Abstract
Genetic and genomic studies of aggressive behavior are of great interest both for clinical medicine, which is related to treatment of patients with various forms of personality and psychiatric disorders, and for forensic purposes, in particular, for prognostication of different types of crime. Moreover, genetic research of aggressive behavior has major importance in connection to social and familial relationships, dealing with relations to children in society and family. Numerous studies have been published in this field. The present review describes studies on the genetic basis of aggressive/antisocial behavior, genome wide associations, and meta-analyses. The problems of genotype–social environment interaction and epigenetic mechanisms of genotype implementation in humans are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
GTP-binding proteins.
Channel forming proteins supporting the potential difference existing between the outer and inner sides of the cell membrane.
The coefficient of disagreement (also known as odds ratio or risk ratio). It is used to describe the results of logistic regression and is calculated from a table including the number of observed and predicted values for binary dependent variables in the cells.
GPCR—G protein coupled receptor signaling pathway.
ERK/MAPK—ERK is extracellular signal regulated kinase; MAPK is mitogen-activated protein kinase.
Rho-GTPases—family of cell signaling proteins, subgroup of small GTP hydrolases of Ras superfamily.
Reelin is a protein found in the brain and other tissues and organs in humans and animals; it regulates the migration and positioning of nerve stem cells and contributes to the mechanisms of memory and learning.
REFERENCES
Gorodetsky, E., Bevilacqua, L., Carli, V., et al., The interactive effect of MAOA-LPR genotype and childhood physical neglect on aggressive behaviors in Italian male prisoners, Genes, Brain Behav., 2014, vol. 13, pp. 543—549. https://doi.org/10.1111/gbb.12140
Temcheff, C.E., Serbin, L.A., Martin-Storey, A., et al., Childhood aggression, withdrawal and likeability, and the use of health care later: a longitudinal study, CMAJ, 2011, vol. 183, pp. 2095—2101. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.091830
McKay, K.E. and Halperin, J.M., ADHD, aggression, and antisocial behavior across the lifespan: interactions with neurochemical and cognitive function, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., 2001, vol. 931, pp. 84—96. https://doi.org/1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb05774.x
Retz, W. and Rosler, M., The relation of ADHD and violent aggression: what can we learn from epidemiological and genetic studies?, Int. J. Law Psychiatry, 2009, vol. 32, pp. 235—243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2009.04.006
Bulgari, V., Iozzino, L., Ferrari, C., et al., Clinical and neuropsychological features of violence in schizophrenia: a prospective cohort study, Schizophr. Res., 2017, vol. 181, pp. 124—130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2016.10.016
Volavka, J., Bilder, R., and Nolan, K., Catecholamines and aggression: the role of COMT and MAO polymorphisms, Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., 2004, vol. 1036, pp. 393—398. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1330.023
Manchia, M., Carpiniello, B., Valtorta, F., and Comai, S., Serotonin dysfunction, aggressive behavior, and mental illness: exploring the link using a dimensional approach, ACS Chem. Neurosci., 2017, vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 961—972. https://doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.6b00427
Thornton, L.C., Frick, P.J., Crapanzano, A.M., and Terranova, A.M., The incremental utility of callous-unemotional traits and conduct problems in predicting aggression and bullying in a community sample of boys and girls, Psychol. Assess., 2013, vol. 25, pp. 366—378. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031153
Lee, B.X., Leckman, J.F., and Khoshnood, K., Violence, health, and South-North collaboration: interdisciplinary research in light of the 2030 Agenda, Soc. Sci. Med., 2015, vol. 146, pp. 236—242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.10.029
Buckingham, E.T. and Daniolos, P., Longitudinal outcomes for victims of child abuse, Curr. Psychiatry Rep., 2013, vol. 15, no. 2, p. 342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-012-0342-3
Sampson, R.J. and Lauritsen, J.T., Racial and ethnic disparities in crime and criminal justice in the United States, Crime Justice, 1997, vol. 21, pp. 311—374.https://doi.org/10.1086/449253
Walsh, A., Race and Crime: A Biosocial Analysis, New York: Nova Science, 2004.
Schilling, E.A., Aseltine, R.J., and Gore, S., Adverse childhood experiences and mental health in young adults: a longitudinal survey, BMC Publ. Health, 2007, vol. 7, p. 30. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-7-30
Rocque, M., Welsh, B.C., and Raine, A., Biosocial criminology and modern crime prevention, J. Crim. Justice, 2012, vol. 40, no. 3, pp. 306—312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2012.05.003
Owen, T., Criminological Theory: A Genetic-Social Approach, Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137316.
