Evidence for the modality independence of the genetic epistasis between the dopaminergic and cholinergic system on working memory capacity

Sebastian Markett; Christian Montag; Nora T Walter; Martin Reuter

doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2010.10.011

Evidence for the modality independence of the genetic epistasis between the dopaminergic and cholinergic system on working memory capacity

Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2011 Feb;21(2):216-20. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2010.10.011. Epub 2010 Dec 4.

Authors

Sebastian Markett¹, Christian Montag, Nora T Walter, Martin Reuter

Affiliation

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, University of Bonn, Kaiser-Karl-Ring 9, Bonn, Germany. sebastian.markett@uni-bonn-diff.de

PMID: 21130611
DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2010.10.011

Abstract

Working memory (WM) is fractionated into systems for visuospatial and phonological information. Recently, it has been shown that the dopamine d2 receptor gene DRD2 and CHRNA4, the gene coding for the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor's alpha4 subunit, interact epistatically on visuospatial WM capacity. In the present study, we show a similar interaction on phonological WM capacity in N=137 healthy subjects genotyped for two single nucleotide polymorphisms (DRD2 rs6277 and CHRNA4 rs1044396). Given the functional independence of the two systems we hypothesize that the genetic interaction targets the central executive which is the common control process for both systems.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acetylcholine / physiology*
Dopamine / physiology
Epistasis, Genetic*
Female
Genotype
Humans
Male
Memory, Short-Term / drug effects
Memory, Short-Term / physiology*
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
Receptors, Dopamine D2 / genetics*
Receptors, Nicotinic / genetics*
Space Perception
Young Adult

Substances

Receptors, Dopamine D2
Receptors, Nicotinic
nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha4 subunit
Acetylcholine
Dopamine