Abstract: The development of aggressive behavior has important genetic underpinning. With the advancement of molecular genetics, research on the mechanism underlying aggressive behavior has extended to the molecular level in recent years. A number of studies have identified the COMT (Catechol-O-methyltransferase) gene as one of the candidate genes related to aggressive behavior. However, research findings on human subjects have not been always consistent and even contradictory in some cases. This paper reviewed the recent literature about the effect of the COMT gene on aggressive behavior and analyzed causes of the inconsistencies of research findings. Finally, directions of future research were discussed.

Key words: COMT polymorphism, rs4680, rs6267, aggressive behavior