Farrington, D.P., The relationship between low resting heart rate and violence, in Biosocial Bases of Violence, Raine, A., Brennan, P.A., Farrington, D., and Mednick, S.A., Eds., New York: Plenum, 1997, pp. 89—106. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4648-8_6
Raine, A., Venables, P.H., and Mednick, S.A., Low resting heart rate at age 3 years predisposes to aggression at age 11 years: evidence from the Mauritius Child Health Project, J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 1997, vol. 36, no. 10, pp. 1457—1464. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-199710000-00029
Raine, A., The biological basis of crime, in Crime: Public Policies for Crime Control Wilson, J.Q. and Petersilia, J., Eds., Oakland, CA: ICS Press, 2002, 2nd ed., pp. 43—74.
Hare, R.D., Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths among Us, New York: Gulford, 1999.
Lorber, M.F., Psychophysiology of aggression, psychopathy, and conduct problems: a meta-analysis, Psychol. Bull., 2004, vol. 130, no. 4, pp. 531—552. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.130.4.531
Raine, A. and Portnoy, J., Biology of crime, in The Future of Criminology, Cullen, F.T. and Wilcox, P., Eds., Oxford Scholarship Online, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199917938.003.0004
Choy, O., Raine, A., and Hamilton, R.H., Stimulation of the prefrontal cortex reduces intentions to commit aggression: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, stratified, parallel-group trial, J. Neurosci., 2018, vol. 38, no. 29, pp. 6505—6512. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3317-17.2018
Yang, Y. and Raine, A., Prefrontal structural and functional brain imaging findings in antisocial, violent, and psychopathic individuals: a meta-analysis, Psychiatry Res.: Neuroimaging, 2009, vol. 174, no. 2, pp. 81—88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2009.03.012
Brunner, H.G., Nelen, M., Breakefield, X.O., Ropers, H.H., and van Oost, B.A., Abnormal behavior associated with a point mutation in the structural gene for monoamine oxidase A, Science, 1993, vol. 262, pp. 578—580.
Cohen, P. and Cohen, J., The clinician’s illusion, Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 1984, vol. 41, no. 12, pp. 1178—1182. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790230064010
Boisvert, D., Wright, J.P., Knopik, V., and Vaske, J., Genetic and environmental overlap between low self-control and delinquency, J. Quant. Criminol., 2012, vol. 28, pp. 477—507. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10940-011-9150-x
Connolly, E.J. and Beaver, K.M., Examining the genetic and environmental influences on self-control and delinquency: results from a genetically informative analysis of sibling pairs, J. Interpers. Violence, 2014, vol. 29, pp. 707—735. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260513505209
Krueger, R.F., South, S., Johnson, W., and Iacono, W., The heritability of personality is not always 50%: gene—environment interactions and correlations between personality and parenting, J. Pers., 2008, vol. 76, pp. 1485—1522. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00529.x
Beaver, K.M., Genetic influences on being processed through the criminal justice system: results from a sample of adoptees, Biol. Psychiatry, 2011, vol. 69, pp. 282—287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.09.007
Chabris, C.F., Lee, J.J., Cesarini, D., et al., The fourth law of behavior genetics, Curr. Dir. Psychol. Sci., 2015, vol. 24, pp. 304—312. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721415580430
Schwartz, J.A. and Beaver, K.M., Evidence of a gene × environment interaction between perceived prejudice and MAOA genotype in the prediction of criminal arrests, J. Crim. Justice, 2011, vol. 39, pp. 378—384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2011.05.003
Polderman, T.J., Benyamin, B., De Leeuw, C.A., et al., Meta-analysis of the heritability of human traits based on fifty years of twin studies, Nat. Genet., 2015, vol. 47, no. 7, pp. 702—709. https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.3285
Boutwell, B.B. and Connolly, E.J., On the heritability of criminal justice processing, SAGE Open, 2017, pp. 1—31. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017723408
Beaver, K.M., Nonshared environmental influences on adolescent delinquent involvement and adult criminal behavior, Criminology, 2008, vol. 46, pp. 341—369. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9125.2008.00112.x
Plomin, R., DeFries, J.C., Knopik, V.S., and Neiderhiser, J., Behavior Genetics, New York: Worth, 2013, 6th ed.
