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XBP1 gene polymorphism (-116C/G) and personality.

Kato C, Kakiuchi C, Umekage T, Tochigi M, Kato N, Kato T, Sasaki T

Department of Psychiatry, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Japan.

Recently, a polymorphism of the XBP1 gene (-116 C/G) was observed to play a significant role in the development of bipolar mood disorder from the Japanese population. The present study investigated a role of the polymorphism in the development of personality in healthy Japanese volunteers (n = 195). Personality traits were evaluated using NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO PI-R). As a result, a statistical trend for association between the polymorphism (genotype) and the NEO PI-R scores of agreeableness and neuroticism was observed (ANOVA, P = 0.01 and 0.006, respectively). Subjects with the G allele, especially those with G-G genotype, tended to show lower neuroticism and higher agreeableness in the present study. The result is provisional and should be interpreted with caution, partly because the previous study suggested the allele as a risk allele for bipolar disorder. Further studies are required to confirm the results.

Published 5 July 2005 in Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet, 136(1): 103-5.
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