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Association of GABRA2 with Drug Dependence in the Collaborative Study of the Genetics of Alcoholism Sample

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Abstract

Results from twin studies suggest that overlapping genetic factors influence alcohol dependence and illicit drug dependence. Using data from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA), we examined the association between 69 SNPs in the GABAA receptor gene cluster on chromosome 4 and marijuana and illicit drug dependence, individually, and as co-occurring phenotypes with alcohol dependence. Results suggested association between marijuana dependence and illicit drug dependence with SNPs in the GABRA2 gene. Interestingly, the evidence for association previously observed with alcohol dependence came only from individuals with comorbid illicit drug dependence. There was no association with other genes in the GABAA cluster on chromosome 4 with illicit drug dependence.

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Acknowledgments

The Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) (Principal Investigator: H. Begleiter; Co-Principal Investigators: L. Bierut, H. Edenberg, V. Hesselbrock, B. Porjesz) includes nine different centers where data collection, analysis, and storage take place. The nine sites and Principal Investigators and Co-Investigators are: University of Connecticut (V. Hesselbrock); Indiana University (H. Edenberg, J. Nurnberger Jr., P.M. Conneally, T. Foroud); University of Iowa (S. Kuperman, R. Crowe); SUNY HSCB (B. Porjesz, H. Begleiter); Washington University in St. Louis (L. Bierut, A. Goate, J. Rice); University of California at San Diego (M. Schuckit); Howard University (R. Taylor); Rutgers University (J. Tischfield); Southwest Foundation (L. Almasy). Zhaoxia Ren serves as the NIAAA Staff Collaborator. This national collaborative study is supported by the NIH Grant U10AA08401 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

In memory of Theodore Reich, M.D., Co-Principal Investigator of COGA since its inception and one of the founders of modern psychiatric genetics, we acknowledge his immeasurable and fundamental scientific contributions to COGA and the field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Arpana Agrawal, Laura J. Bierut, Gerald Dunne, Anthony L. Hinrichs & Danielle M. Dick

  2. Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Howard J. Edenberg, Tatiana Foroud & John I. Nurnberger

  3. University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Raymond Crowe & Samuel Kuperman

  4. University of California–San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

    Marc A. Schuckit

  5. State University of New York, New York, NY, USA

    Henri Begleiter & Bernice Porjesz

  6. Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, Box 8134, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA

    Danielle M. Dick

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  1. Arpana Agrawal
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  2. Howard J. Edenberg
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  3. Tatiana Foroud
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  4. Laura J. Bierut
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  5. Gerald Dunne
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  6. Anthony L. Hinrichs
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  7. John I. Nurnberger
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  8. Raymond Crowe
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  9. Samuel Kuperman
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  10. Marc A. Schuckit
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  11. Henri Begleiter
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  12. Bernice Porjesz
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  13. Danielle M. Dick
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Correspondence to Danielle M. Dick.

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Agrawal, A., Edenberg, H., Foroud, T. et al. Association of GABRA2 with Drug Dependence in the Collaborative Study of the Genetics of Alcoholism Sample. Behav Genet 36, 640–650 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-006-9069-4

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