Barnes, J.C., Beaver, K.M., and Boutwell, B.B., Examining the genetic underpinnings to Moffitt’s developmental taxonomy: a behavioral genetic analysis, Criminology, 2011, vol. 49, pp. 923—954. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-9125.2011.00243.x
DiLalla, L.F. and Gottesman, I.I., Biological and genetic contributors to violence: Widom’s untold tale, Psychol. Bull., 1991, vol. 109, pp. 125—129. https://doi.org/10.1037//0033-2909.109.1.125
Tsiouris, J.A., Kim, S.Y., Brown, W.T., and Cohen, I.L., Association of aggressive behaviours with psychiatric disorders, age, sex and degree of intellectual disability: a large-scale survey, J. Intellect. Disabil. Res., 2011, vol. 55, no. 7, pp. 636—649. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0b013e328306a090
Manchia, M. and Fanos, V., Targeting aggression in severe mental illness: the predictive role of genetic, epigenetic, and metabolomic markers, Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry, 2017, vol. 77, pp. 32—41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.03.024
Porsch, R.M., Middeldorp, C.M., Cherny, S.S., et al., Longitudinal heritability of childhood aggression, Am. J. Med. Genet.,Part B, 2016, vol. 171, no. 5, pp. 697—707. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.b.32420
Tuvblad, C. and Baker, L.A., Human aggression across the lifespan: genetic propensities and environmental moderators, Adv. Genet., 2011, vol. 75, pp. 171—214. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-380858-5.00007-1
Ferguson, C.J., Genetic contributions to antisocial personality and behavior: a meta-analytic review from an evolutionary perspective, J. Soc. Psychol., 2010, vol. 150, pp. 160—180. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224540903366503
Turkheimer, E., Three laws of behavior genetics and what they mean, Curr. Dir. Psychol. Sci., 2000, vol. 9, pp. 160—164. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.00084
Burt, S.A. and Donnellan, M.B., Development and validation of the subtypes of antisocial behavior questionnaire, Aggress. Behav., 2009, vol. 35, pp. 376—398. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.20314
Chen, C., Liu, C., Chen, C., et al., Genetic variations in the serotoninergic system and environmental factors contribute to aggressive behavior in Chinese adolescents, Physiol. Behav., 2015, vol. 138, pp. 62—68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.09.005
Kendler, K.S., Ohlsson, H., Morris, N.A., et al., A Swedish population-based study of the mechanisms of parent—offspring transmission of criminal behavior, Psychol. Med., 2015, vol. 45, pp. 1093—1102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.09.005
Laucht, M., Brandeis, D., and Zohsel, K., Gene—environment interactions in the etiology of human violence, Curr. Top. Behav. Neurosci., 2014, vol. 17, pp. 267—295. https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2013_260
Lee, B.X., Causes and cures XV: synthesis and integration, Aggress. Violent Behav., 2017, vol. 35, pp. 91—96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2017.04.001
Widom, C.S., The cycle of violence, Science, 1989, vol. 244, no. 4901, pp. 160—166. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.2704995
Widom, C.S., Handbook of Antisocial Behavior, Stoff, D.M., Breiling, J., and Maser, J.D., Eds., New York: Wiley, 1997.
Rutter, M., Giller, H., and Hagell, A., Antisocial Behavior by Young People, Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1998.
Keiley, M.K., Howe, T.R., Dodge, K.A., et al., The timing of child physical maltreatment: a cross-domain growth analysis of impact on adolescent externalizing and internalizing problems, Dev. Psychopathol., 2001, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 891—912.
Eysenck, H.J., Crime and Personality, London, UK: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1964.
Raine, A., Autonomic nervous system activity and violence, in Aggression and Violence: Genetic, Neurobiological, and Biosocial Perspectives, Stoff, D.M. and Cairns, R.B., Eds., Mahwah, N.J.: Erlbaum, 1996, pp. 145—168.
Waltes, R., Chiocchetti, A.G., and Freitag, C.M., The neurobiological basis of human aggression: a review on genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, Am. J. Med. Genet.,Part B, 2016, vol. 171, pp. 650—675. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.b.32388
Lesch, K.P., Bengel, D., Heils, A., et al., Association of anxiety-related traits with a polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene regulatory region, Science, 1996, vol. 274, pp. 1527—1531.
