWAS and EWAS allow for construction of Polygenic and DNA methylation scores at an individual level. Currently, these predict a small percentage of variance in aggression. We expect that increases in sample size will lead to additional discoveries in GWAS and EWAS, and that multiomics approaches will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular underpinnings of aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika V Odintsova
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Mental Health Division, Amsterdam Public Health (APH) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Fiona A Hagenbeek
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Mental Health Division, Amsterdam Public Health (APH) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Camiel M van der Laan
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Steve van de Weijer
- Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Reproduction and Development (AR&D) Research Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Theorizing the Role of Dopaminergic Polymorphic Risk Alleles with Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), Violent/Aggressive Behavior and Addiction: Justification of Genetic Addiction Risk Severity (GARS) Testing. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12121946. [PMID: 36556167 PMCID: PMC9784939 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12121946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Scientific studies have provided evidence that there is a relationship between violent and aggressive behaviors and addictions. Genes involved with the reward system, specifically the brain reward cascade (BRC), appear to be associated with various addictions and impulsive, aggressive, and violent behaviors. In our previous research, we examined the Taq A1 allele (variant D2 dopamine receptor gene) and the DAT-40 base repeat (a variant of the dopamine transporter gene) in 11 Caucasian boys at the Brown School in San Marcus, Texas, diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder. Thirty supernormal controls were screened to exclude several reward-deficit behaviors, including pathological violence, and genotyped for the DRD2 gene. Additionally, 91 controls were screened to exclude ADHD, pathological violence, alcoholism, drug dependence, and tobacco abuse, and their results were compared with DAT1 genotype results. In the schoolboys vs. supercontrols, there was a significant association with the D2 variant and a trend with the dopamine transporter variant. Results support our hypothesis and the involvement of at least two gene risk alleles with adolescent violent/aggressive behaviors. This study and the research presented in this paper suggest that violent/aggressive behaviors are associated with a greater risk of addiction, mediated via various genes linked to the BRC. This review provides a contributory analysis of how gene polymorphisms, especially those related to the brain reward circuitry, are associated with violent behaviors.
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Against Aggression? Revisiting an Overlooked Contender for Moral Bioenhancement. NEUROETHICS-NETH 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12152-022-09501-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn moral bioenhancement (MBE) discourse, aggression has been identified as one potential target of biomedical intervention. Early suggestions that aggression might be modulated to improve moral outcomes were met with strong opposition from those claiming it is impossible to modulate aggression without harming traits of distinct social and agential value. If we are to preclude (or endorse) particular paths to moral enhancement then we ought to establish sound reasons for doing so. However, in paying due consideration to contemporary aggression studies we will see that current efforts to rule out aggression as one such path are untenable. I argue that the rejection of aggression-reduction as a viable target of MBE is a mistake, and that this arises from a rudimentary view of aggression which is incompatible with current scientific consensus. Drawing on contemporary psychological views I argue that it is necessary to distinguish subtypes of aggression, and that once these distinctions are recognised there is a potential space for MBE to target the biological correlates of specific kinds of aggressive behaviour. Ultimately, I suggest that aggression remains a legitimate target of inquiry, and that mitigating deleterious manifestations may yet offer one prospect for MBE.
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Duclot F, Kabbaj M. Epigenetics of Aggression. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 54:283-310. [PMID: 34595741 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Aggression is a complex behavioral trait modulated by both genetic and environmental influences on gene expression. By controlling gene expression in a reversible yet potentially lasting manner in response to environmental stimulation, epigenetic mechanisms represent prime candidates in explaining both individual differences in aggression and the development of elevated aggressive behaviors following life adversity. In this manuscript, we review the evidence for an epigenetic basis in the development and expression of aggression in both humans and related preclinical animal models. In particular, we discuss reports linking DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, as well as non-coding RNA, to the regulation of a variety of genes implicated in the neurobiology of aggression including neuropeptides, the serotoninergic and dopaminergic systems, and stress response related systems. While clinical reports do reveal interesting patterns of DNA methylation underlying individual differences and experience-induced aggressive behaviors, they do, in general, face the challenge of linking peripheral observations to central nervous system regulations. Preclinical studies, on the other hand, provide detailed mechanistic insights into the epigenetic reprogramming of gene expression following life adversities. Although the functional link to aggression remains unclear in most, these studies together do highlight the involvement of epigenetic events driven by DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA in the neuroadaptations underlying the development and expression of aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Duclot
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
| | - Mohamed Kabbaj
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
