The role of the Oxytocin-Neurophysin I gene in contributing to human personality traits promoting sociality

Publication date: Available online 5 March 2018
Source:International Journal of Psychophysiology
Author(s): Anne Chong, Soo Hong Chew, Poh San Lai, Richard P. Ebstein, Jean-Philippe Gouin
Oxytocin (OT) plays a salient role in contributing to the high levels of human sociality that characterize our species. Across the lifespan this nonapeptide promotes prosocial behaviors and modulates stress responses. Curiously, the OXT-Neurophysin I gene has been little studied despite the fact this is the structural gene for the OT nonapeptide. In a large group of Han Chinese undergraduate students (n = 1593) we examined associations of two single nucleotide polymorphisms of the OXT- Neurophysin I gene with personality traits. Results indicated that the OXT-Neurophysin I rs2770378 was related to extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. AA homozygous individuals reported more prosocial personality traits, compared to participants carrying the G allele. These results indicate that variants of the OXT-Neurophysin-I gene resonate with phenotypes that foster positive social interactions, which may in turn facilitate the social regulation of stress responses.



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