Hanna, G.L., Himle, J.A., Curtis, G.C., et al., Serotonin transporter and seasonal variation in blood serotonin in families with obsessive-compulsive disorder, Neuropsychopharmacology, 1998, vol. 18, pp. 102—111. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0893-133X(97)00097-3
Praschak-Rieder, N., Kennedy, J., Wilson, A.A., et al., Novel 5-HTTLPR allele associates with higher serotonin transporter binding in putamen: a [(11)C] DASB positron emission tomography study, Biol. Psychiatry, 2007, vol. 62, pp. 327—331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.09.022
Toshchakova, V.A., Bakhtiari, Y., Kulikov, A.V., et al., Association of polymorphisms of serotonin transporter (5HTTLPR) and 5-HT2C receptor genes with criminal behavior in Russian criminal offenders, Neuropsychobiology, 2017, vol. 75(4), pp. 200—210. https://doi.org/10.1159/000487484
Beitchman, J.H., Baldassarra, L., Mik, H., et al., Serotonin transporter polymorphisms and persistent, pervasive childhood aggression, Am. J. Psychiatry, 2006, vol. 163, pp. 1103—1105. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.2006.163.6.1103
Haberstick, B.C., Smolen, A., and Hewitt, J.K., Family-based association test of the 5HTTLPR and aggressive behavior in a general population sample of children, Biol. Psychiatry, 2006, vol. 59, pp. 836—843. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.10.008
Retz, W., Retz-Junginger, P., Supprian, T., et al., Association of serotonin transporter promoter gene polymorphism with violence: relation with personality disorders, impulsivity, and childhood ADHD psychopathology, Behav. Sci. Law, 2004, vol. 22, pp. 415—425. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.589
Ficks, C.A. and Waldman, I.D., Candidate genes for aggression and antisocial behavior: a meta-analysis of association studies of the 5HTTLPR and MAOA-uVNTR, Behav. Genet., 2014, vol. 44, no. 5, pp. 427—444. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-014-9661-y
Reif, A., Rösler, M., Freitag, C.M., et al., Nature and nurture predispose to violent behavior: serotonergic genes and adverse childhood environment, Neuropsychopharmacology, 2007, vol. 32, pp. 2375—2383. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1301359
Baca-Garcia, E., Vaquero, C., Diaz-Sastre, C., et al., Lack of association between the serotonin transporter promoter gene polymorphism and impulsivity or aggressive behavior among suicide attempters and healthy volunteers, Psychiatry Res., 2004, vol. 126, pp. 99—106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2003.10.007
Monuteaux, M.C., Biederman, J., Doyle, A.E., et al., Genetic risk for conduct disorder symptom subtypes in an ADHD sample: specificity to aggressive symptoms, J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 2009, vol. 48, pp. 757—764. https://doi.org/10.1097/CHI.0b013e3181a5661b
Hoyer, D., Clarke, D.E., Fozard, J.R., et al., International Union of Pharmacology classification of receptors for 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin), Pharmacol. Rev., 1994, vol. 46, pp. 157—203.
Bell, R. and Hobson, H., 5-HT1A receptor influences on rodent social and agonistic behavior: a review and empirical study, Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev., 1994, vol. 18, pp. 325—338.
Olivier, B. and van Oorschot, R., 5-HT1B receptors and aggression: a review, Eur. J. Pharmacol., 2005, vol. 526, pp. 207—217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2005.09.066
Lemonde, S., Turecki, G., Bakish, D., et al., Impaired repression at a 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A receptor gene polymorphism associated with major depression and suicide, J. Neurosci., 2003, vol. 23, pp. 8788—8799. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-25-08788.2003
Strobel, A., Gutknecht, L., Rothe, C., et al., Allelic variation in 5-HT1A receptor expression is associated with anxiety- and depression-related personality traits, J. Neural Transm., 2003, vol. 110, pp. 1445—1453. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-003-0072-0
Serretti, A., Mandelli, L., Giegling, I., et al., HTR2C and HTR1A gene variants in German and Italian suicide attempters and completers, Am. J. Med. Genet.,Part. B, 2007, vol. 144B, pp. 291—299. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.b.30432
Duan, J., Sanders, A.R., Molen, J.E., et al., Polymorphisms in the 5’-untranslated region of the human serotonin receptor 1B (HTR1B) gene affect gene expression, Mol. Psychiatry, 2003, vol. 8, pp. 901—910.https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001403
Zouk, H., McGirr, A., Lebel, V., et al., The effect of genetic variation of the serotonin 1B receptor gene on impulsive aggressive behavior and suicide, Am. J. Med. Genet.,Part. B, 2007, vol. 144, pp. 996—1002. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.b.30521
Jensen, K.P., Covault, J., Conner, T.S., et al., A common polymorphism in serotonin receptor 1B mRNA moderates regulation by miR-96 and associates with aggressive human behaviors, Mol. Psychiatry, 2009, vol. 14, pp. 381—389. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2008.15
Conner, T.S., Jensen, K.P., Tennen, H., et al., Functional polymorphisms in the serotonin 1B receptor gene (HTR1B) predict self-reported anger and hostility among young men, Am. J. Med. Genet.,Part. B, 2010, vol. 153, pp. 67—78. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.b.30955
Giegling, I., Hartmann, A.M., Möller, H., and Rujescu, D., Anger- and aggression-related traits are associated with polymorphisms in the 5-HT-2A gene, J. Affect. Disord., 2006, vol. 96, pp. 75—81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2006.05.016
Preuss, U.W., Koller, G., Bondy, B., et al., Impulsive traits and 5-HT2A receptor promoter polymorphism in alcohol dependents: possible association but no influence of personality disorders, Neuropsychobiology, 2001, vol. 43, pp. 186—191.
