Gene-environment models of suicide
-
1
Ghent University, Dept of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Belgium
Suicide can be regarded as the endpoint of complex gene-environment interactions. Suicide risk factors may be either distal (early adverse life events or genetic factors determining responses to stressors) or proximal (precipitant stress). Interactions of such stress and several genes have indeed been identified in suicidal individuals, involving e.g. the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5HTTLPR), which may affect suicide risk via changes in functional brain connectivity. Epigenetics provide an intriguing explanation for the relationship between early adverse events, recent stress, genes and suicidal behaviour. For example, a significant effect of childhood abuse on the genetic regulation of hippocampal glucocrtocoid receptors has been demonstrated in individuals who took their own lives. Early-life adversity is also associated with epigenetic modification of genes involved in neuronal plasticity, neuronal growth, and neuroprotection. Thus, via (epi-)genetic mechanisms functional and structural characteristics of “the suicidal brain” may predispose individuals to suicidal behaviour when confronted with environmental stressors.
Résumé en Français:
Le suicide peut être vu comme la résultante d’une interaction complexe entre des facteurs génétiques qui déterminent notre réponse au stress et des facteurs environnementaux qui peuvent avoir des effets à long terme (difficultés dans l’enfance) ou à court terme (évènement précipitant l’action). Il a été démontré que des évènements stressants pouvaient induire une modification de la régulation de certains gènes responsables de notre capacité de réponse au stress. Cette modification porte le nom d’épigénétisme car il ne s’agit pas d’une modification du gène en lui-même (mutation) mais d’une modification de son utilisation par les cellules.
Samenvatting in het Nederlands :
Zelfdoding kan men zien als het resultaat van een complexe interactie tussen genetische factoren die bepalend zijn voor de manier waarop wij stress verwerken en omgevingsfactoren met gevolgen op lange termijn (problemen tijdens de jeugdjaren) dan wel op korte termijn (gebeurtenis die de daad uitlokt). Het werd aangetoond dat stressvolle gebeurtenissen kunnen leiden tot een wijziging van de afstelling van bepaalde genen die onze bekwaamheid om met stress omgaan bepalen. Deze wijziging wordt epigenetisme genoemd, gezien het niet echt een wijziging van de genen (mutatie) betreft maar een veranderd gebruik ervan door de cellen.
Keywords:
serotonin transporter gene,
Epigenetics Mechanisms of Plasticity,
childhood abuse,
BDNF,
Glucocorticoids,
Prefrontal Cortex,
Stress, Psychological
Conference:
6th Belgian Brain Congress, MONS, Belgium, 8 Oct - 8 Oct, 2016.
Presentation Type:
Oral Presentation
Topic:
Brain and brain diseases: between heredity and environment
Citation:
Van Heeringen
K
(2016). Gene-environment models of suicide.
Conference Abstract:
6th Belgian Brain Congress.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnagi.2016.03.00003
Copyright:
The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers.
They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters.
The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated.
Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed.
For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions.
Received:
22 Jun 2016;
Published Online:
22 Jun 2016.
*
Correspondence:
Prof. Kees Van Heeringen, Ghent University, Dept of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent, 9000, Belgium, cornelis.vanheeringen@ugent.be