Genetic Architecture and Molecular Neuropathology of Human Cocaine Addiction

J Neurosci. 2020 Jul 1;40(27):5300-5313. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2879-19.2020. Epub 2020 May 26.

Abstract

We integrated genomic and bioinformatic analyses, using data from the largest genome-wide association study of cocaine dependence (CD; n = 6546; 82.37% with CD; 57.39% male) and the largest postmortem gene-expression sample of individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD; n = 36; 51.35% with CUD; 100% male). Our genome-wide analyses identified one novel gene (NDUFB9) associated with the genetic predisposition to CD in African-Americans. The genetic architecture of CD was similar across ancestries. Individual genes associated with CD demonstrated modest overlap across European-Americans and African-Americans, but the genetic liability for CD converged on many similar tissue types (brain, heart, blood, liver) across ancestries. In a separate sample, we investigated the neuronal gene expression associated with CUD by using RNA sequencing of dorsal-lateral prefrontal cortex neurons. We identified 133 genes differentially expressed between CUD case patients and cocaine-free control subjects, including previously implicated candidates for cocaine use/addiction (FOSB, ARC, KCNJ9/GIRK3, NR4A2, JUNB, and MECP2). Differential expression analyses significantly correlated across European-Americans and African-Americans. While genes significantly associated with CD via genome-wide methods were not differentially expressed, two of these genes (NDUFB9 and C1qL2) were part of a robust gene coexpression network associated with CUD involved in neurotransmission (GABA, acetylcholine, serotonin, and dopamine) and drug addiction. We then used a "guilt-by-association" approach to unravel the biological relevance of NDUFB9 and C1qL2 in the context of CD. In sum, our study furthers the understanding of the genetic architecture and molecular neuropathology of human cocaine addiction and provides a framework for translating biological meaning into otherwise obscure genome-wide associations.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our study further clarifies the genetic and neurobiological contributions to cocaine addiction, provides a rapid approach for generating testable hypotheses for specific candidates identified by genome-wide research, and investigates the cross-ancestral biological contributions to cocaine use disorder/dependence for individuals of European-American and African-American ancestries.

Keywords: GWAS follow-up; RNA sequencing; cocaine dependence; cocaine use disorder; genome-wide association study (GWAS); multiancestry.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Black or African American / genetics
  • Cocaine-Related Disorders / genetics*
  • Cocaine-Related Disorders / pathology*
  • Computational Biology
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2 / genetics
  • Middle Aged
  • NADH Dehydrogenase / genetics
  • Neurotransmitter Agents / genetics
  • Pathology, Molecular
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / genetics
  • RNA / genetics
  • United States
  • White People / genetics

Substances

  • Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2
  • Neurotransmitter Agents
  • RNA
  • NADH Dehydrogenase
  • NDUFB9 protein, human