Banlaki, Z., Elek, Z., Nanasi, T., et al., Polymorphism in the serotonin receptor 2a (HTR2A) gene as possible predisposal factor for aggressive traits, PLoS One, 2015, vol. 10. e0117792. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0117792
Griffiths-Jones, S., MiRBase: the microRNA sequence database, Meth. Mol. Biol., 2006, vol. 342, pp. 129—138. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59745-123-1:129
Griffiths-Jones, S., Saini, H.K., Dongen, S., and Enright, A.J., MiRBase: tools for microRNA genomics, Nucleic Acids Res., 2008, vol. 36, pp. 154—158.
Kovacs-Nagy, R., Elek, Z., Szekely, A., et al., Association of aggression with a novel microRNA binding site polymorphism in the wolframin gene, Am. J. Med. Genet.,Part. B, 2013, vol. 162, pp. 404—412. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.b.32157
Bevilacqua, L., Doly, S., Kaprio, J., et al., A population-specific HTR2B stop codon predisposes to severe impulsivity, Nature, 2010, vol. 468, pp. 1061—1066. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09629
Tiihonen, J., Rautiainen, M., Ollila, H.M., et al., Genetic background of extreme violent behavior, Mol. Psychiatry, 2015, vol. 20, pp. 786—792. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2014.130
Pavlov, K.A., Chistiakov, D.A., and Chekhonin, V.P., Genetic determinants of aggression and impulsivity in humans, J. Appl. Genet., 2012, vol. 53, pp. 61—82. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13353-011-0069-6
Seo, D., Patrick, C.J., and Kennealy, P.J., Role of serotonin and dopamine system interactions in the neurobiology of impulsive aggression and its comorbidity with other clinical disorders, Aggress. Violent Behav., 2008, vol. 13, pp. 383—395. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2008.06.003
van Enkhuizen, J., Henry, B.L., Minassian, A., et al., Reduced dopamine transporter functioning induces high-reward risk-preference consistent with bipolar disorder, Neuropsychopharmacology, 2014, vol. 39, no. 13, pp. 3112—3122. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2014.170
Van Ness, S.H., Owens, M.J., and Kilts, C.D., The variable number of tandem repeats element in DAT regulates in vitro dopamine transporter density, BMC Genet., 2005, vol. 6, pp. 55—66. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2156-6-55
Gerra, G., Garofano, L., Pellegrini, C., et al., Allelic association of a dopamine transporter gene polymorphism with antisocial behavior in heroin-dependent patients, Addict. Biol., 2005, vol. 10, pp. 275—281. https://doi.org/10.1080/13556210500223769
Sweet, R.A., Nimgaonkar, V.L., Kamboh, M.I., et al., Dopamine receptor genetic variation, psychosis, and aggression in Alzheimer disease, Arch. Neurol., 1998, vol. 55, pp. 1335—1340.
Zai, C.C., Ehtesham, S., Choi, E., et al., Dopaminergic system genes in childhood aggression: possible role for DRD2, World J. Biol. Psychiatry, 2012, vol. 13, pp. 65—74. https://doi.org/10.3109/15622975.2010.543431
Sweet, R.A., Nimgaonkar, V.L., Kamboh, M.I., et al., Evidence for epistasis between the 5-HTTLPR and the dopamine D4 receptor polymorphisms in externalizing behavior among 15-year-olds, J. Neural Transm., 2009, vol. 116, pp. 1621—1629. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-009-0290-1
Gogos, J.A., Morgan, M., Luine, V., et al., Catechol-O-methyltransferase-deficient mice exhibit sexually dimorphic changes in catecholamine levels and behavior, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 1998, vol. 95, pp. 9991—9996.
Lachman, H.M., Does COMT val 158met affect behavioral phenotypes: yes, no, maybe?, Neuropsychopharmacology, 2008, vol. 33, pp. 3027—3029.
