The role of the serotonergic system in suicidal behavior

Marta Sadkowski,^1,* Brittany Dennis,^2–4,* Robert C Clayden,² Wala ElSheikh,⁵ Sumathy Rangarajan,⁵ Jane DeJesus,⁵ Zainab Samaan<sup>3–6

1</sup>Arts and Sciences Program, ²Faculty of Health Sciences, ³Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, ⁴Population Genomics Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; ⁵Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON, Canada; ⁶Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

^*These authors contributed equally to this work

Abstract: Serotonin is a widely investigated neurotransmitter in several psychopathologies, including suicidal behavior (SB); however, its role extends to several physiological functions involving the nervous system, as well as the gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems. This review summarizes recent research into ten serotonergic genes related to SB. These genes – TPH1, TPH2, SLC6A4, SLC18A2, HTR1A, HTR1B, HTR2A, DDC, MAOA, and MAOB – encode proteins that are vital to serotonergic function: tryptophan hydroxylase; the serotonin transporter 5-HTT; the vesicular transporter VMAT2; the HTR_1A, HTR_1B, and HTR_2A receptors; the L-amino acid decarboxylase; and the monoamine oxidases. This review employed a systematic search strategy and a narrative research methodology to disseminate the current literature investigating the link between SB and serotonin.

Keywords: serotonin, suicide, genetic