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Meijer M, Klein M, Hannon E, van der Meer D, Hartman C, Oosterlaan J, Heslenfeld D, Hoekstra PJ, Buitelaar J, Mill J, Franke B. Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Patterns in Persistent Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and in Association With Impulsive and Callous Traits. Front Genet 2020; 11:16. [PMID: 32082368 PMCID: PMC7005250 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that often persists into adulthood. ADHD and related personality traits, such as impulsivity and callousness, are caused by genetic and environmental factors and their interplay. Epigenetic modifications of DNA, including methylation, are thought to mediate between such factors and behavior and may behave as biomarkers for disorders. Here, we set out to study DNA methylation in persistent ADHD and related traits. We performed epigenome-wide association studies (EWASs) on peripheral whole blood from participants in the NeuroIMAGE study (age range 12-23 years). We compared participants with persistent ADHD (n = 35) with healthy controls (n = 19) and with participants with remittent ADHD (n = 19). Additionally, we performed EWASs of impulsive and callous traits derived from the Conners Parent Rating Scale and the Callous-Unemotional Inventory, respectively, across all participants. For every EWAS, the linear regression model analyzed included covariates for age, sex, smoking scores, and surrogate variables reflecting blood cell type composition and genetic background. We observed no epigenome-wide significant differences in single CpG site methylation between participants with persistent ADHD and healthy controls or participants with remittent ADHD. However, epigenome-wide analysis of differentially methylated regions provided significant findings showing that hypermethylated regions in the APOB and LPAR5 genes were associated with ADHD persistence compared to ADHD remittance (p = 1.68 * 10-24 and p = 9.06 * 10-7, respectively); both genes are involved in cholesterol signaling. Both findings appeared to be linked to genetic variation in cis. We found neither significant epigenome-wide single CpG sites nor regions associated with impulsive and callous traits; the top-hits from these analyses were annotated to genes involved in neurotransmitter release and the regulation of the biological clock. No link to genetic variation was observed for these findings, which thus might reflect environmental influences. In conclusion, in this pilot study with a small sample size, we observed several DNA-methylation-disorder/trait associations of potential significance for ADHD and the related behavioral traits. Although we do not wish to draw conclusions before replication in larger, independent samples, cholesterol signaling and metabolism may be of relevance for the onset and/or persistence of ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Meijer
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Marieke Klein
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Eilis Hannon
- Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Catharina Hartman
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Jaap Oosterlaan
- Experimental and Clinical Neuropsychology Section, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Emma Neuroscience Group, Department of Pediatrics, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dirk Heslenfeld
- Experimental and Clinical Neuropsychology Section, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Pieter J. Hoekstra
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Jan Buitelaar
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatric University Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jonathan Mill
- Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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Cecil CAM, Walton E, Pingault JB, Provençal N, Pappa I, Vitaro F, Côté S, Szyf M, Tremblay RE, Tiemeier H, Viding E, McCrory EJ. DRD4 methylation as a potential biomarker for physical aggression: An epigenome-wide, cross-tissue investigation. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2018; 177:746-764. [PMID: 30411855 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic processes that regulate gene expression, such as DNA methylation (DNAm), have been linked to individual differences in physical aggression. Yet, it is currently unclear whether: (a) DNAm patterns in humans associate with physical aggression independently of other co-occurring psychiatric and behavioral symptoms; (b) whether these patterns are observable across multiple tissues; and (c) whether they may function as a causal versus noncausal biomarker of physical aggression. Here, we used a multisample, cross-tissue design to address these questions. First, we examined genome-wide DNAm patterns (buccal swabs; Illumina 450k) associated with engagement in physical fights in a sample of high-risk youth (n = 119; age = 16-24 years; 53% female). We identified one differentially methylated region in DRD4, which survived genome-wide correction, associated with physical aggression above and beyond co-occurring symptomatology (e.g., ADHD, substance use), and showed strong cross-tissue concordance with both blood and brain. Second, we found that DNAm sites within this region were also differentially methylated in an independent sample of young adults, between individuals with a history of chronic-high versus low physical aggression (peripheral T cells; ages 26-28). Finally, we ran a Mendelian randomization analysis using GWAS data from the EAGLE consortium to test for a causal association of DRD4 methylation with physical aggression. Only one genetic instrument was eligible for the analysis, and results provided no evidence for a causal association. Overall, our findings lend support for peripheral DRD4 methylation as a potential biomarker of physically aggressive behavior, with no evidence yet of a causal relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte A M Cecil
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Esther Walton
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Baptiste Pingault
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nadine Provençal
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby and BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Irene Pappa
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Frank Vitaro
- Department of Psychoeducation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sylvana Côté
- Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Moshe Szyf
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Richard E Tremblay
- Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Essi Viding
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eamon J McCrory
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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