Rujescu, D., Giegling, I., Gietl, A., et al., A functional single nucleotide polymorphism (V158M) in the COMT gene is associated with aggressive personality traits, Biol. Psychiatry, 2003, vol. 54, pp. 34—39.
Tosato, S., Bonetto, C., Di Forti, M., et al., Effect of COMT genotype on aggressive behaviour in a community cohort of schizophrenic patients, Neurosci. Lett., 2011, vol. 495, pp. 17—21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2011.03.018
Perroud, N., Jaussent, I., Guillaume, S., et al., COMT but not serotonin related genes modulates the influence of childhood abuse on anger traits, Genes, Brain Behav., 2010, vol. 9, pp. 193—202. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1601-183X.2009.00547.x
Hirata, Y., Zai, C.C., Nowrouzi, B., et al., Study of the catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) gene with high aggression in children, Aggress. Behav., 2013, vol. 39, pp. 45—51. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21448
Shih, J.C., Chen, K., and Ridd, M.J., Monoamine oxidase: from genes to behavior, Annu. Rev. Neurosci., 1999, vol. 22, pp. 197—217.
Kalgutkar, A.S., Dalvie, D.K., Castagnoli, N., and Taylor, T.J., Interactions of nitrogen-containing xenobiotics with monoamine oxidase (MAO) isozymes A and B: SAR studies on MAO substrates and inhibitors, Chem. Res. Toxicol., 2001, vol. 14, pp. 1139—1162. https://doi.org/10.1021/tx010073b
Sabol, S.Z., Hu, S., and Hamer, D., A functional polymorphism in the monoamine oxidase A gene promoter, Hum. Genet., 1998, vol. 103, pp. 273—279.
Deckert, J., Catalano, M., Syagailo, Y.V., et al., Excess of high activity monoamine oxidase A gene promoter alleles in female patients with panic disorder, Hum. Mol. Genet., 1999. (8), pp. 621—624.
Guo, G., Ou, X., Roettger, M., and Shih, J.C., The VNTR2 repeat in MAOA and delinquent behavior in adolescence and young adulthood: associations and MAOA promoter activity, Eur. J. Hum. Genet., 2008, vol. 16, pp. 626—634. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejhg.5201999
Beaver, K.M., DeLisi, M., Vaughn, M.G., and Barnes, J.C., Monoamine oxidase A genotype is associated with gang membership and weapon use, Compr. Psychiatry, 2010, vol. 51, pp. 130—134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2009.03.010
Beaver, K.M., Wright, J.P., Boutwell, B.B., et al., Exploring the association between the 2-repeat allele of the MAOA gene promoter polymorphism and psychopathic personality traits, arrests, incarceration, and lifetime antisocial behavior, Pers. Individ. Dif., 2013, vol. 54, pp. 164—168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.08.014
Beaver, K.M., Barnes, J.C., and Boutwell, B.B., The 2-repeat allele of the MAOA gene confers an increased risk for shooting and stabbing behaviors, Psychiatr. Q., 2014, vol. 85, pp. 257—265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-013-9287-x
Manuck, S.B., Flory, J.D., Ferrell, R.E., et al., A regulatory polymorphism of the monoamine oxidase-A gene may be associated with variability in aggression, impulsivity, and central nervous system serotonergic responsivity, Psychiatry Res., 2000, vol. 95, pp. 9—23. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-1781(00)00162-1
Verhoeven, F.E.A., Booij, L., Kruijt, A., et al., The effects of MAOA genotype, childhood trauma, and sex on trait and state dependent aggression, Brain Behav., 2012, vol. 2, pp. 806—813.
Holz, N., Boecker, R., Buchmann, A.F., et al., Evidence for a sex-dependent MAOA childhood stress interaction in the neural circuitry of aggression, Cereb. Cortex, 2016, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 904—914. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhu249
Beitchman, J.H., Mik, H.M., Ehtesham, S., et al., MAOA and persistent, pervasive childhood aggression, Mol. Psychiatry, 2004, vol. 9, pp. 546—547.
Tikkanen, R., Ducci, F., Goldman, D., et al., MAOA alters the effects of heavy drinking and childhood physical abuse on risk for severe impulsive acts of violence among alcoholic violent offenders, Alcohol.: Clin. Exp. Res., 2010, vol. 34, pp. 853—860. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01157.x8
Kolla, N.J., Attard, S., Craig, G., et al., Monoamine oxidase A alleles in violent offenders with antisocial personality disorder: high activity associated with proactive aggression, Crim. Behav. Ment. Health, 2014, vol. 24, pp. 368—372.
