A new blue gene: NKPD1 variant increases depression risk
Genetics play a strong role in risk for depression, but the identification of specific genes contributing to the disorder has eluded researchers. "By sequencing all of the DNA that codes for mRNA and ultimately, proteins, Dr. Amin and colleagues found a single gene that may account for as much as 4% of the heritable risk for depression," said Doctor John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry . To identify the gene, the researchers assessed data from the Erasmus Rucphen Family study, which was composed of a collection of families and their descendents living in social isolation until the past few decades. In a population like this, genetic isolation leads to an amplification of rarely occurring variants with little other genetic variation, providing a more powerful cohort for the discovery of rare variants. Nearly 2,000 people who had been assessed for depressive symptoms were included in the analysis. Using whole-exome sequencing to examine portions of DNA contain...