Study : FMO3 variant associated with lentiform nucleus size

New Research Paper Aug 2012
Genome-wide association identifies genetic variants associated with lentiform nucleus volume in N = 1345 young and elderly subjects.
Imaging Genetics Center at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Neuroscience Research Building, Los Angeles, USA.

FMO3 variant and lentiform size

This is a new research paper which seemed to find a statistical connection with a FMO3 single nucleotide polymorphism variant (RS number rs1795240) and the lentiform nucleus volume in people from certain groups who were brain scanned. However a FMO3 expert when asked about the paper felt the amount (under 3%) was very small and may not be as statistically relevant as thought.

The Lentiform nucleus is a large part of the brain and the paper claims there has been associations with smaller LN volume and "genetically influenced disorders, including Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and ADHD". The research team is interested in Neuro Imaging and matching it with possible genetic connections to disorders. They looked at the MRI images of 2 groups of people, a group from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, and a group from the Queensland Twin Imaging Study (presumably the 'control' group). They then looked for any genetic connections that may be of statistical significance. Their final claim was that they "dentified a number of associations in and around the flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO) gene cluster. The most highly associated SNP, rs1795240, was located in the FMO3 gene".

The differences in the groups was " 2.68 % (Alzheimer group) and 0.84 % (control group)". A FMO3 expert asked about the results felt the amount (2.68%) was not very much and may not be of significance.

The final sentence of the abstract paper says : "Pathway enrichment analysis revealed significant contributions of this gene (FMO3) to the cytochrome P450 pathway, which is involved in metabolizing numerous therapeutic drugs for pain, seizures, mania, depression, anxiety, and psychosis. The genetic variants we identified provide replicated, genome-wide significant evidence for the FMO gene cluster's involvement in lentiform nucleus volume differences in human populations."

On a positive note, this study along with the recent study about a possible connection with trimethylamine-oxide levels and heart disease may result in increased research interest in the FMO3 enzyme.

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Wikipedia : Lentiform nucleus
Yale Allelle Frequency Database entry for rs1795240
FMO3 enzyme

By sysbodyodor

fmo3

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