McDermott, R., Tingley, D., Cowden, J., et al., Monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA) predicts behavioral aggression following provocation, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2009, vol. 106, pp. 2118—2123. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0808376106
Kuepper, Y., Grant, P., Wielpuetz, C., and Hennig, J., MAOA-uVNTR genotype predicts interindividual differences in experimental aggressiveness as a function of the degree of provocation, Behav. Brain Res., 2013, vol. 247, pp. 73—78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2013.03.002
Pickles, A., Hill, J., Breen, G., et al., Evidence for interplay between genes and parenting on infant temperament in the first year of life: monoamine oxidase A polymorphism moderates effects of maternal sensitivity on infant anger proneness, J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry, 2013, vol. 54, pp. 1308—1317. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12081
Beaver, K.M., Connolly, E.J., Nedelec, J.L., and Schwartz, J.A., On the genetic and genomic basis of aggression, violence, and antisocial behavior, Oxford Handbook of Evolution, Biology, and Society, Hopcroft, R.L., Ed., Oxford, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190299323.013.15
Schwartz, J.A. and Beaver, K.M., Exploring whether genetic differences between siblings explain sibling differences in criminal justice outcomes, Compr. Psychiatry, 2014, vol. 55, pp. 90—103.
Pappa, I., St Pourcain, B., Benke, K., et al., A genome-wide approach to children’s aggressive behavior: the EAGLE consortium, Am. J. Med. Genet.,Part. B, 2016, vol. 171, no. 5, pp. 562—572.
Fernandez-Castillo, N. and Cormand, B., Aggressive behavior in humans: genes and pathways identified through association studies, Am. J. Med. Genet.,Part. B, 2016, vol. 171, no. 5, pp. 676—696.
Vassos, E., Collier, D.A., and Fazel, S., Systematic meta-analyses and field synopsis of genetic association studies of violence and aggression, Mol. Psychiatry, 2014, vol. 19, pp. 471—477. https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2013.31
Børglum, A.D., Demontis, D., Grove, J., et al., Genome-wide study of association and interaction with maternal cytomegalovirus infection suggests new schizophrenia loci, Mol. Psychiatry, 2014, vol. 19, pp. 325—333.
Xu, W., Cohen-Woods, S., Chen, Q., et al., Genome-wide association study of bipolar disorder in Canadian and UK populations corroborates disease loci including SYNE1 and CSMD1, BMC Med. Genet., 2014, vol. 15, p. 2.https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2350-15-2
Rittschof, C.C., Bukhari, S.A., Sloofman, L.G., et al., Neuromolecular responses to social challenge: common mechanisms across mouse, stickleback fish, and honey bee, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 2014, vol. 111, pp. 17929—17934. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1420369111
Zhang-James, Y., Fernandez-Castillo, N., Hess, J.L., et al., An integrated analysis of genes and functional pathways for aggression in human and rodent models, Mol. Psychiatry, 2018. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325513139. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-018-0068-7
Perry, B.D. and Pollard, R., Homeostasis, stress, trauma, and adaptation: a neurodevelopmental view of childhood trauma, Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. Clin. N. Am., 1998, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 33—51. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1056-4993(18)30258-X
Caspi, A., McClay, J., Moffitt, T.E., et al., Role of genotype in the cycle of violence in maltreated children, Science, 2002, vol. 297, no. 5582, pp. 851—854. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1072290
Kim-Cohen, J., Caspi, A., Taylor, A., et al., MAOA, maltreatment, and gene-environment interaction predicting children’s mental health: new evidence and a meta-analysis, Mol. Psychiatry, 2006, vol. 11, pp. 903—913.
Byrd, A.L. and Manuck, S.B., MAOA, childhood maltreatment, and antisocial behaviors: meta-analysis of a gene—environment interaction, Biol. Psychiatry, 2014, vol. 75, pp. 9—17.
