DAT1 Gene

The dopamine transporter gene (DAT1/SLC6A3) is a membrane-spanning protein that mediates the reuptake of dopamine from the synapse. It has been associated with bipolar disorder and ADHD.

The dopamine active transporter 1 gene (DAT1, also known as SLC6A3) is a membrane-spanning protein that mediates the reuptake of dopamine from the synapse. DAT1 is the primary regulator of dopamine neurotransmission and is expressed in the central nervous system, primarily in brain areas that make up the dopaminergic circuits (e.g. striatum and nucleus accumbens). DAT1 contains variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs), locations in the genome where a short nucleotide sequence is repeated a number of times. Different individuals can have a different number of repeats, which can cause the gene to behave differently (e.g. produce more or less protein). In a 1995 study, Cook and colleagues found that a 480-bp DAT1 VNTR allele was preferentially transmitted to individuals with ADHD. VNTRs in DAT1 have also been found to associate with bipolar disorder and response to antidepressants (e.g. Kirchheiner and colleagues, 2007).