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Review
. 2013 Jan 16;4(1):13-5.
doi: 10.1021/cn3002224.

5HTTLPR: White Knight or Dark Blight?

Affiliations
Review

5HTTLPR: White Knight or Dark Blight?

Dennis L Murphy et al. ACS Chem Neurosci. .

Abstract

In over 100 neuroscience genetics reports on SLC6A4 published in the first part of 2012, >40% reported data from genotyping only the serotonin transporter-linked promoter region [5HTTLPR] indel, omitting genotyping of two nearby SNPs that substantially alter 5HTTLPR allele frequencies and functionality. And 25% of these papers did not report ethnicity of the subjects genotyped, another factor that alters allele frequencies. This field thus seems stultified. Improved science for the present and future will be better served by attention to more complete methods for genotyping and subject sample reporting.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Human SERT gene (SLC6A4) organization showing multiple functional variants. [Adapted from ref (4).]
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distributions (%) of SLC6A4 alleles in different global populations. [Adapted from ref (2).]

References

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