Beaver, K.M., Environmental moderators of genetic influences on adolescence delinquent involvement and victimization, J. Adolesc. Res., 2011, vol. 26, pp. 84—114. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558410384736
Belsky, J. and Pluess, M., Beyond diathesis stress: differential susceptibility to environmental influences, Psychol. Bull., 2009, vol. 135(6), pp. 885—908. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017376
Iofrida, C., Palumbo, S., and Pellegrini, S., Molecular genetics and antisocial behavior where do we stand?, Exp. Biol. Med. (Maywood), 2014, vol. 239, no. 11, pp. 1514—1523. https://doi.org/10.1177/1535370214529508
Booij, L., Tremblay, R.E., Provençal, N., et al., The developmental origins of chronic physical aggression: biological pathways triggered by early life adversity, J. Exp. Biol., 2015, vol. 218, pp. 123—133. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.111401
Ouellet-Morin, I., Wong, C.C.Y., Danese, A., et al., Increased serotonin transporter gene (SERT) DNA methylation is associated with bullying victimization and blunted cortisol response to stress in childhood: a longitudinal study of discordant monozygotic twins, Psychol. Med., 2013, vol. 43, pp. 1813—1823. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291712002784
Wang, D., Szyf, M., Benkelfat, C., et al., Peripheral SLC6A4 DNA methylation is associated with in vivo measures of human brain serotonin synthesis and childhood physical aggression, PLoS One, 2012, vol. 7, no. 6.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0039501
Guillemin, C., Provencal, N., Suderman, M., et al., DNA methylation signature of childhood chronic physical aggression in T cells of both men and women, PLoS One, 2014, vol. 9(1). e86822, pp. 1—16. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0086822
Checknita, D., Maussion, G., Labonte, B., et al., Monoamine oxidase A gene promoter methylation and transcriptional downregulation in an offender population with antisocial personality disorder, Br. J. Psychiatry, 2015, vol. 206, no. 3, pp. 216—222. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.114.144964
Yin, Y., Morgunova, E., Jolma, A., et al., Impact of cytosine methylation on DNA binding specificities of human transcription factors, Science, 2017, vol. 356, p. 6337. pii: eaaj2239. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaj2239
Maunakea, A.K., Chepelev, I., Cui, K., and Zhao, K., Intragenic DNA methylation modulates alternative splicing by recruiting MeCP2 to promote exon recognition, Cell Res., 2013, vol. 23, pp. 1256—1269. https://doi.org/10.1038/cr.2013.110
Kalsotra, A. and Cooper, T.A., Functional consequences of developmentally regulated alternative splicing, Nat. Rev. Genet., 2011, vol. 12, pp. 715—729. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3052
Shukla, S., Kavak, E., Gregory, M., et al., CTCF-promoted RNA polymerase II pausing links DNA methylation to splicing, Nature, 2011, vol. 479, pp. 74—79. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature10442
Márquez, C., Poirier, G.L., Cordero, M.I., et al., Peripuberty stress leads to abnormal aggression, altered amygdala and orbitofrontal reactivity and increased prefrontal MAOA gene expression, Transl. Psychiatry, 2013. 3. e216. https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2012.144
Bannister, A.J. and Kouzarides, T., Regulation of chromatin by histone modifications, Cell Res., 2011, vol. 21, pp. 381—395. https://doi.org/10.1038/cr2011.22
Arsenault, S.V., Hunt, B.G., and Rehan, S.M., The effect of maternal care on gene expression and DNA methylation in a subsocial bee, Nat. Commun., 2018, vol. 9, pp. 1—9, article number 3468. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05903-0
Palumbo, S., Mariotti, V., Iofrida, C., and Pellegrini, S., Genes and aggressive behavior: epigenetic mechanisms underlying individual susceptibility to aversive environments, Front. Behav. Neurosci., 2018, vol. 12, pp. 117—125. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00117
Hagenbeek, F.A., Kluft, C., Hankemeier, T., et al., Discovery of biochemical biomarkers for aggression: a role for metabolomics in psychiatry, Am. J. Med. Genet.,Part. B, 2016, vol. 171, no. 5, pp. 719—732. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.b.32435
Nizhnikov, A.A., Antonets, K.S., and Inge-Vechtomov, S.G., Amyloids: from pathogenesis to function, Biochemistry (Moscow), 2015, vol. 80, no. 9, pp. 1127—1144. https://doi.org/10.1134/S0006297915090047
Schmitz, M., Zafar, S., Silva, C.J., and Zerr, I., Behavioral abnormalities in prion protein knockout mice and the potential relevance of PrP(C) for the cytoskeleton, Prion, 2014, vol. 8, pp. 381—386. https://doi.org/10.4161/19336896.2014.983746
Funding
This study was supported by the Program of Union State “DNA Identification.”
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies involving animals or human participants performed by any of the authors.
Additional information
Translated by A. Kazantseva
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dragovich, A.Y., Borinskaya, S.A. Genetic and Genomic Basis of Aggressive Behavior. Russ J Genet 55, 1445–1459 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1022795419090059
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1022795419090059