Analysis of Solute Carrier Family 6 Member 4 Gene promoter polymorphism in young Turkish basketball players.

Abstract

The serotonin transporter (5-hydroxytryptamine transporter, 5- HTT) gene (SLC6A4) is considered to be one of the most important candidate genes for genetic involvement in psychiatric conditions like anxiety, self- confidence and motivation. In the present study, we aimed to analyze the distribution of SLC6A4 promoter long and short (L and S, respectively) polymorphism in young Turkish basketball players. We enrolled 24 players in the study, 17 were females and 7 were males. 12%, 35% and 53% of the females had SS, LS and LL genotype, respectively; whereas 28,5% of the males had SS and the same percentage of them had LS, and 43% had LL genotype. When we examined the allelic counts, L allele was recorded as 71% in females and 57% in males; S allele was 29% in females and 43% in males. Our results were in agreement with the previous ones, indicating the presence of L allele in individuals dealing with sport. We suggest that SLC6A4 promoter analysis is important for genetic counseling for the individuals who are prone to be successful in sports