Abstract:

The development of depression has important genetic underpinnings. COMT (catechol-O- methyltransferase) Val158Met polymorphism is an important candidate gene locus for depression. At present, the studies associated with the relationship between COMT Val158Met polymorphism and depression mainly adopt single gene design, single gene-environment design and multiple gene-environment design. The researches have demonstrated that negativity bias and its related brain mechanism may play an intermediary role between COMT Val158Met polymorphism and depression. However, the mechanism underlying is still not clear and need to be explored. Future research should focus on issues as the moderation effect of participants’ ethnicity, gender and age on the association between COMT Val158Met polymorphism and depression, and further investigate the role of negativity bias and the neuralbiological mechanisms between COMT Val158Met polymorphism and depression by using multiple gene-environment design and comprehensively using positive and negative environmental factors.

Key words: COMT gene, depression, negativity bias, brain mechanism, Val158Met polymorphism