生物学と医学

概要

A Brief Review on Epigenetic Aspects involved in Depression

Catarine Lima Conti and Adriana Madeira Alvares da Silva-Conforti

It is known that external environmental or internal physiologic factors interact with an individual’s genetic constitution to determine risk for depression throughout life. This can be possible through epigenetic mechanisms that lead to changes in gene expression – with transgenerational abilities - that do not involve a change in the DNA sequence. Here we briefly summarize the link between depressive disorders and epigenetics, considering stressful events as important triggers for these modifications. The increasing knowledge in this issue is relevant for updating and expanding comprehension in the molecular basis of this mood disorder.